'Easy Rider' Star, Peter Fonda, Dead At 79

Fonda was born in New York in 1940 to an acting family. His father Henry and sister Jane were notable actors in their own right. Peter Fonda's children Bridget and Justin also went on to acting careers.

His career started on the Broadway stage in the early 1960s. After several acclaimed roles, he found TV roles and eventually, in 1963, his first film role in Tammy and the Doctor.

Fonda became an icon of the late 60's counterculture. He notably hung out with The Beetles and appeared in several avant-garde movies. His biggest role, and possibly his most iconic, came alongside Dennis Hopper in 1968's Easy Rider.

After Easy Rider, Fonda directed several movies in the early 70's. He moved away from directing to appear in action roles, including Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, Futureworld and Fighting Mad.

From leading to supporting roles, Fonda showcased his versatility in movies like Escape from L.A. and the 2007 western 3:10 to Yuma. Fonda also had a voice role in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

With Tim Robbins, he produced a the 2011 documentary The Big Fix, chronicling the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Just last year, Fonda courted controversy with comments criticizing President Donald Trump on Twitter.

Fonda is survived by his wife and two children. His sister Jane told Variety, "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.".