Jane Fonda is 86 years old, but you'd never know it by looking at her. Or by her level of energy. The icon has barely slowed down, even after her non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis back in September. She's a working actress, a climate change activist, and so much more. She's also endlessly outspoken.
During a 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Jane opened up about nearing the end of her life. She says she's very aware of the fact that she doesn't have much time left, therefore she hopes that high-profile celebrities take a stand for the causes so close to her heart.
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For Jane, that's urgent, because, as she put it, “I’m not going to be around for much longer.”
While Jane has entered the later stage of life, we don't often hear celebrities open up about knowing they won't be here forever. But for Jane, realism makes sense. "When you get to be my age, you better be aware of the amount of time that is behind you, as opposed to in front of you," she said. "I mean, that’s just realistic."
Jane isn't saying she's going to die any day now, but she's keenly aware that her time is coming to an end, and fairly soon, in the scheme of things. But the actress says that death doesn't scare her. She's "not afraid of going," she said. "I'm ready. I’ve had a great life."
Of course, she's not sitting around waiting for death. She's still very much making the most of the time she has left. "Not that I want to go, but I’m aware that it’s going to be sooner rather than later," she added.
Jane still does everything in her power to stay full of life and energy. That means exercising on the regular, but she acknowledges that her routine is not the same as it once was. She says that at her age, "the mantra is 'slow.'"
“Obviously I don’t use the same heaviness of weights that I used to. What’s important is to keep moving, to keep yourself flexible, to keep building strength.”
Jane still has so much to look forward to, including her upcoming birthday in December, which she says will be a family affair. "My daughter and grandkids will come in from Vermont, and my son and his wife and child live in Los Angeles, and a few friends will come over. We’ll just have a quiet time."
While the world would love to keep Jane Fonda around forever, it's refreshing to hear her talk so openly about death, especially because her acknowledgment of it means she's making the most of the rest of her life. Perhaps at 85, after accomplishing so much, a realistic attitude toward dying is a healthy one.
