There was no need to be nervous about meeting feisty Jane Fonda

I was a little nervous before speaking to Jane Fonda.

It’s not every day you get to sit down with one of the most interesting names in showbusiness. Especially one with a reputation for being quite so feisty.

Jane Fonda is 76 now, which will be hard to believe for those who first saw her as the sexy astronaut Barbarella all the way back in 1968.

She’s a glamorous gran now, but Fonda, who has never shied away from offering her opinions, is as forthright as ever.

We were chatting about her new movie, called This Is Where I Leave You a comedy drama in which she stars with Jason Bateman and Tina Fey.

She’s also currently filming a new television series.

It seems like she’s not slowing down, then which is something of a turnaround considering she retired from acting in the early ’90s, only to return 15 years later.

“I was really unhappy as a person,” she told me. “In 1989 I thought, ‘I can’t act, I was finding no joy’.

“I moved to New Mexico and planned to become a full-time activist. It was after writing my memoirs I thought I could maybe find some joy in acting again.

“But I was 65. It’s harder to come back into a business like this when you’re older.

“But I feel really happy. I’ve worked through a lot of issues and learned from my mistakes. I’m sort of at peace.”

Although it was a little before my time, I knew about Barbarella thanks to the ’80s band Duran Duran.

They of course took their name from the villain in the movie. And, 45 years on, Jane told me she can still fit into the Barbarella costume.

“I wish I’d kept some of those things,” she said. “Paco Rabanne designed the costumes for Barbarella. Boy, if I’d kept those…but they’re in a museum in Italy now.”

This Is Where I Leave You is really good Jane’s character brings her family together to observe a period of mourning following her husband’s death.

She’s still got the comic and acting chops to cut it in a movie like this. And I have to say she still looks fantastic. I wondered if she’s feeling her age.

“I stay curious and try to surround myself with positive, loving people,” she said.

“I feel like I’m 76, which is my age. I’ve been lucky, I’ve avoided major illnesses. I’m very conscious of how old I am. My spirit seems younger, but I feel my age.

“I stay physically active and eat well. I sleep eight or nine hours every night, I’m lucky I can do that.

“But you can’t go through life this long without regrets. You should learn from your mistakes and move on, and hopefully with some wisdom.”