Fonda and his sister
Jane were raised by their father, acting icon
Henry Fonda after their mother committed
suicide in
1950 when the children were just 11 and 12 years old (Jane is one year older than Peter).
He cultivated a rebellious image with his 1966 movie "The Wild Angels" but shot to major cult stardom with Easy Rider, a film which was very much his baby. He was in Toronto on a promotional tour for his 1967 film "The Trip" when the idea for Easy Rider apparently just came to him, and for a whole generation of people Peter Fonda was Captain America.
For many years after this Peter and his father were not on particularly good terms.
"Henry considered me a grenade with the pin pulled. My hippie look, my anti-establishment films, my open use of drugs and my condemnation of the US government were a constant sore spot for him."
However the pair were reconciled shortly before Henry's death in
1982.
Although Peter Fonda has appeared in over 20 movies in his lifetime, the only truly memorable appearance other than Easy Rider was in Ulee's Gold, a role that brought him an Oscar nomination and the Golden Globe award for best actor.