Jane Fonda delivered a legendary speech while accepting the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award at the 2025 SAG Awards ceremony. Speaking with clarity and urgency, the actress praised how unions can unify workers into a community, noting that "community means power." Then, in one of the most poignant moments of the night, Fonda addressed the ever-changing interpretation of the term "woke."
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"Make no mistake: empathy is not weak, or woke," Fonda stated. "And, by the way, woke just means you give a damn about other people."
Fonda discussed her passion for acting and praised how storytelling can successfully "open people's minds to new ideas, take them beyond what they understand of the world, and help them laugh when things are tough, like now."
"While you may hate the behavior of your character," the actress added, "you have to understand and empathize with the traumatized person you're playing, right?" Fonda then pointed to Sebastian Stan's performance as Donald Trump in The Apprentice as an example.
Fonda also labeled herself a "big believer in unions," noting how particularly important unions are at a time when the power of workers "is being attacked, and community is being weakened."
When addressing President Trump's new term in office, Fonda declared that "a whole lot of people are going to be really hurt by what is happening [and] what is coming our way. And even if they're of a different political persuasion, we need to call upon our empathy and not judge — but listen from our hearts and welcome them into our tent. We're going to need a big tent to resist successfully what's coming at us."
For over six decades, Fonda has been an impactful actress, activist, and cultural beacon. From her Academy Award-winning performances in 1972's Klute and 1979's Coming Home to her unforgettable turn in 1980's 9 to 5 alongside Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin, Fonda has proven herself as a storyteller who can shift culture. In recent years, she's also delivered boundary-pushing performances in projects like Grace and Frankie, Book Club, and 80 for Brady, to name a few.
Toward the end of the speech, Fonda referenced historical events such as the Civil Rights Movement, urging listeners to understand that "we are in our documentary moment" right now.
The 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards are streaming on Netflix.
