Actor Peter Fonda, best known for his work on Easy Rider and for being a member of the famous Fonda acting family, has died at 79, according to reports out of Hollywood on Friday.
The website TMZ reported Fonda died of lung cancer. In a statement, his family said Fonda was a “sweet and gracious man.”
“In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts,” the statement said. “While we mourn the loss of this sweet and gracious man, we also wish for all to celebrate his indomitable spirit and and love of life.
Fonda's most famous role was in the1969 counterculture Easy Rider, which he co-wrote and starred in with Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hooper. He received an Oscar nomination for writing Easy Rider and was also nominated for Best Actor for his role as a beekeeper in Ulee's Gold in 1997.
Most recently, he won a Golden Globe in 2000 for The Passion of Ayn Rand.
According to a story in Deadline.com a celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of Easy Rider will take place Sept. 20 with a screening and concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
The film will be shown in sync with a live performance of its soundtrack. Expected to appear are Steppenwolf’s John Kay, who will perform Born To Be Wild, and Roger McGuinn. Others will appear under the music direction of T-Bone Burnett.
In addition to his famous father and sister, Fonda's daughter, Bridget, is an acclaimed actress who made her first appearance as a child in Easy Rider, before breaking out in such roles as Jackie Brown and Single White Female.