Hello and welcome to another episode of I Way with Jimmy LeDremel.

I have nothing to say, other than Jane, fucking, thunder is on my fucking podcast How the hell has this happened?

I have been obsessed with her for basically my entire life. I was so little when I first became aware of her work as a comedic actress, as a serious actor,

as a producer, as this incredible iconic entertainer and one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. I was so in love with her as a kid, and as an adult, really.

But this was before I even came to learn about what an extraordinary life this woman has lived, the ways in which she has risked her life, risked her sanity, her general well-being, the well-being of her family,

all in the name of leveraging her privilege to help those who have less, all in the name of equal rights for all.

She is just fearless and so interesting and sharp and funny and strong and inspiring, and listen guys, I'm just going to level with you.

You've heard me give some fairly competent interviews over the course of the last year, and very rarely do I become a sort of wilting, sweating squirrel.

But unfortunately for us all, this is one of those times, and I was so mad at myself afterwards, I was like, what the fuck was that, Jemel?

Why are you such a weird timid, gushing freak of nature? But I was, you're going to hear the little girl in me who's been obsessed with this woman forever.

I felt so, so small and shy and vulnerable, and I was on Zoom with Jane, and she's just looking right into my soul through the Zoom.

And I just couldn't, I couldn't cope. I was so overwhelmed with what a big deal it was that she was on my podcast, and I don't often get star struck.

And I've met her before and interviewed her before, but it just never wears off because she's just, it's so far beyond entertainment or fame or talent even.

It's just what an extraordinary human being, it's so rare that you ever get to meet someone so extraordinary, so full of love, so full of empathy, so full of humility and desire to learn, so self analytical, so, so terrifyingly and intimidatingly bright,

and brave, and willing to just go to the hardest conversations in order to make sure that they're had, willing to sacrifice all of her privacy and be so entirely vulnerable and frank about her life, about her shortcomings, about her mistakes, about her existence in order to make other people feel seen.

I didn't, you know, I remember for years thinking that she was associated with the, you know, the kind of the exercise world, I mean, she was a leader in the exercise world, I had probably, I think still the bigger selling VHS of all time with her exercise workout video,

but I used to think of that as I could kind of frivolous actress getting into workout, I had no idea that she was funding grassroots activism with the money, all of the money that she was making from her books and, and exercise videos, and all of her appearances around the world about it, I had no idea that that was her motivation, it was nothing to do with vanity, it was nothing to do with thinness, it was nothing to do with diet culture.

This woman was trying to save lives with something that was accessible to her. Anyway, I am, I'm so sorry that I became a little girl during this interview, I had the best time ever, I wish I had been sharper and cooler and better, but I'm never going to forget that she took the time of her busy, busy life, trying to literally save the world to come on and talk to me about

how she arrived at activism, about her journey through mental health, about the things that she has seen and done, about love, about her relationship with herself, and about climate change and climate justice, and all of the important information that she was willing to share with me about that amongst many other things, we went everywhere, we went everywhere, we did everything, I hope you enjoy this episode, I'm going to stop talking because I'm so irrelevant anyway,

never mind when Jane Fonda is about to speak, so here she is, she is a literal fucking icon and I'm freaking out guys, I'm never like this, oh god, why am I so cringe?

Okay, enjoy, DM me, I really, really, really want to know how you feel about this, oh and please go and watch a documentary Jane Fonda in 5 Acts, because it's the wildest and most extraordinary, live story that you can imagine, lots of love.

You look like vampire, who's vampire? I don't know, some very exotic woman with long dark hair.

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