Peter Fonda.

Peter Henry Fonda was born on February 23, 1940, in Manhattan, New York City, to actor Henry Fonda and socialite Frances Ford Seymour. He had an older sister, Jane Fonda, who also became an actress and activist. As a child, Fonda broke his back at age six while attending boarding school and accidentally shot himself in the stomach at age ten. He attended multiple schools including Fay School, Brunswick School, Westminster School, and the University of Nebraska Omaha. His early interest in acting led him to join the Omaha Playhouse, where he appeared in a production of Harvey before moving to New York to pursue a professional career.

Fonda made his professional stage debut on Broadway in 1961 in Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole, winning the Theatre World Award. He began his film career in 1963 with Tammy and the Doctor and The Victors. In the mid-1960s, he started a famous association with Roger Corman, starring in Wild Angels 1966 and The Trip 1967. His breakthrough came with the seminal 1969 anti-establishment film Easy Rider, which he produced, co-scripted, and starred in, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Subsequent films included Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry 1974, The Limey 1999, and Ghost Rider 2007. He also directed his first feature, The Hired Hand, in 1971. Fonda won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his portrayal of a beekeeper in Ulee’s Gold 1997. He later received another Golden Globe for his supporting role in the telefilm The Passion of Ayn Rand 1999.

Peter Fonda was married three times. His first marriage was to Susan Brewer in 1961, with whom he had two children: actress Bridget Fonda born 1964 and Justin Fonda born 1966. They divorced in 1974. In 1975, he married Portia Rebecca Crockett, a descendant of Davy Crockett; they divorced in 2011. Later that year, he married Parky Fonda, remaining together until his death in 2019. Fonda was the younger brother of Jane Fonda and the father of Bridget Fonda. He also maintained a close relationship with his maternal half-sister Pan Corrias.

Easy Rider, the 1969 film he co-wrote and starred in, defined the counterculture movement of the late 1960s and influenced a generation of filmmakers. His performance in Ulee’s Gold earned him an Academy Award nomination. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000. Fonda’s work with director Roger Corman helped shape the independent film scene. He died on August 16, 2019, in Los Angeles, leaving behind a legacy as a notable figure in Hollywood and a symbol of rebellion.