The Real Story Behind Bridget's Fonda Disappearance from Hollywood

She had to retire from being an assassin because her roommate was stalking her.

She retired because her nose was starting to look weird - she looked more like The Tin Man with each passing year.

She got tired of hearing stupid rumors about her, so packed in her career.

I don't think giving up on Hollywood is all that strange, particularly for the ingenue-types who age out at 30. It's a wonder anyone sticks with it.

I always thought she was adorable and could've been a big star. I liked her nose too.

She married Elfman? She's rolling in dough!

Is it her real nose?

I admire people who can walk away.

Otherwise, you wind up like Brenda Dickson.

R7 Of course not - it's obvious that's an implant at the tip of her nose. It looked very nice from some angles but ghastly from the others.

She never recovered after Robert De Niro shot her in that parking lot.

I hope she makes a comeback. I really enjoyed her...SHAG, A SIMPLE PLAN, JACKIE BROWN, LAKE PLACID, POINT OF NO RETURN, SINGLES, SINGLE WHITE FEMALE...she had a good run.

It's the Fonda nose.

A lot of truth to that, r8. For many people in showbiz, it's either walk away and maintain your dignity and sanity or end up a sad Norma Desmond relic.

I thought she did some very good work. If she's happy, good for her.

On another thread someone said she got into a bad car accident. Never heard anything about it.

Her nose reminds me of Schuyler Fisk's (Sissy Spacek's daughter) nose - looks like bad nose jobs run in the Spacek family.

Loved this bitch one of the few hollywood actresses I could stand!! She made her money and lived a normal life -smart lady

Plus ahe was adorable in it could happen to you. Good actress very likeable and was hot as hell in her prime.

After Bridget's involvement in the Profumo scandal she wisely dropped out of the radar and became a recluse.....

She lived with Eric Stoltz for eons, eight years. Wonder why they didn't marry. Didn't he have a very short marriage with Robin Wright in the 1980s?

Bridget was perfection in the 'La Femme Nikita' remake 'Point of No Return', which had a really great cast and soundtrack (Nina Simone). She was surprisingly believable as the reluctant anti-hero/action star and she looked phenomenal to boot.

The rumor has long been that her and Elfman's child is a special needs kid. He's about 12.

She retired after the disappointment of not getting a Best Actress Academy Award nomination for Lake Placid.

She took the Last Exit to Brooklyn

Single White Female is one of my guilty pleasure. It's such a craptastic movie!

she never did mind about the little things....

If you don't like Lake Placid, you must be tripping on fake acid!

[quote] but I've also heard rumors that her exit from Hollywood was because of something sinister - like a sexual assault by a showbiz big wig or something to that effect.

No, you didn't. You're trying to create something from nothing. You have a habit of doing that in your threads. Provide a link or something to substantiate your claims of this rumor.

She gained some weight, which is why you won't find any pictures of her from the last ten years.

The most recent pic I found of her was at the Inglourious Basterds premiere 8 years ago. She would have been 45 and looked fine.

Sometimes it is better. Having a special needs kid...is that a blessing? Maybe we should ask Ms. Fields.

From Eric Stolz to Danny Elfman....sad!

Jesus, was Inglorious Basterds 8 years ago already?

I was being groomed by Hollywood to replace her, and I never knew who she was!

r32 speaking of Eric, I haven't seen much of him either in the past 10 years or even longer.

R35, well he was hot when I last saw him. Have you ever seen Danny Elfman?!

What's her beef with her aunt Jane?

r36 yes, I see your point. Looks like Eric switched to television. He was in Madam Secretary. Color me surprised.

btw, there are pics of Bridget from 2016 on google search. She looks great!

r28 has called OP quite correctly on her entire bullshit post. Drumming up made-up shit out of nowhere.

r37--what beef are you talking about? There's been no word of a beef.

Both OP and r37 (the same little person?) remind me of Martin Short's Jiminy Glick who, after pursuing a derogatory line of questioning he completely made up about a celebrity, says, "Where do these rumors get started? Because I've never heard them."

He was talking about OP and r37.

Yes, OP and r37, provide legit links to your charges. We'll wait.

And wait.

Liars.

