Jane Fonda’s Powerful SAG Awards Speech: "Empathy Is Not Woke or Weak"
Jane Fonda never fails to make a statement, and at the 2025 SAG Awards, she once again proved why she’s an icon—not just in Hollywood, but in activism. The legendary actress, at 87 years old, took the stage to accept the SAG Life Achievement Award, delivering a speech that was nothing short of inspiring. She made it clear that in times like these, empathy is not a weakness—it’s a necessity.
Fonda passionately reminded the audience that the very essence of acting is empathy. “What we, actors, create is empathy. Our job is to understand another human being so profoundly that we can touch their souls,” she said. And then she drove her point home: “Empathy is not weak or woke. By the way, woke just means you give a damn about other people.” That line alone set the internet on fire, with many praising her for standing firm in the face of political and cultural debates over the word "woke."
She didn’t stop there. Fonda acknowledged the harsh realities of the current political climate, referencing the Trump administration’s cuts to federal jobs and the impact on everyday people. She urged Hollywood not to judge but to listen with open hearts, emphasizing the power of community. “We must not isolate. We must stay in community. We must help the vulnerable,” she said, making it clear that now is not the time for division.
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A lifelong activist, Fonda also took the opportunity to highlight the importance of unions, including SAG-AFTRA, in protecting workers’ rights. “I’m a big believer in unions. They have our backs. They bring us into community, and they give us power. Community means power, and this is really important right now when workers’ power has been attacked and community is being weakened.” Given the ongoing struggles in Hollywood, her words carried even more weight.
With a career spanning over six decades, Fonda has never been one to shy away from speaking her truth. From “Klute” and “9 to 5” to “Grace & Frankie” and “80 for Brady,” she has continuously reinvented herself while using her platform to fight for social justice. She even joked about her unpredictable career path, saying, “I retired for 15 years and came back at 65, which is not usual. I made one of my most successful movies in my 80s. And probably in my 90s, I’ll be doing my own stunts in an action movie.”
But beyond her career, Fonda has long been a force for change—whether protesting the Vietnam War, advocating for gender equality, or getting arrested multiple times for climate activism. During her speech, she reflected on Hollywood’s history of resistance against McCarthyism and compared it to today’s struggles. “We don’t have to wonder anymore what we would have done in past movements—because we are in our documentary moments right now. This is it, and it’s not a rehearsal.”
She ended her speech on a hopeful note, urging Hollywood to lead with optimism. “On the other side, there will still be love, there will still be beauty, and there will be an ocean of truth for us to swim in,” she said. But she also issued a warning: “We mustn’t, for a moment, kid ourselves about what is happening. This is big-time serious, folks. Let’s be brave.”
And with that, Jane Fonda once again proved why she remains one of the most influential voices in entertainment and beyond.
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