Jane Fonda reveals why she stopped drinking alcohol: ‘I only have so many tomorrows left’

‘If I had a martini tonight, I would be at half-mast tomorrow’

Jane Fonda explains why she no longer drinks alcohol (Getty Images)

Jane Fonda has candidly reflected on her decision to stop drinking alcohol, with the actor revealing it was because she doesn’t want it to impact her “tomorrows”.

The Grace and Frankie star, 84, discussed her choice during an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, in which she acknowledged she differs from the character she portrays on the long-running show, who favours martinis.

When CBS News correspondent Tracy Smith asked about the actor’s decision, Fonda said: “And here’s why: It’s because even with one drink, like if I had a martini tonight, I would be at half-mast tomorrow. Now, that wasn’t true when I was younger. But as you get older, I think alcohol affects you differently.

“And I only have so many tomorrows left. I don’t want to be at half-mast for any of them!”

While the social activist claimed she has only “so many tomorrows left,” and is “super-conscious that [she’s] closer to death,” she told the outlet that she isn’t concerned by the realisation.

“It doesn’t really bother me that much,” she said of her ageing. “What bothers me is that my body is, you know, basically not mine! My knees are not mine, my hips are not mine, my shoulder’s not mine. You’re looking at somebody who’s only me from here up.”

However, Fonda then acknowledged that she doesn’t care if she doesn’t have her “old joints” or “can’t ski or bike or run anymore,” because she is “alive”.

“The fact is, if you’re alive and relatively healthy at an older - I mean, I’m almost 85,” Fonda said. “The fact that I’m still alive and working, wow, who cares if I don’t have my old joints? And I can’t ski or bike or run anymore? Enh. You know, you can be really old at 60, and you can be really young at 85. Health!”

This is not the first time that Fonda has opened up about her dedication to maintaining her health, as she previously told the DailyMail that the “most important thing is to keep moving, to stay active”.

“I’m never going to stop,” she said in 2016. “The most important thing is to keep moving, to stay active. That’s what I do and that’s how to stay strong.”

At the time, Fonda, whose well-known workout videos have sold nearly 17m copies worldwide, acknowledged that she still works out, although she does it “slowly”. Even the pandemic didn’t stop Fonda, who shared videos to TikTok of her at-home workout routine during lockdown.

While speaking to the DailyMail, Fonda also revealed that “you could not pay [her] to be young again,” as she “didn’t like being young at all”.