Easy Rider star Peter Fonda dies in Los Angeles

PETER FONDA has died at the age of 79. 

The son of Henry Fonda and brother to Jane died yesterday (August 16) of respiratory failure, linked to lung cancer, according to a statement from his family. 

They said: “It is with deep sorrow that we share the news that Peter Fonda has passed away. 

“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. 

“And, as we mourn the loss of this sweet and kind man, we wish all to celebrate his indomitable spirit and his love for life. In honour of Peter, please raise your glasses for freedom,” the relatives added. 

Jane Fonda said she spent her younger brother’s final days with him. “I am very sad. He was my sweet-hearted baby brother. The talker of the family. I have had beautiful alone time with him these last days. He went out laughing.” 

Peter Fonda’s best-known role was Wyatt in the 1969 film Easy Rider, for which he was nominated for an Oscar as a screenwriter along with Dennis Hopper and Terry Southern. 

The Hollywood Reporter recalled that for an entire generation Peter Fonda was a ‘poster boy’, with his leather jacket with the American flag on the back.  

As an actor, he appeared in 117 films and series.