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Jane Fonda is one of the most outspoken stars in Hollywood, spending her six decades in the spotlight leading her voice to many an environmental and political cause.
But when it comes to questions about plastic surgery, the 79-year-old would rather change the subject.
During and appearance on NBC’s Megyn Kelly Today on Wednesday, Fonda shut down the former Fox News anchor when she attempted a line of questioning about going under the knife — pivoting instead to promotional comments about her latest film, Our Souls at Night.
To her credit, Kelly tried to ease into the question. She began by complimenting Jane Fonda, who still manages to turn heads on every red carpet she walks.
“You’ve been an example to everyone in how to age beautifully and with strength and unapologetically,” Kelly, 46, said. “You admit that you’ve had work done, which I think is to your credit. And you look amazing. Why did you say, I read that you said, you’re not proud to admit you had work done. Why not?”
Fonda appeared uncomfortable by the question, though. Staring back Kelly with bewilderment, she paused for a few seconds before finally asking, “We really want to talk about that right now?”
Kelly tried to recover. “Well one of the things people think when they look at you is how amazing you look,” she continued, attempting to get Fonda to budge.
It didn’t work. “Well thanks,” Fonda said. “Good attitude, good posture, take care of myself — but let me tell you why I love this movie, Our Souls at Night, rather than plastic surgery.”
Fonda’s co-star in the film Robert Redford, who was sitting on the couch next to her, laughed at Fonda’s change of subject. He and Fonda are longtime friends, of course, having played newlyweds in the 1967 classic Barefoot in the Park.
Now 50 years later, the frequent co-stars are reuniting in Our Souls at Night to play widowed neighbors Addie Moore and Louis Waters, who form a real romance after sleeping in bed together platonically at first to alleviate their loneliness. The film is based on Kent Haruf’s novel and adapted by The Fault in Our Stars writers Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber.
“You kind of have a choice in life when you get to be close to 80, what you want to do with your life. And my character in this movie, she knows that there’s a lot more time behind her than there is in front and she doesn’t want to go down lonely and scared,” Fonda said.
For Redford, Fonda’s bold attitude is what he likes about her most.
“Once of the things I really like about Jane that’s manifested in this film is that she really is a force,” the actor, 81, said. “As long as I’ve known Jane she’s always moving forward, and doesn’t look back. And whatever pain, whatever problems she’s had in the past, remains in the past and she keeps moving forward. It’s an admirable quality and very few people have it like Jane does.”
Fonda remained that way through the end of the interview. Asked what age she would be if she could go back to any, Fonda said she’d remain as she was “right now.”
“I wouldn’t want any other time,” she said.
Megyn Kelly Today airs weekdays at 9 a.m. ET
This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.
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