With Jane Fonda’s new Netflix series, Grace & Frankie debuting, the actress has been chatting with Pridesource about the show, which sees her and Lily Tomlin playing women dealing with the fact their husbands (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) have both come out of the closet and run off with one another.
Although Fonda hasn’t experienced quite that scenario, she does have plenty of knowledge of gay men wanting her as both their beard and perhaps as heir attempt at heterosexuality. She says, “When I was young, I was the female that gay guys wanted to try to become heterosexual with. A very famous actor who’s gay – and I will not name names – asked me to marry him. I was very flattered, but I said, ‘Why?’ This was 1964. He wasn’t the only one. It’s very interesting. And I lived for two years with a guy who was trying to become heterosexual.”
It’s perhaps not surprising gay gays were attracted to Fonda, as in the 60s and 70s it was still difficult to be openly gay, especially if you were famous, but Jane was well known for her liberal, progressive views, which included campaigning for gay rights alongside Harvel Milk.
Of him, she says, “He was always smiling and laughing, and he was beloved and he was funny. I was so happy when I was with him. And it was just so much fun going into those gay bars with him – oh my God!”
You can find the full interview over at Pridesource.
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