The Only Major Actors Still Alive From The Original Cast Of Barbarella
One of the finest guilty pleasure sci-fi movies out there, Roger Vadim's 1968 space fantasy adventure "Barbarella," combines the best and worst traditions of science fiction and sword and sorcery. From needlessly scantily clad characters to a deliciously outlandish plot, "Barbarella" is simultaneously a fine example of cheesy 1960s fun and a movie that probably couldn't be made today — if the rumored Sydney Sweeney "Barbarella" remake ever gets off the ground, chances are it'll be quite a bit different than the original.
From Jane Fonda as the titular astronaut to John Phillip Law as the angel-winged Pygar, Anita Pallenberg as the Great Tyrant, and Marcel Marceau as Professor Ping, the cast of "Barbarella" is a fascinating collection of the era's entertainment industry figures. Unfortunately, since the movie was made in the late 1960s, many of them have passed away. In fact, only one major "Barbarella" actor is still alive — Jane Fonda.
Jane Fonda is the only Barbarella cast member who's still around
Though her co-stars aren't with us anymore, Barbarella herself lives on. The film's titular protagonist remains one of Jane Fonda's most memorable movie roles, but as anyone who's even cursorily familiar with her work knows, it's far from the only thing she's done.
Fonda has been nominated for Academy Awards a whopping seven times and has won twice. Her acting résumé includes stone-cold classics like "The China Syndrome," "Klute," and "Coming Home." Outside acting, she's a noted activist who's immersed herself in causes from anti-war protests to women's rights and climate change. And yeah, she's also worked as a model and made that iconic 1980s aerobics workout video.
In other words, playing Barbarella might be an iconic career-maker for some, but it's only a small drop in the bucket for Fonda, who was born in 1937 and has spent much of her life accomplishing highly impressive things. Few can rival her life and career — and what's more, she shows no signs of compromising her ideals. Fonda beat breast cancer in 2023, but instead of announcing it to call attention to herself, she ... used the experience to discuss cancer's relation to climate change and even called out the healthcare system for its reliance on fossil fuels, quoting facts and figures to back up her message.