Posted in: Netflix, TV | Tagged: jane fonda, sag awards

SAG Awards: Jane Fonda Defends "Woke," Adds "Empathy Is Not Weak"

"By the way, 'woke' just means you give a damn about other people," said Jane Fonda during her SAG Awards lifetime achievement award speech.

Did you really think the iconic Jane Fonda was going to roll into Sunday night's 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (streaming on Netflix) to receive the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award and not be Jane Fonda? Introduced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep), the two-time Academy Award-winning actor, producer, author, and activist took to the main stage at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall with a message of reflection and defiance. Noting that she grew up in the '40s and '50s – a time when "women weren't supposed to have opinions and get angry," Fonda jokingly drove how the point that the acting profession gave her the opportunity to be who she truly was. "Acting gave me a chance to play angry women with opinions, which, you know, is a bit of a stretch for me," the legendary actress and activist shared.

But as attention-grabbing as her speech was, it was Fonda's comments on the importance of empathy and understanding that became the headline-grabbing moment. "What we, actors, create is empathy. Our job is to understand another human being so profoundly that we can touch their souls," Fonda said, adding, "And make no mistake, empathy is not weak or woke. By the way, 'woke' just means you give a damn about other people." Fonda's speech came during the live-streamed awards ceremony, which was hosted by Kristen Bell (The Good Place, Nobody Wants This), and it was one that urged action. "We musn't for a moment kid ourselves about what is happening. This is big-time serious," she continued. "We must not isolate. We must stay in [the] community. We must help the vulnerable. We must find ways to project an inspiring view of the future."

Spanning six decades, Fonda's acclaimed career has captivated audiences with her versatile performances across film, television, and theater while using her platform to champion critical social causes. Her previous honors have included two Oscars, two BAFTA Awards, an Emmy, seven Golden Globes, the 2015 AFI Life Achievement Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, Elle's Women in Hollywood Icon award, and the Women in Film Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award named after Fonda for her lifelong activism and philanthropic commitments.

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