Jane Fonda Describes Working With 'Book Club' Stars As 'Dream Come Through'

Jane Fonda is excited to work with her girlfriends!

Despite facing many challenges throughout her life, including her battle with cancer last year, she has always managed to keep moving forward. The legendary actress recently shared her thoughts on working with her gal pals in the sequel of her hit movie.

The former model sees aging as a privilege, embracing every moment enthusiastically and positively. She believes that getting older is a cause for celebration, not fear, and even though she is 85, she is busier than ever and describes this phase of her life as "the happiest I've ever been."

This year, the activist has four films scheduled for release, including the upcoming comedy "Book Club: The Next Chapter," which will hit theaters on May 12. In an interview with PEOPLE, the iconic star expressed how much she cherishes her friendship with her co-stars in the movie.

The "On Golden Pond" actress explained that she feels the happiest she has ever been and is credited to female friendships and living authentically. The British Academy Film Awards receiver shared that filming the sequel to her 2019 romantic comedy hit with friends Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen in Italy was "a dream come true." 

She stated that their bond is "everything I imagined women's friendships can be," adding, "When I was younger, there was this assumption that women were kind of catty and four stars working together wouldn't work because they'd be competing, and it's just not true."

The Oscar-winning star noted, "We're friends, and we love working together, and we help each other when we need to." Fonda, who underwent chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last year and is currently in remission, remains upbeat and determined to live life to the fullest. She explained:

"There's been tragedy and hard things in my life. But I've never succumbed to them. I've been resilient all my life."

Although she is living her best life, it does not mean she has not had moments of regret. The "Grace and Frankie" actress opened up about her remorse over her past parenting decisions.

While reflecting on her struggles with motherhood, the "Period of Adjustment" star shared that she felt she did not have the necessary skills to be a better mother to her children when they were young. However, through her organization, the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, she gained knowledge and a more informed view of motherhood.

Speaking with CNN's Chris Wallace, Fonda admitted that she wishes she could have done things differently and still had reservations about her actions. According to Insider, she admitted to having "great, great children, talented and smart" but did not know how to be a mother to them. She disclosed that after putting the work at her organization, she was able to readjust, and in her own words, "I'm trying to show up now." 

The star, who had received multiple awards for her television, Broadway, and film performances, reflected on a close call in her career. In January, The Blast shared that Fonda revealed how her expectations from her third marriage almost caused her to miss out on achieving her incredible feats in the entertainment industry. 

In an interview with ET, she disclosed that when she married CNN founder Ted Turner in 1991, she felt it was her "happily ever after" moment. Unfortunately, they divorced after a decade; by then, she had spent 15 years away from acting. 

The "Klute" actress explained in her 2018 documentary "Jane Fonda in Five Acts" that she had permanently altered her personality to fit the expectations of the men in her life. These men included her father, actor Henry Fonda, and her three husbands: Roger Vadim, Tom Hayden, and Ted Turner.

Luckily she realized the error of her ways after parting ways with the cable television executive and stopped prioritizing the needs of others over her own.