Bridget said in an interview that back in the 80s when Aunt Jane was making a fortune on all those exercise videos, it was hard to be around her. She said something like, "Do you know how hard it is to be around a woman who keeps pointing out your arms have no muscle tone?"

OP if you wanted to start a thread about Bridget Fonda why didn't you start a thread about her? Why make up shit to put in your op:

[quote] but I've also heard rumors that her exit from Hollywood was because of something sinister - like a sexual assault by a showbiz big wig or something to that effect.

Not exactly a compelling statement. I can only imagine the topics discussed by you and your mall walking group. It might be fun to talk about topics but that doesn't mean it translates well in writing.

Well, post them, R38.

Here is one from 2009.

[quote] Here is one from 2009.

That's all well and good but R38 has baited us about pics from 2016. Why aren't those linked in a response?

R40 said it best:

[quote] Liars

I can believe she left voluntarily, because she simply did not HAVE to work. She had her own money, family money, AND Elfman money. Plus, she could not have had that many regrets - her career was pretty damn good overall. Just my two cents. Of course, I have no way of knowing what actually happened.

Lemme guess...

There's nothing of her in the Getty Images archives after that 2009 Inglorious Basterds premier. When Danny does appearances he's either solo or with his adult daughter from a previous relationship.

She's not an attention whore like 100 percent of hollywood, she was a millionaire and married an even richer man so she didn't need to work anymore and doesn't need to be at all these "hollywood" events for attention..

r45 my bad, it's a pic from 2009 but daily mail posted it in 2015 or 2016, so that threw me off. No need to be an asshole.

She did what Marilyn did. She had enough. Of course she didn't fake her death, the way Marilyn did, so as to start a new life, incognita. But she basically decided to withdraw,from the Hollywood rat race.

I always felt she went into acting due to family legacy and not really because she loved it or was seeking fame. So I am not surprised she just left comepletely, it is a shame though because she was a natural and one of those rare actresses that were not only gorgeous but also likeable and genuine.

I do know there was, in fact, a stalker situation.

My ex had the same agent as Bridget and the cops were at the agency getting information about what had gone down.

I recall she had bowed-out of the biz (for the time being) because of the stalker, I'm just not sure if that led to her quitting for good or not.

Oliver

Oliver and Mali

her nose is really tragic

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Some women just have pointy noses like her Look at jane sibbett's (carol from friends) Sibbett's is even worst.

Look at Jane Sibbett's nose.

R53 That's so crazy because for the longest time IMDb Pro had her personal phone number listed as her contact, as of a couple years ago it was still up.

R28 I don't know what your problem is and your weird accusation that I "have a habit of doing this" in my threads. So here ya go, sweetie. Have a ball:

R61 How old is that blind? Up until her comeback in The Hateful Eight, that reads more like Jennifer Jason Leigh. Drugs/method actor being Jason Patric in Rush. She was noticed late teens in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Who knows? That's why I said there were "rumors" and that's why in this thread I ask if anyone knows the real scoop. Could that blind item be about her? Maybe. A lot of people on that thread think so, but I was hoping someone "in the know" might be able to shed some light.

Loved Scandal too, a very underrated movie. BTW I think that's her real nose.

I can't imagine what would possess anyone to dump ginger hotness Eric Stoltz for unfortunate featured Danny Elfman.

Illuminati. There's your answer, sugar.

Her waistline reached the point of no return. Hey, it could happen to you.

I know Bridget. She's one of the few people in Hollywood who's a real person. Down-to-earth. Funny. Weirdly normal. She saw what happened to the rest of her family and decided to raise her own, away from the limelight. That's all.

R68 That's how I always imagined her. I've enjoyed almost everything she's done professionally, she's simply enjoyable to watch. I'm happy to hear she's a great person.

I hope she knows she's missed.

Singles is a fantastic movie!!!

We'll always have SWF.

Remember when SNL did a take off of Single White Female with Pat? It was called Single White Person. Lolz!

Here's the Pat SNL skit.

R20 writes, “She [Bridget Fonda] lived with Eric Stoltz for eons, eight years.”

They didn’t marry because one or both had no intention of the relationship becoming marriage. When one of the two wants marriage, and the other does not, you eventually wake up and cut your losses by ending the relationship.

