Longtime actress Jane Fonda will receive the American Film Institute’s (AFI) Lifetime Achievement Award. The actress has starred in over 40 films and is known for being a celebrity who is a political advocate. She will receive the award in June 2014. She appeared in her first movie in fifteen years with the 2004 film “Monster in Law” and recently had a role in “The Butler.” Here is a rundown of Fonda’s top 5 best roles throughout her career, ranging from dramas to romantic comedies. 

1. The China Syndrome (1979)- Fonda plays journalist Kimberly Wells visiting a nuclear plant with her crew. Co-starring is Michael Douglas as her cameraman and Jack Lemmon as the shift supervisor. Wells feels she has witnessed an almost nuclear disaster and wants to uncover what problems she thinks the plant is hiding. 

2. They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969)- Based on a novel about the Great Depression, Fonda plays a depressed and suicide driven woman. She suddenly has the desire to go to Hollywood and become an actress, where she meets Robert, a man trying to make it as a Hollywood director. 

3. Barefoot in the Park (1967)- Fonda and Robert Redford play a newlywed couple. Corie (Fonda) complains about Paul’s (Redford) reserved, conservative attitude toward life. The film is a romantic comedy that consists of their problems as a married couple. 

4. On Golden Pond (1981)- Fonda co-stars with her father, Henry Fonda. The film is about strengthening family ties. The drama brings the family and their issues together at a lake house at a lake called Golden Pond. Chelsea (Jane Fonda) introduces the family to her fiancé and his son. She is later jealous of the tie her father has with her soon to be stepson since she never had a real relationship with him. 

5. 9 to 5 (1980)- The comedy portrays Fonda as a working girl. Her and other friends work toward the goal to overthrow their arrogant and sexist boss. The film is part of AFI’s 100 Funniest Movies. In 2009, “9 to 5” hit Broadway. 

USC History Professor Steven Ross admires Fonda's works. 

"She brings an empathy to her roles that is rare among Hollywood stars," he said. 

Reach Staff Reporter Tanya Mardirossian here.