SAG Awards 2025: Jane Fonda's Electric Speech On Political Climate, "Empathy Is Not Weak Or Woke"

At the recent 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards, actress and activist Jane Fonda received the SAG Life Achievement Award for excellence in her career that has spanned multiple decades. From her start all the way back in the 1960s with 'Tall Story', to more recent films like 'Book Club' and 'Moving On', the actress has been with Hollywood for a large part of its recent history.

When she went to receive the award, however, Fonda talked about a lot more than just her career. She instead gave a long and electric speech on the numerous issues plaguing the current political and social climate, stating the dire need for empathy in these times. "What we, actors, create is empathy. Our job is to understand another human being so profoundly that we can touch their souls." She said as part of her speech, adding "And make no mistake, empathy is not weak or woke. By the way, woke just means you give a damn about other people."

Continuing with her speech, she went on to talk about how many actors may sometimes portray characters they themselves may despise, but that one needs to empathize in order to portray the character well. "While you may hate the behaviour of your character, you have to understand and empathize with the traumatised person you're playing, right? I'm thinking of Sebastion Stans in 'The Apprentice'." She said, referencing Stans portrayal of Donald Trump in the film.

She then continued her speech with something a little more grim but also motivating, "Have any of you ever watched a documentary of one of the great social movements, like apartheid or our civil-rights movement or Stonewall, and asked yourself, would you have been brave enough to walk the bridge? Would you have been able to take the hoses and the batons and the dogs? We don't have to wonder anymore, because we are in our documentary moment. This is it, and it's not a rehearsal. This is it, and we mustn't for a moment kid ourselves about what's happening. This is big-time serious folks, so let's be brave."

Jane Fonda concluded her speech by stating that no matter what happens, that individuals and organisations such as Hollywood must remain optimistic during these times, and that hope and love with be able to carry them through the chaos of the world we're currently living in.