Henry Fonda

Born: 16 May 1905 Birthplace: Grand Island, Nebraska Death: 12 August 1982 (heart failure) Best Known As: Tom Joad in the movie The Grapes of Wrath Henry Fonda was one of America's most popular movie stars from the 1940s through the 1970s. Early in his career he was closely associated with director John Ford, starring in Ford movies including Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), The Grapes of Wrath (1940) and My Darling Clementine (1946). After serving in the Navy in World War II Fonda began three decades of work as an American icon, often playing modest, fundamentally decent heroes in movies like Mister Roberts (1955, co-starring Jack Lemmon) and Twelve Angry Men (1957). He capped his career with his first Best Actor Oscar for On Golden Pond (1981, opposite screen legend Katharine Hepburn). Fonda is the father of actors Jane Fonda and Peter Fonda and the grandfather of actress Bridget Fonda.