Mary Steenburgen, 72, says Jane Fonda's advice has reshaped the way she approaches aging

""When we became friends, I remember her almost walking out the front gate and then turning around, looking at me and saying, 'Are we going to be friends?' And I said, 'Yes.' And she said, 'Now don't just say it by rote. Are you going to be intentional? We've got to be. Because at my age, I have to be intentional,'" Steenburgen said, recalling Fonda's words."

""With not wasting time on people that aren't in my life for the right reason, for being honest with myself about life. All that stuff, aging, it actually makes it more interesting," Steenburgen said. "And then the other thing that she inspired was, she always said, 'Don't take your foot off the gas pedal. Push it down harder. Harder now.' So we're inspired by that," Steenburgen said."

Mary Steenburgen, 72, credits Jane Fonda, 88, with teaching her to be intentional about aging. Steenburgen recalled Fonda asking whether their friendship would be intentional and saying that intentionality becomes necessary as time shortens. Steenburgen adopted a practice of prioritizing meaningful relationships and avoiding people who are not in her life for the right reasons. Steenburgen describes aging as making life more interesting when paired with honesty and curiosity. Fonda also urged persistence and not slowing down, advising to "push it down harder" on the gas pedal. The two costarred in Book Club (2018) and its 2023 sequel.

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