The name Jane Fonda has been a part of Hollywood history for over six decades and in that time, the industry and the world at large have come to behold the excellence and talent at the disposal of the New York-born actress. However, her legacy extends far beyond her creations on screen to her children, like Vanessa Vadim who has followed in her footsteps in Hollywood as a filmmaker.
Vanessa Vadim as the daughter of a legendary actress was left some really big shoes to fill but has instead decided to forge her own path as is evident by her decision to become a director rather than an actress like her mother. Learn all you need to know about Vanessa Vadim and her journey to making a name for herself in Hollywood.
Vanessa Vadim’s Biography
Vanessa Vadim was born on the 28th of September, 1968 in Paris, France to parents Jane Fonda and Roger Vadim. Her parents were both actors who were married for eight years. One could not possibly say that Vanessa had the perfect childhood, as she grew up with a mother who was frequently unavailable at the time. This unconventional and unhealthy upbringing led to some troubled periods in her early adult life that involved drug abuse and police arrest.
For her education, Vanessa Vadim attended Brown University where she studied to become a filmmaker. Since she graduated, with her troubled days behind her, she has been able to fashion a career outside of the spotlight, working behind the camera on a number of projects, including documentaries. She earned her first credit in the 1997 short film, Blue is Beautiful, where she worked as a production assistant. Her second notable credit came in 2002, in the documentary short film, The Quilts of Gee’s Band, on which she worked as a producer, editor, cinematographer, and director.
In 2018, she made a significant contribution to a documentary about her mother, Jane Fonda in Five Acts. Outside of her work as a documentary maker, Vanessa Vadim, who prefers the solitude outside of the spotlight, and has taken on her mother’s fierce activism for the environment, also works as an ecological advice columnist.
She works in the role for the website, Mother Nature Network and has had some of her works published on other platforms like TheDailyBeast, whom she also writes for in a regular capacity.
Vanessa Vadim’ s Kids and Family Members
If Vanessa Vadim will go in the direction of a free-spirited lifestyle, unburdened by the demands of social conventions like her mother remains to be seen but she has so far ticked a box by getting married twice, first to Matt Arnett and then to Paul Van Waggoner.
Details of her first marriage to Matt Arnett, who is a producer and a writer, are unknown but the relationship produced a child, Viva Arnett who was born on the 23rd of November, 2002. Before she gave birth to Viva Arnett, a previous relationship with an unknown personality produced a child, Malcolm McDuffy who was born on the 28th of May, 1999, making Vanessa Vadim the mother of two children.
She has been married to Paul Van Waggoner since June 2010 and remains married to him, raising her two children in their home in Vermont.
Who are her siblings?
Vanessa Vadim is the product of a relationship between Roger Vadim and Jane Fonda and whilst her parents only have her as their shared biological child, she has an array of half-siblings on either side of her family.
Her siblings include Troy Garity, who was born out of her mother’s marriage to Tom Hayden. He is an actor who has starred in notable projects like Ballers, Soldier’s Girl and the Barbershop films.
Vanessa Vadim’s siblings also include Nathalie Vadim, a half-sister from her father’s relationship with Annette Stroyberg. Like other members of the Jane Fonda/Roger Vadim family, Nathalie Vadim is also in the film business, working as a director.
Other siblings include Christian Vadim and Vania Plemiannikov who are both actors too.
See Also: Katharine Wilder – Bio, Kids, Facts About Gene Wilder’s Daughter
Other Facts About Vanessa Vadim
In the university, she was roommates with Rory Kennedy, the superstar documentary producer who has several well-received documentaries to her name
Vanessa Vadim was named after Vanessa Redgrave, the actress, and activist
She is both an American and a French citizen
Her wedding to Paul Van Waggoner was held in St. Tropez, France
