Bridget Fonda made a rare public appearance in Beverly Hills this week, turning heads as she stepped out looking even more noticeably slimmer during a low key shopping trip.
In the candid photos, the 61-year-old former actress, who retired from Hollywood two decades ago, cut a relaxed and casual figure as she left a local boutique carrying multiple shopping bags.
The Godfather star was seen wearing a long black coat layered over a simple white top, paired with loose black trousers and comfortable black sneakers.
© AKGSShe accessorized her low-key ensemble with a black crossbody bag worn across her chest, wire-frame glasses, and a patterned neck scarf. Her hair, now fully grey, was swept back into a no-fuss clip, revealing her makeup-free face and natural complexion.
In one image, Bridget stepped through the shop doorway holding a small boxed item, appearing focused and serene.
© AKGSIn another, she smiled as she emerged with several large paper shopping bags, looking noticeably slimmer than in previous sightings.
The outing marks one of Bridget’s rare public appearances since withdrawing from the spotlight in the early 2000s, making her dramatic weight loss and refreshed look all the more striking.
© / SplashNews.comBridget looked happier than ever amid her weight loss transformation, which has seen her shed more than around 85 lbs in recent years. Nutritionist and Exercise Scientist Amelia Phillips told HELLO! "It appears that she has shed at least 85 pounds in the past few years, which is an incredible feat for someone over the age of 50 as weight gain around that time is probable and hard to shift."
The former actress has been open about her insecurities in the past, and how they hindered her progress in Hollywood before she retired in 2003. "What is it with my low self-esteem?" she said in a 2000 interview as per The Independent.
© WireImage"I'm trying to be happy with my career. I think I should give myself a break, but I've got this bug that rides me. 'You should be doing better.' Every time I work, I'm frustrated with my physical inability to catch up to my mental picture." Bridget added that leaving the industry allowed her to learn self-acceptance.
"I measured myself against those who inspired me. I know there was a time when I took myself too seriously. I used to think 'God, I'm such a goof,'" she told MovieMaker in 2023. "Now I can have a good chuckle at my own expense. Self-flagellation is interesting for about a second."
"That fact has caused sorrow and frustration in my life," she continued. "But now I realize you have to give yourself a break. You come to accept that you might not have that in you. Or you can't see it in yourself. But when someone else cultivates it, what a great feeling."
Bridget enjoyed an incredible career in the late '80s, '90s and early '00s, and starred in projects like Scandal, The Godfather Part III, Single White Female, Point of No Return, Jackie Brown, Gloaming, A Simple Plan, and No Ordinary Baby. Her last on-screen credit was in 2002's Snow Queen, and the star was involved in a dangerous car crash the following year that prompted her exit from Hollywood for good.
© GETTY IMAGESShe welcomed her son, Oliver, in 2005 with her husband, famed composer Danny Elfman. Bridget hails from an acting dynasty, with her father being Peter Fonda, her aunt being Jane Fonda, and her grandfather being Henry Fonda. Bridget shared with The Guardian in 2000 that she didn't mind being linked with the famous family despite many claiming that her career was only successful thanks to nepotism.
© Francois Duhamel1. Scandal (1989)
Based on a true story of an incident in the British Government in the 1960s, Bridget plays real-life model and showgirl Mandy Rice-Davies.
2. The Godfather III (1990)
Brenda plays journalist Grace Hamilton in the film, starring opposite Andy García as Vincent and Al Pacino as Michael. She is an intriguing and slightly out-of-place character among the party of Italian friends of the Corleone family.
3. Single White Female (1992)
In this psychological thriller, Bridget plays Allison, who rents a room in her apartment to Hedra Carlson. When Allison reunites with her ex-boyfriend, her new roomie grows hostile and jealous.
4. In the Gloaming (1997)
Bridget's most celebrated television role was In the Gloaming, which focuses on a family dealing with AIDS. The all-star line-up includes Whoopi Goldberg, Glenn Close, and David Strathairn.
5. A Simple Plan (1998)
In this neo-noir thriller, Bridget plays pregnant wife Sarah, whose husband and brother find a crashed plane that contains $4.4 million in cash.
"The nice thing is that I respect them. I never felt that I had to deny their existence or be embarrassed by association," she said. The blonde beauty also denied the rumors that she was feuding with Jane, explaining that they share a close bond. "At one time, there was nothing the press would have liked better than to set up a me vs Jane thing," she recalled.
© WireImage"They were desperate for us to be bitter rivals...although we're close, I don't see her that often. She lives in Montana; I live in Los Angeles. I think people expect us to be constantly having these On Golden Pond hug-ins, and we don't. We're just not that kind of family – though I sometimes think it would be great if we were."
