Jane Fonda Explains How Women's Friendships Are Different Than Men's And Gives Advice On How To Make New Friends
There are a million ways that men and women are different, and Hollywood veteran Jane Fonda explains in an interview why friendships are different between women than they are between men.
Jane Fonda is known as the woman who never ages. She's 85 years old and is still active, vibrant, and visibly healthy. She stars in the series Grace and Frankie, which has aired since 2015. Last year, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but a few months later she announced that her cancer was in remission and she's doing quite well after going through a few rounds of chemotherapy. Jane has always been health conscious, which is why she looks so good for her age; she recently said that she gave up drinking alcohol because it "affects you differently" when you get older. In a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, she sat down with Lily Tomlin and Sally Field to talk about their upcoming film 80 for Brady.
Jane Fonda Explains How Women's Friendships Are Different Than Men's and Gives Advice on How to Make New Friends
The upcoming film 80 for Brady is about four lifelong friends who make the trip of a lifetime to attend the 2017 Super Bowl and see Tom Brady play. Starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, and even Tom Brady himself, the movie looks like it will be a fun adventure.
In their CBS interview, the actresses discussed a variety of things, including what it means to have meaningful friendships. Jane explained why she thinks friendships between women are very different than friendships between men.
"Women's friendships are very different from men's friendships and they're very important to our health," she said. "Because you guys, you kind of sit side by side and watch sports or cars or women. Women sit facing each other, eye to eye, and they say, 'I'm in trouble. I need you. Can you help me?' We're not afraid of being vulnerable."
Jane worked with Lily Tomlin on Grace and Frankie, so this film isn't the first time they've been on set together. It's clear to see they've developed a close friendship over the years, even if they became friends later in life.
"My favorite ex-husband, who is Ted Turner, said to me, 'You don't make new friends after 60.' But I think that he's really wrong," Jane continued. "What you have to do is be intentional. I never used to be intentional. I would meet Sally Field, for example, but not pursue — well, I did pursue you."
"Oh goodness sake, I couldn't make you stop," Sally joked in return.
"You have to pursue people that you want to be friends with," Jane advised. "They stick around and you develop new friendships."
Sadly, it does indeed get harder to make friends as you get older, even as soon as leaving college and entering the workforce. It's not as easy to get close with people you see occasionally at work, especially compared to how easy it was to make friends while you were still in school. It can become even harder to make friends when you're a new mom who devotes all of her time to her young children. But Jane gives sound advice: you have to make it clear that you want to create a friendship with someone. Pursue them, get to know them, and tell them from the outset that you're looking for a new friend in your life. It's rare to find a woman who doesn't want to add another trusted friend to her circle, so chances are you'll be successful in your pursuit.