She may be 76 years old, but Jane Fonda gave younger stars Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bullock a run for their money at the American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award dinner in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 5.
Fonda, who was the delighted recipient of the prestigious honor, wowed fans on the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, wearing a stunning Vera Wang gown with sheer black sleeves and a flowing white skirt. She was joined at the event by Cameron Diaz, 41, in a black Stella McCartney jumpsuit with a plunging neckline, and Sandra Bullock, 49, a vision in blue in her Vionnet dress and Jimmy Choo shoes.
The red carpet hosted plenty of reunions too: former Desperate Housewives co-stars Felicity Huffman, 51, and Eva Longoria, 39, looked delighted to be back together. Longoria showed her pins in a Sass and Bide dress, while Huffman was elegant in Dolce and Gabbana. Also in attendence: officially-separated husband-and-wife pair Catherine Zeta Jones, 44, and Michael Douglas, 69, who looked intimate and happy together.
“They seemed happy to be out together and at ease in public,” an onlooker told Us Weekly of the pair, who announced they were taking a break from their marriage in August 2013. “Catherine let go of his hand for a brief moment to wave to the crowd and then quickly grabbed it tightly again. She had a big smile on her face and looked proud to be with him.”
Fonda’s honor at the 2014 ceremony comes 36 years after her father, Henry Fonda, became the sixth recipient of the award.
She told the Hollywood Reporter it was an overwhelming moment when she found out she was next in line. “I burst into tears. It’s the biggest honor,” she said to the publication. “I never thought it would happen to me. You know, I left the business for 15 years and crawled my way back in, starting at age 65. So I just feel very blessed this is happening.”
Jane’s brother Peter Fonda told Us he felt incredibly proud of his sister. “I’m very happy for her,” he said. “I think it’s something that she deserves. It’s called a life achievement award but this goes way beyond films or theater. It’s what she’s done in her life and she’s achieved a great deal.”
And although Jane’s son Troy Garity was the man on her arm on the red carpet, Peter felt sure their father Henry was looking down on them all. “I think my father’s here,” he said to Us, “waiting for it to happen. He’ll be applauding.”
