A First for the Fonda Family

In these troubled times, who better to lead the 70th annual Hollywood Christmas Parade than Captain America? On Sunday, Peter Fonda will sport his “Easy Rider’ persona, wearing a black leather jacket decorated with the stars and stripes to cruise down Hollywood Boulevard--albeit on four wheels--as the grand marshal of the 2001 parade.

Fonda, 62, will be joined in this Tinseltown holiday celebration by dozens of celebrities, ranging from Pat Boone and Florence Henderson to Antonio Sabato Jr. and Eden’s Crush. Police Chief Bernard C. Parks assured parade-goers that more than 1,000 officers will be on patrol. Fonda spoke about the occasion.

Question: What was your reaction to the grand marshal invitation?

Answer: I thought it would be great. Nobody else in my family has done this before--but this was before the 11th of September.

Q: Do you have any fear of rolling down Hollywood Boulevard so publicly because of the current situation?

A: No, no. Under the current situation or any situation, I have no fear to do anything. It was a long time ago that I decided not to let someone else’s ideology or actions dictate how I would live my life. The pursuit of happiness can’t mean roll, duck, cover--which we were all taught in the ‘50s when I was a kid. It’s not going to help us to get back in bomb shelters; it’s not going to help us to have gas masks. It plays into somebody else’s game and I refuse that game.

Q: We keep hearing that we should get back to normal, but under the circumstances, is the Christmas parade really so important?

A: The parade represents us in life. The parade represents us celebrating even though we are different religiously; it’s a common attitude. We’re going to celebrate [that] we’ve made it through the year on whatever level you want to put it.

Hopefully we’ve done more good things than bad things. We want to celebrate those good things, especially the ones we’ve shared with our neighbors on the planet. In Billings, Mont. [where Fonda has a ranch], somebody threw a brick through a window where there was a menorah. The community was so outraged that everyone put menorahs in their windows. Some are Crow Indian, some are Cheyenne, some are Irish American. By doing the Christmas parade, for me in a way, and particularly at the moment, [it] is putting a menorah in every window. It’s trying to share a common thought of goodness, of giving ...

The whole idea of Christmas is giving. And that’s an idea that works for Muslims, works for Jews, works for Buddhists.

Q: How did the Fonda family celebrate the holidays?

A: Let me tell you about our Christmases. Our real Christmas present was the tree that my sister [Jane] and I would wake up to. My father knew how to make snow out of Ivory Flakes--that’s the only [soap powder] that works by the way. Later, when I was about 16, he included me in the snow-making club. As the soap hardened, just the edges turned in a bit

Q: Did you watch the Hollywood Christmas Parade as a kid?

A: No. The first time I saw it was when it was televised.

Q: A lot of people will watch the parade on TV, but would you encourage them to see it in person?

A: Yes ... if people watching across the country see a lot of people on the street, a lot of people involved, not just in the parade but out and celebrating it, maybe that will get them out of the shell of depression, maybe that will break them out of the shell of fear.

Q: The terrorist attacks seem to have rallied Americans to come together. Do you feel that?

A: I feel that, certainly. But I hope it goes beyond just carrying the flags. If it’s only the flags, we’re missed the entire point. I’m afraid we’ve missed the point, but we’ll see. I’m willing to go out and shake the cage and try to get people to understand it goes beyond the flag, that it has to go into your heart and soul. It has to be something you carry with you as fervent as born-again Christians, as fervent as the Muslims who feel they have this right because they have been so discouraged and so demolished by the rest of the world. What we fail to have seen is that so many people have died in the name of God.

Q: Is your family planning to ride in the parade with you?

A: It’s hard to say. If my wife [Becky] could be there, that would mean she’s well enough to fly. She had serious back surgery.

Q: If you had the option, would you ride your Harley in the parade?

A: Nah, couldn’t have my family with me ... and let me tell you, the parade moves at a certain rate and it’s hellacious trying to keep a bike like that upright at slow speeds.

Q: After “Easy Rider” (1969), you were labeled a rebel. Now, after more than 30 years and roles like the one in “Ulee’s Gold” (1997), do you feel more in step with the mainstream community?

A: I feel I have a stronger need to stir things up [laughs], to try to get out of this mind-set and get into mind-improving.

Q: Did you suspect that “Easy Rider” would have such an effect on American culture?

A: [At the time] I was feeling pretty good about my life and that I was getting out from this monumental shadow of my father. Little did I know that I would make a much more monumental shadow for me. Even “Ulee’s Gold” didn’t pull me out of that shadow. Nobody yells at me, “Hey, Ulee.” They yell “Hey, Easy Rider,” “Hey, Captain America.”

Q: Actually, some people might enjoy the symbolism of Captain America leading the parade this year. Are you going to acknowledge that?

A: I’m going to put the flag back on the [leather] jacket. And the badge that I wore, you probably couldn’t see it--it’s a Department of Defense badge. Captain America has got to go riding again.

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The Hollywood Christmas Parade will start at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre at 6 p.m. and travel east down Hollywood Boulevard, south on Vine to Sunset Boulevard, ending at Orange Avenue. KCOP-TV will air the parade live at 6 p.m., then repeat at 8 p.m.