Oh God, R73.

Was Hutsell one of the worst cast members in the history of SNL?

This is an interesting thread. I recall reading a review of one of her films many years ago where the critic focused mainly on Bridget. He said she had a bright future and she was very smart to take supporting roles as she built her resume. I thought about that critic's assessment some years later when I realized she had completely disappeared from acting. It's good to know she chose to walk away.

R68 I hope that's the case.

Eric stoltz net worth 5 million Danny Elfman-95/100million

Looks fade honey but money like that lasts for your lifetime!!

And she is terribly missed I think she should have had Aniston's career she is so much more geniune and likable.

[quote] I don't know what your problem is and your weird accusation that I "have a habit of doing this" in my threads. So here ya go, sweetie. Have a ball.

First of all, geez you sound gross. With that out of the way, a five year old CDAN blind item is your 'I heard'? Not very sturdy. Why didn't you just say it was CDAN in the op? You tried to sound salacious but sounded dumb. You sound and write gross. Someone had to say it.

Don't forget she dated Dwight Yoakum. How did that guy manage to land so many hotties?

[quote]Don't forget she dated Dwight Yoakam. How did that guy manage to land so many hotties?

He hid his fug under the cowboy hat. By the time a gal saw him without the hat and realised he was hideous and bald, it was too late -- they were already screwing!

Penelope Ann Miller

Penelope Milford

Ronnee Blakley

Kim Richards

Loved her. Beautiful, talented and interesting in every movie. With Winona she's the icon of the 90s.

She used to go to my hair stylist in LA (near the Beverly Center). She didn't just gain "some" weight. Probably at least 50 pounds. Almost unrecognizable. Good for her I say--so people won't come up to her and ask her why she disappeared from Hollywood.

Yes, R75.

bump

You take that back, r75! Melanie Hutsell was hilarious and that was a great Jennifer Jason Leigh impersonation.

As for the Blind Item:

JJL never quit acting. She did some (bad) theater and took a little time off to have a baby and get fucked over by her husband and then edged back in with small supporting roles (Weeds; Synecdoche, NY, etc.), but she never walked away, forever or otherwise.

The only Fonda-as-a-junkie movie I can think of is Point of No Return and I can't imagine her being coerced by the five-and-under day player cast as her boyfriend for the first 90 seconds of the movie to smoke crack in an alley. Also, given how many times and how thoroughly naked JJL has been on camera, she'd have to have the IQ of flea to keep getting tricked back into it.

Is [quote] One second she was there and one she was not. a clue?

I loved her in Jurassic Park.

R79 Let's recap this, shall we? You come on and attack a poster who puts up a thread on a gossip site, whining that they have nothing to back up their claim with and demand proof. OP provides a link to an article that alludes to what OP started the thread about, and you complain that OP didn't post that link in the first place, even though the question actually posed in the thread is if anyone has the real scoop. And to top it off, you complain that the link is old, even though Bridget Fonda hasn't worked as an actress since 2002.

And you say I write and sound "gross?" Okay, sweetie. Take your pill and get some rest, all right? You sound gross. :-)

R89 I don't get it.

Nope, R87, Hutsell sucked. She never had a single second that was funny and all she ever did was that annoying face tick thing of hers where she rolls her eyes back and acts like a brain dead moron.

I agree that her sudden departure, not just from acting, but most public appearances is odd - especially after all her success and the fact that her husband is still actively working in the biz. But to each his own - I don't know her story.

I did read a blog post a few years back by a guy who worked at a high end furniture store in LA. He mentioned that she was one of a number of regular celebrity customers. She was polite and easy to deal with. The thing that made Bridget remarkable for this poster was how often she came in the store and how much she bought. He implied she was a compulsive shopper. She never asked prices - she bought huge expensive, one-of-a kind items frequently.

She was SO down-to-earth that she'd try to load items in her vehicle rather than ask this high-end store to deliver. But the blogger never felt that they (the store staff) got to know her in spite of her being in the store on a regular basis - she sort of kept people at arm's length, albeit politely.

Maybe she did have a bad experience with a stalker or some other similar experience.

Fair warning - I'm a huge Jane Fonda fan, read her books, followed her career, etc.

