Sex symbol Peter Fonda from the movie ‘Easy Rider’ died at 79 on Friday in Los Angeles.
His death was confirmed by his family and the cause was respiratory failure as a result of lung cancer.
“It is with deep sorrow that we share the news that Peter Fonda has passed away,” the family said. “… In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts.”
The actor carried on his father’s Hollywood legacy, Henry Fonda. He was nominated for two Oscars, almost three decades apart.
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A best original screenplay nomination was shared with Terry Southern and Dennis Hopper for ‘Easy Rider’. The story was centered around two hippie bikers that went on a cross-country trip fueled by drugs and youth freedom.
Fonda knew deep down that this movie was going to be a success as it’s a coming of age story presented to a very accepting audience. He told The Los Angeles Times in 2018, “It was a market that had never been played to, nobody had sung their song to them.”
In a statement, Jane Fonda said she spent her younger brother’s final days with him.
“I am very sad. He was my sweet-hearted baby brother. The talker of the family. I have had beautiful alone time with him these last days. He went out laughing,” she said.
The family asked for privacy to grieve, but said they wished for people to “celebrate his indomitable spirit and love of life”
“In honor of Peter, please raise a glass to freedom,” the family said. Freedom was a word Peter Fonda often invoked.
“I believe that one is only truly free when one is learning, and one can only learn when one is free. Freedom is NOT just another word for ‘nothing left to lose,'” Fonda said on his website.
