Jane Fonda’s perfect explanation of ‘wokeness’ in her SAG Awards speech is a reminder we all need
Jane Fonda was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the SAG Awards 2025. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Jane Fonda gave audience members at the SAG Awards 2025 a lesson in “wokeness”, and it was a reminder we all needed.
On Sunday (23 February), the Grace and Frankie star, who has been a long-time supporter of queer and trans rights, was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the SAG Awards for the work she has achieved during her 65-year career. She has credits in Book Club (2018), Barbarella (1968), 9 to 5 (1980), and more.
She urged Hollywood to “resist successfully” the current political climate with the “community” of unions, including SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists).
“What we, actors, create is empathy. Our job is to understand another human being so profoundly that we can touch their souls,” she said. “And make no mistake, empathy is not weak or woke. By the way, woke just means you give a damn about other people.”
Fonda’s speech appeared to refer to the Trump-Vance administration’s changes to federal job cuts, anti-DEI and the war on “wokeness”, which has also affected arts and music spaces in a mainstream way.
“A whole lot of people are going to be really hurt by what is happening,” she said. “Even if they’re of a different political persuasion, we need to not judge but listen from our hearts…
“We don’t have to wonder any more 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 is happening,” Fonda continued.
“This is big time serious folks, so let’s be brave. We must not isolate, we must stay in community, we must help the vulnerable and find ways to project an inspiring vision of the future. One that is beckoning and welcoming.”
Fonda concluded: “That will help people believe that on the other side there will still be love, there will still be beauty. And there will be an ocean of truth for us to swim in. Lets make it so.”
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