Jane Fonda says Monster-In-Law with Jennifer Lopez was ‘the biggest stroke of luck’

Jane Fonda declared this month that acting in the 2005 movie Monster-In-Law was ‘the biggest stroke of luck’ that revived her career.

She took 15 years off of the movies after she married media mogul Ted Turner but made her comeback with Monster-In-Law in the wake of the divorce.

‘It was the only smart career thing I ever did,’ the 84-year-old told the Daily Mirror during a new interview. ‘I thought: “People are going to come to the movie to see J-Lo, but they’ll rediscover Fonda,” and that’s what happened.’

A monster hit: The movie starred Jennifer Lopez as well as Michael Vartan

Said Jane: ‘The biggest stroke of luck was getting the role in Monster-in-Law at a point in my career when I had been out of the acting business for 15 years or more.’

She explained that the film ‘was with Jennifer Lopez, and it was a great comeback for me. I was almost 65 years old when I got this script out of the blue.’

Jane continued: ‘The producer was a friend. We hired someone to rewrite my character and that is what became the great mother-in-law role in that movie.’ 

In Monster-In-Law, Jane stole the show as the villainous mother of a doctor played by Michael Vartan, who gets engaged to J-Lo. 

Comeback: ‘It was the only smart career thing I ever did,’ the 84-year-old, who is pictured with J-Lo on the set of Monster-In-Law told the Daily Mirror during a new interview

Face-off: In Monster-In-Law, Jane stole the show as the villainous mother of a doctor played by Michael Vartan, who gets engaged to J-Lo

The picture featured a top-flight cast ranging from Wanda Sykes and Will Arnett to Broadway legend Elaine Stritch, who played Jane’s own difficult mother-in-law.

Monster-In-Law marked Jane’s first movie since the 1990 feature Stanley And Iris, which starred her as a grieving widow finding love again with Robert De Niro. 

She left the entertainment industry during her marriage to movie mogul Ted Turner, whom she now describes as her ‘favorite ex-husband.’

During her documentary Jane Fonda In Five Acts, she discussed the problems with the marriage, noting: ‘Ted can’t be alone and so my whole life had to be about him.’ 

She stays active: The iconic actress pictured on Instagram recently

The way they were: She took 15 years off of the movies after she married media mogul Ted Turner, whom she is pictured with in 1994

Jane ‘became more of a feminist’ during their marriage but ‘it’s hard to be a complete feminist when you’re in a marriage that doesn’t quite work.’

The two-time Oscar-winner wanted to become ‘fully-realized’ and ‘hoped that Ted would be okay about it, because I really loved him and I was hoping it would be forever, but that’s not the way it played out.’

When she was conflicted about whether to leave him, a voice in her head told her: ‘Oh, God, Fonda, come on, he’s handsome, he’s cute, he’s sexy, you know, you never have to work again. Lighten up, come on!’

However a ‘softer a little voice’ counseled her: ‘If you stay, you will never be authentic. You will never be able to be whole.’ 

‘Favorite ex-husband’: During her documentary Jane Fonda In Five Acts, she noted: ‘Ted can’t be alone and so my whole life had to be about him’

After the marriage fell apart in 2001, she decided to return to Hollywood as a full-time actress, and with the help of Monster-In-Law she succeeded.

Her best friend Paula Weinstein, no relation to Harvey, coaxed her back into showbiz by persuading her to accept an offer to present at the Oscars. 

Paula went on to be a producer on Monster-In-Law, which launched Jane fully back into the acting business as a film star. 

Throwback: Monster-In-Law marked Jane’s first movie since the 1990 feature Stanley And Iris, which starred her as a grieving widow finding love again with Robert De Niro

In recent years her flourishing career has included the hit Netflix show Grace And Frankie and the successful comedy film Book Club, whose sequel is in the works.

She has since confessed onstage at the BFI that while she was married to Ted she ‘had no intention of ever acting again’ and ‘didn’t miss it at all.’

Yet during her movie hiatus she wrote a memoir, ‘and by the time I finished writing my memoir, I was a different person and I thought: “I could find joy in acting again.”‘

Side by side: In recent years her flourishing career has included the hit Netflix show Grace And Frankie, which reunited her with her 9 To 5 co-star Lily Tomlin (left)

When the prospect of Monster-In-Law came up, she thought: ‘Aha! This is very interesting ’cause my part is the better part. People are gonna come to see Jennifer Lopez, but they’re gonna find Jane Fonda, or re-find Jane Fonda.’

She dished: ‘Very often when I see a group of young women, especially Latinas, walking towards me and they recognize me and they get excited, forget Coming Home and Klute and Julia and everything, it’s all, I know what they’re gonna say: “Monster-In-Law! I’ve seen it 15 times! It’s my favorite movie of all!”‘ 

Jane has not remarried after Ted, her third and latest husband, but Jennifer recently tied the knot with her fourth husband Ben Affleck. 

So in love: Jane has not remarried after Ted, her third and latest husband, but Jennifer recently tied the knot with her fourth husband Ben Affleck