The American actor Peter Fonda died on Friday at the age of 79, writes the American People Magazine . Fonda became particularly famous for his role of Wyatt in the 1969 film Easy Rider .
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Peter Fonda has passed away. He has gone peacefully, surrounded by family,” the relatives report in a short statement. Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda and son of Henry Fonda, both famous actors, died from the effects of lung cancer.
Fonda not only played the lead role in Easy Rider , he produced the film and wrote the script. Initially the film flopped, but a re-release was a great success in both the United States and other parts of the world.
The film yielded tens of millions of euros while only 400,000 dollars were spent on production. It was also nominated for an Oscar.
The search for freedom is central to the film. Fonda’s character Wyatt crosses the southwest and south of the US on his motorcycle while he dreams of happiness. The soundtrack of the film became world famous, with songs such as Born to be Wild by the Canadian band Steppenwolf.