My take is that the even though Jane seems to be remarkably well-adjusted, the Fonda family definitely has its dysfunction. They aren't necessarily worse than other families but they have their own serious challenges. Jane's father Henry was an absent, controlling, and emotionally unavailable for his kids - I think Katherine Hepburn called him "one cold bastard" after she saw the way he treated Jane on the set of "On Golden Pond". And Kate was no warm and fuzzy grandma type.

Then there was Jane's mother's suicide, all of the her father's subsequent marriages, his refusal to let his kids even talk about their mother's suicide, his constant disapproval of his children, and his odd ability to charm and open up emotionally to strangers while ignoring his family. Jane said she can't count the people who've told her stories over the years of meeting her father in a random encounter (on a long flight, etc.) and recounting how he came across as charismatic, sensitive, and self-aware. Imagine how confusing and damaging that is a for a child who was never able to have a single meaning conversation with this father.

Jane and Peter seem to admire each and to be genuinely close. Jane speaks highly of Bridget and how she admires her success. Jane seems to have made peace with her father - he was probably the best father he knew how to be. Jane has come to terms with her mother's suicide, which makes me admire her all the more. Jane even praises some of her father's wives (I think he had five). She grew to love and admire Shirlee his final wife. And Jane even gives credit to the wife Henry left her mother for - Susan Blanchard - a 19 year old from a well-connected Broadway family. She even gives Susan credit for getting Peter and her through the tough years after her mother's suicide - before Hank Fonda ultimately divorced Susan. Susan continued to mentor and care for Jane even after the divorce throughout Jane's life.

Here's the puzzle - apparently Henry Fonda and Susan Blanchard adopted a daughter named Amy during their marriage. I've never heard anything about Amy Fonda. In Jane's comprehensive autobiography "My Life", she literally mentions Amy ONCE, near the end of the book in the most tangential way. She describes the night Henry Fonda won the Oscar for "On Golden Pond". Because he was so sick, near death, he was not able to attend the awards ceremony. Jane describes how she and a few family members left the ceremony and took the Oscar statuette to her father at his home. She names the family members who accompanied her that night and includes Amy's name - and she literally at that point in the book has to introduce Amy as a daughter adopted by her father during his marriage to Susan Blanchard.

It's so odd for someone who is as open and willing to share her experience as Jane Fonda does. I can't help but wonder what is the story about Amy Fonda and why she apparently doesn't have a relationship with Jane or the other Fondas.

Anyone know any dirt on this?

R93, that blogger is an asshole and obviously not the owner of the store.

Well, R94, Amy did get half of Henry's estate. Jane and Peter got nothing. Maybe there's some bad blood there.

Even though, at the time of Henry's death, Peter didn't "need it," he probably could use some of that Fonda fortune now. Jane at least snagged Ted Turner, and she continues to work whenever she wants. Peter, not so much.

Her character and performance in "Jackie Brown" is about the best thing that's ever been in a Tarantino movie.

R97 jackie brown rocked all way around......great movie. great actors.

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Never heard about the accident before, or about her being cast as Ally McBeal

Even before she retired, the good roles seemed to stop coming or she was phasing herself out. There was that movie with Jet Li and then her guest stint on the Chris Isaak Show.

But reading this thread, I'm reminded that she had an impressive run. She was terrific in Scandal, so good that she deserved a Best Supporting Actress nomination (she was far better than Julia Roberts in Steel Magnolias). Speaking of Roberts, I think Fonda should have had a bigger career than her because Fonda is a far better actress. Even Fonda's own romantic comedy, It Could Happen to You, is a pure delight. Singles and Single White Female helped define the early '90s in cinema and pop culture.

One of her best performances is A Simple Plan. Throughout the film, Fonda pulls back the mask to show her character's true intentions. The last look of her character is just brilliant acting. Billy Bob Thornton was nominated, but I thought Fonda's work was just as deserving. Perhaps even better.

R101, are you insane? Bridgett was on screen a total of 10 minutes in the film "A Simple Plan".

That never stopped Beatrice Straight, judy dench(shakepear in love) or viola davis (doubt)

r102 And?? Even with little screen time, a good performance can make a strong impression. Though I disagree she was in the film for 10 minutes. Her character is the one who keeps pressuring Paxton to pursue the money. Her role is integral to the movie.

