Jane Fonda, 88, Riddled by One Insecurity About Her Death — Thanks to Her Hollywood Icon Father Henry 

Jane Fonda has spent more than six decades reinventing herself on screen and off, but as she enters the final act of her life, the 88-year-old actress says one fear continues to shape how she thinks about death – the possibility of leaving the world with unresolved regret, a legacy she associates with her late father, Henry Fonda.

OK! can reveal the Oscar-winning star, an actor and activist whose career spans from Klute to Grace and Frankie, addressed the subject during a recent appearance on former first lady Michelle Obama's podcast "IMO."

Speaking candidly about aging, loss and purpose, Jane reflected on how witnessing her father's final years left a lasting emotional imprint. Henry, one of Hollywood's defining leading men of the 20th century, died in 1982 at age 77.

During the conversation, Jane made clear death itself does not frighten her. "I'm not afraid of dying," she said. "The most important thing I did was when I was going to turn 60, and in my mind… this is the beginning of my final act, and I didn't know how to live it."

She explained that milestone forced her to confront how she wanted to be remembered and how she wants to treat the people closest to her.

What does concern her, Jane said, is repeating what she saw in her father's final chapter.

"I'm afraid of dying with a lot of regrets. I watched my dad die with a lot of regrets," she admitted. "That was an important realization for me, because if you don't want to die with regrets, then you have to live the last part of your life in such a way that there won't be any regrets."

Those close to Jane also tell OK! that realization has shaped her personal relationships for decades. One longtime friend said she has been deliberate about making peace in her life and with those around her, and is on a mission to do everything she wants with her remaining years and career before she passes away.

She has made a conscious decision to sort out her "bucket list," the friend said. "For Jane, her final years are not scary – instead, they present a timeline for her to sort everything out she wants to. Above all else, she believes peace at the end of life is something you have to earn while you are still living."

Jane echoed that sentiment on the podcast, explaining her desire to be surrounded by loved ones at the end of her life required difficult emotional work. Over the past 30 years, she said, she has focused on apologizing when necessary and letting go of resentments, a process she views as essential rather than sentimental.

The discussion with Michelle also centered on aging with intention – a theme Jane has embraced publicly in recent years. Another source said Jane's comments reflected a broader philosophy she has adopted as she grows older. "She is not interested in denial or nostalgia," the insider added. "Jane wants clarity, honesty and connection in her life, and she sees those as safeguards against the kind of regret that scares her most."

Jane also reflected on her early life, describing a childhood marked by instability and grief. Her mother, Frances Ford Seymour, died when she was 12 – a loss that profoundly shaped her sense of self. "I'm not addictive, but I thought I was going to die from drugs and loneliness," she confessed. "So the fact that I'm almost 88 is astonishing to me."

That sense of astonishment, friends say, has fueled her urgency to resolve everything she wants to so she can pass away regret-free. A source said: "Rather than slowing down, Jane continues to work, speak out, and engage deeply with family and friends – determined that when the end comes, it will not echo the regrets she once witnessed, but reflect a life examined and deliberately lived."

Jane's father, Henry, had a hugely tumultuous personal life, particularly when it came to his emotionally distant nature and the tragic suicide of his second wife, Frances.

He had left her for another woman, and concealed the truth from his children Jane and her actor brother Peter, leading to deep family rifts. Five-time married Henry also had public feuds, a rumored affair with Bette Davis and clashes with Hollywood studios and directors – exposing a stark contrast between his heroic screen persona and a complex, often cold, private man.

Tensions with his daughter Jane escalated due to her political activism, particularly during the Vietnam War, though they later reconciled.