A Rather Uneasy Ride

For the past several hours, Peter Fonda has been trying to explain why he's never cared what anyone thought of him. "I've always lived with being prejudged," he says, working his way through a second carafe of chardonnay. "When I was a kid, I'd go to a party and have no idea who was there--but everyone thought they knew me. I was Henry Fonda's son."

He shrugs. "They didn't know he was Col. Thursday." That's the domineering cavalry officer his father played in John Ford's "Fort Apache," whose men are slaughtered because they obey his orders.

"When my film students at Montana State ask what it's like growing up with Henry Fonda, I always say, 'Have you seen 'Fort Apache'? Jane cracked up when I told her that. She said, 'Geez, I never thought of it quite that way.' "

Talking with the 58-year-old actor about his family, which includes father Henry, sister Jane and daughter Bridget, it's impossible to escape the tug of film history. In fact, when Fonda's new movie, "Ulee's Gold," debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January, startled moviegoers were struck by how much his portrayal of a solitary beekeeper evoked memories of the flinty characters Henry Fonda used to play.

The film, which opens Friday at select theaters, has earned a bouquet of rave reviews. As Variety enthused: " 'Ulee's Gold' is a gem . . . graced by a completely unexpected performance from Peter Fonda that is by far the best of his career."

The acclaim has been a tonic for Fonda, whose drug use and youthful escapades made him something of a pariah in Hollywood after the success of "Easy Rider." He says he still "gets the looks until they see that my eyes are clear." Though he's worked steadily in low-budget films, he hasn't had a major role in a studio film in 20 years. Eating lunch at a crowded Beverly Hills industry hangout, he goes unnoticed.

Not that Fonda seems to miss the attention. Owner of a 300-acre ranch in southern Montana--he often rides his Harley into Yellowstone National Park to fly-fish during the summer--he prefers to keep his distance. "I never searched for fame," he says. "I was born famous, and it didn't serve me well."

On the outside, his bloodlines have served him well. His sinewy 6-foot-2 frame is still long 'n' lean enough to fit into 32-inch waist jeans. He has his father's piercing blue eyes and the sweet, puppy-like fragility of a man who's never quite grown up. When he recently met a pair of young actors, he introduced himself as "a baby disguised as a 58-year-old man."