A lady always knows when to leave a party.

I don't think the popularity of a DL thread has ever confused me as much as this one does.

I also wondered what happened to her. Beautiful girl, and she could actually act despite being a legacy.

Do you think Bridget Fonda attended an eclipse party?

106. why the fuck? This is one of the only likeable actresses from the 90s, she was huge then and comes from a really famous family its not like shes some random youtube celebrity!

[quote] She used to go to my hair stylist in LA (near the Beverly Center). She didn't just gain "some" weight. Probably at least 50 pounds. Almost unrecognizable.

Nobody has a current photo of Bridget Jones?

A fine actress, always a welcome presence onscreen. Hope that she's happy and knows that she's missed.

How fat did she get?

Hmmm. Looking at R93's photo...she's really just an ordinary looking frau with an underbite and thin lips but a very special Hollywood pedigree which I suspect attracted Elfman the outsider to her in the first place. Surely he had tons of generic blondes throwing themselves at him but this one is Hollywood "royalty." Ah well, good for them!

Some people really love acting and whether or not they make it big, they do it as long as they can. Some people think they love it and then find out repeating the same lines 50 times at different camera angles to offscreen line readers or props that will be replaced by CGI is kind of a shitty way to spend one's days. Some don't mind the acting-on-camera part but don't like being pushed and pulled around by publicists, told what to say about their own lives on talk show circuits and generally pimping out their existences for studio executives' incomes, which they are contractually obligated to do. I grew up dazzled by entertainment and then I spent just enough time in Hollywood to see how stars are constantly treated like mindless mannequins and expected to follow orders both on and off camera. Between that and tabloid treatment, I think it takes a special kind of resilience or deeply rooted trauma and need to please to maintain that lifestyle for decades. Really, it's disturbing to watch, at least for someone with strong opinions as I have. I can't stsnd Raven-Symone's overall personality but I saw her recently talking about going to art school and loving art because "no one tells me what words to say or how to act." This girl's whole life has been spent spewing bad TV dialogue and being told how to look and act on and off camera because her whole existence is as a product, and she thinks she has to go to art school at 30 to have independent thoughts. It's so sad to me. Hollywood can be a sick place and state of mind. I don't know why Fonda would opt out, but I know why many people would.

[Quote] I can't stsnd Raven-Symone's overall personality but I saw her recently talking about going to art school and loving art because "no one tells me what words to say or how to act." This girl's whole life has been spent spewing bad TV dialogue and being told how to look and act on and off camera because her whole existence is as a product, and she thinks she has to go to art school at 30 to have independent thoughts.

Must have been ten times worse for the Olsen twins.

She was heading in the direction of doing TV. Just days before her car accident, she was cast on The Practice for a 3 episode arc. Teri Polo ended up replacing her in the role she was supposed to have played.

After the accident, she may have just decided to change the direction of her life. She had a good, if relatively short career, and it had already peaked, so she might of just said forget about it.

What a complex man Henry Fonda was...my heart breaks for Jane and Peter.

Too bad she wasn't this loved when she had a career. Most of you are forgetting that the majority of the films Bridget Fonda was in were mediocre films with middling box office results. Even SWF only made $48M in total at the box office and that was a summer release. The Nikita remake only did $30M. (Same with Lake Placid.) Singles was an over-hyped flop that did $18M. It Could Happen To You, perhaps a modest hit at $37M. Even Jackie Brown, $39M. A Simple Plan, $16M. Bodies, Rest and Moton, $700k. She wasn't box office, no matter what you put her in.

I think, aside from her fans here and no doubt elsewhere, she was largely seen as somebody for whom opportunity came to because of her name. Because, lbh, if her surname wasn't Fonda I'm not sure she would've had a career at all. There was always something cold about her performances - especially in comparison to the rest of her family. She was never a FONDA with a capital F. She was pretty, sure, but you could always see her acting.

