Legendary actor Peter Fonda died today at the age of 79. According to THR, the star’s official cause of death was respiratory lung cancer, ending the life of an actor with decades of amazing screen credits.
Peter Fonda Hollywood career
Peter Fonda started his acting career in 1960 when he worked in stage shows in theaters, making his way to Broadway.
However, when Fonda started appearing on TV shows in the 1960s, he started to meet the right people and climbed the ladder of success. Those early appearances included Naked City, Wagon Train, and The Defenders.
Fonda was part of the counterculture movement in the 1960s. At that time, Hollywood was churning out movies that all looked the same. Fonda joined up with names like Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, and filmmakers like Roger Corman and Francis Ford Coppola to change how Hollywood made movies.
Peter Fonda, #EasyRider architect and counter-cultural icon, dies at 79 https://t.co/lyDqQ8Pycn pic.twitter.com/UBDDWBnA3e
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 16, 2019
Dennis Hopper directed a movie in 1968, based on a script by Peter Fonda, and that movie changed Hollywood forever. It was Easy Rider, with the two actors starring as hippies traveling across America on their motorcycles.
Fonda was Captain America in the movie and along the way, they faced prejudice and hatred. It was the movie that really introduced the world to Jack Nicholson as well.
Over the years, Fonda added some major movies to his filmography including The Cannonball Run, Escape from L.A., and Ulee’s Gold, which won him a Golden Globe for Best Actor.
“Yeah, I’m, I’m hip about time. But I just gotta go.”
Peter Fonda, 1940-2019. pic.twitter.com/bu6ODPNkih
— #AlamoAtHome (@alamodrafthouse) August 16, 2019
He also won a Golden Globe for his role in the television event The Passion of Ayn Rand.
In 2007, Fonda was nominated by the Screen Actors Guild for his appearance in 3:10 to Yuma.
RIP #PeterFonda. A legend not only on screen but for helping create the independent film industry. There will never be another like him. Our condolences to Bridget and his family ☮️?? pic.twitter.com/ADInCZXvSb
— Cary Elwes (@Cary_Elwes) August 16, 2019
Peter Fonda net worth
With such an impressive list of credits and 50 years of Hollywood experience, one would think Peter Fonda’s net worth was huge.
They would be right.
Peter Fonda’s net worth in 2019 is an estimated $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.