She gained recognition for her roles in films such as The Godfather Part III (1990), Single White Female (1992), Point of No Return (1993), Jackie Brown (1997), and A Simple Plan (1998). Fonda was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in Scandal (1989) and received additional nominations for her work in television films.

After a successful career spanning the late 1980s to early 2000s, she retired from acting in 2002. She is married to composer Danny Elfman, with whom she has a son.