Jane Fonda sent a highly unique video thank-you to the Britannia Awards on Friday night.
The Grace and Frankie star, who received the Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film at the annual ceremony at the Beverly Hilton but was not there to accept it, recorded a video thank-you, as is customary at awards ceremonies when an honoree isn’t present. What was unusual about the footage was that it included video of her thanking the organization feting her, BAFTA, as she was being arrested during a climate change march in Washington.
“BAFTA, thank you!” Fonda can be seen saying, ever more faintly, as the actress and activist is being pulled away by officers at the end of the video. Attendees at the Beverly Hilton on Friday night erupted into applause and a standing ovation as she kept thanking the organization in the footage.
The video began with Fonda recording at her home, saying, “I am so honored, I can’t even believe it, I’m so grateful, it’s thrilling. I’m sorry I’m not there, but as you may have heard, I’m getting arrested.” The video included some cutaways as she said, “I decided I needed to do more about climate change, so I moved to D.C. for four months and tried to heighten the sense of urgency that there needs to be. It’s a crisis, not just here but all over the world.” The end came as a surprise for attendees, though Fonda was arrested on Friday for the third week in a row to protest climate change outside the U.S. Capitol.
Before playing her video thank-you, BAFTA Britannia Awards host James Veitch explained, “Jane Fonda is not here … but how Jane Fonda is this? She’s not here because she’s getting arrested in Washington, D.C., every Friday to draw attention to devastating consequences of climate change.” He added, “She said she wants all of you to know she’s doing fine.”
Taron Egerton, who presented the award, added, “Jane, we are sending all our love and support to you, and BAFTA is delighted to be able to celebrate Jane Fonda with Stanley Kubrick Excellence in Film Award.”
On Friday, Fonda and fellow actor Ted Danson were among 32 people arrested for demonstrating in front of the Capitol Building on charges of crowding, obstructing or incommoding. Last week, actor Sam Waterston was arrested with Fonda while protesting.
Watch the video below.