She made a good impression in Scandal - the period really suited her. And Tarantino certainly brought out the best in her in Jackie Brown (though even that seemed like a favour he did for her). And yes, there were some critics who thought she gave an award-worthy performance in A Simple Plan (mostly because her cold, detached quality worked to good effect as a kind of Lady MacBeth). I think her career never went anywhere because she (and the directors who worked with her) never really embraced her naturally cold, chilly screen persona and instead kept trying to cast her against type (due to her looks) as a warm ingenue, which the movie-going public never embraced. That's why she no longer acts. (Though a relaunch at some later date might prove interesting.)

I wonder if she still talks to her Aunt Jane, who no doubt considers her a quitter.

Hello. I am sorry to have to be blunt, but Single White Female is a shitty, D-class movie. It's terrible. It may have been a popular hit, but it's still a typical by the numbers 80s psycho-bitch suspense with a tired plot and procedural acting. Let's not pretend Fonda gave an Oscar-worthy performance. If Lifetime had been around when this was made, it would have been made for TV. Jesus.

"Rough Magic". It was a flop but her wardrobe was spectacular (post WW II setting) and she had great chemistry with the then unknown Russell Crowe and it was a sweet story.

[quote]I agree that her sudden departure, not just from acting, but most public appearances is odd - especially after all her success and the fact that her husband is still actively working in the biz.

I was reading the "encounters with Celebs where they were giant assholes" and Bridget Fonda was mentioned as one of the stand out down to earth actresses. I realized that I hadn't seen her name since the early oughts, let alone see a picture of her. Searched Google, and of course DL has a recent thread about this.

It's understandable that some actresses hit a certain point and just want to lead a "normal," life, but to drop out so abruptly such that the last known picture of her was published 10 years ago when her husband is such a figure in HW is really odd. Not even a random pap shot of her going to the grocery store. If she's not estranged from Elfman, maybe it's all calculated to keep her face out of all media if she thinks her stalker is obsessed enough to scour publications for her. Who knows? Erotomaniacs delusions are persistent. Let's hope the 50 lb weight gain is just menopause.

She gained 50 pounds?

She was a good reliable actress. The naysayers here are full of it.

The same thing happened to her career as what happened to Kyra Sedgwick. They were decent actors who were quite cute when young, but as they aged into full on womanhood they were not pretty enough to keep getting their "Singles" type roles. And they weren't good enough actors to start getting Meryl type roles.

Kyra did some TV and Bridget said I'm done.

r124 um, Kyra headlined a very successful TV series, The Closer. And she was excellent in it. Hardly "some TV".

I disagree that Foster had a cold, chilly presence. She was charming in It Could Happen To You, one of my favourite romantic comedies. However, I think she was best at playing femme fatales or naughty girls like she did in Scandal and Shag: the Movie.

R51, exactly! And I thought I was the only one in the know about MM.

She was disappeared like Shelly Miscavige.

I forgot she was in Godfather III as Andy Garcia's love interest. Lucky girl.

[quote]RR88 The only Fonda-as-a-junkie movie I can think of is Point of No Return and I can't imagine her being coerced by the five-and-under day player cast as her boyfriend for the first 90 seconds of the movie to smoke crack in an alley.

But what about:

TRIVIA: Bridget Fonda was named after Margaret Sullavan's daughter, Bridget Hayward (1939-1960). She died mysteriously of an overdose at age 20 or so...a probable suicide. Peter Fonda grew up with her, had a huge crush on her, and never forgot her.

I"m glad we don't have to see or smell Aunt Jane anymore!

Crazy as a loon, plain and simple. Makes Winona look like Dear Abby. Getting out of the Biz became a necessity to calm her down and get her halfway on an even keel.

R125 I said she did some TV. You apparently think a series on Turner is a big deal. I do not.

Who is Foster?

Another reason behind the "real story" of her disappearance is simply that she has the financial means to disappear. Between family money, her own money, and Elfman's money, she simply does not have to work.

She plays a teen in her first real film role (ARIA, 1987)...but she was 23? Why did she get a relatively late start?

Kyra has to hustle these days because she and her husband lost a big chunk of change to Bernie Madoff.

Re: R130 Another shot of Fonda's namesake, Bridget Hayward (here with her stepmother, Slim Keith, in 1957)

She had either a bad accident or a crippling disease. I don't remember which, but I am sure I read about it