Jane Fonda says her brother, movie icon Peter Fonda, was in good spirits in the days before he died.
The actress released a statement about her younger brother to People after her family confirmed that the Easy Rider actor had died on Friday morning. His death was caused by respiratory failure due to lung cancer, according to the family’s statement. He was 79.
“I am very sad,” Jane Fonda told the publication. “He was my sweet-hearted baby brother, the talker of the family.”
She added: “I have had beautiful alone time with him these last days. He went out laughing.”
Peter Fonda, a counterculture icon who was the son of the late famed actor Henry Fonda and the father of actress Bridget Fonda, earned two Oscar nominations, including a Best Actor nod for his titular role in the 1997 film Ulee’s Gold.
Celebrities and fans have been remembering him on social media. Ava DuVernay shared a photo of her with the two-time Golden Globe winner on Twitter, writing: “Rest In Peace, Kind Sir.”
Like his famous sister, Peter was outspoken on political matters, producing a documentary in 2011 about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and those whose lives were changed by it.
He was also critical of US president Donald Trump’s policies regarding immigration.
Paying tribute to her brother, Jane previously said: “In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts.
“While we mourn the loss of this sweet and gracious man, we also wish for all to celebrate his indomitable spirit and love of life.”
She continued: “In honour of Peter, please raise a glass to freedom.”
Peter’s final on-screen appearance will be in the upcoming war drama The Last Full Measure, in which Christopher Plummer, William Hurt, Ed Harris and Jeremy Irvine will co-star.
