Lily Tomlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lily Tomlin
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Tomlin at the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors
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| Born |
Mary Jean Tomlin
September 1, 1939 |
| Education | Wayne State University |
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| Years active | 1965–present |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Awards | Full list |
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is a famous American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She started her career doing stand-up comedy and sketch comedy shows. Later, she became a well-known actress in movies and on stage.
Lily Tomlin has worked for over fifty years. She has won many important awards for her talent. These include seven Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards. She was also nominated for an Academy Award. In 2014, she received the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2017, she got the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
Tomlin first became famous on the TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1969 to 1973. She created many funny characters for the show. One of her most famous roles was in the Broadway play The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. This show won her a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play in 1985. She also won an Emmy Award for her TV special Lily (1973). Her comedy album This Is a Recording (1972) earned her a Grammy Award.
In 1975, Tomlin made her first movie, Nashville. This role earned her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for her role in The Late Show (1977). Other popular movies she starred in include All of Me (1984) with Steve Martin. She also appeared in 9 to 5 (1980) and Grandma (2015).
Lily Tomlin has often worked with actress Jane Fonda. They starred together in movies like 9 to 5 (1980) and 80 for Brady (2023). They also led the popular Netflix series Grace and Frankie from 2015 to 2022. Tomlin was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Grace and Frankie. She also voiced the beloved character Ms. Frizzle in the children's animated series The Magic School Bus (1994–1997). She continued this role in The Magic School Bus Rides Again (2017–2020).
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Early Life and Education
Lily Tomlin was born in Detroit, Michigan, on September 1, 1939. Her mother, Lillie Mae, was a housewife and nurse's aide. Her father, Guy Tomlin, worked in a factory. Lily has a younger brother named Richard. Her parents moved to Detroit from Kentucky during the Great Depression.
Tomlin graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1957. She then attended Wayne State University. She first studied biology, but her interest changed after she auditioned for a play. This experience sparked her love for theater. She decided to change her major to focus on acting. After college, Tomlin began performing stand-up comedy in nightclubs. She started in Detroit and later moved to New York City. She also continued to study acting at the HB Studio.
Career Highlights
Early Career and Breakthrough on TV
Lily Tomlin's first TV appearance was on The Merv Griffin Show in 1965. A year later, she joined the cast of The Garry Moore Show. In 1969, Tomlin joined the popular sketch comedy show Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. She quickly became a big hit on the show. She created many memorable characters that became very well known. She even played these characters in other TV specials and recordings.
Famous Characters
- Ernestine was a bold and tough telephone operator. She often treated customers without much sympathy. Her famous lines were "one ringy dingy... two ringy dingy" and "Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?" Ernestine usually worked at her switchboard. Tomlin brought Ernestine back for a TV ad in 2016 for PETA. She also played Ernestine on several episodes of Sesame Street.
- Edith Ann was a smart five-and-a-half-year-old girl. She would share her thoughts on everyday life. She often ended her talks with "And that's the truth," followed by a funny sound. Edith Ann sat in a very large rocking chair to make Tomlin look small. She often talked about her family and her dog, Buster. Tomlin also played Edith Ann on Sesame Street and in three cartoon specials.
- Mrs. Judith Beasley was a housewife from Illinois. She often appeared in TV commercials. She gave "good consumer advice" to viewers.
- Mrs. Earbore (The Tasteful Lady) was a polite and proper older woman. She gave advice on how to live gracefully and elegantly.
- Susie the Sorority Girl was a blonde college student. She was often humorless and dramatic. Her biggest worries were small things, like a missing music album.
- The Consumer Advocate Lady was a serious woman. She carefully checked products to see if they were worth their price.
- Lucille the Rubber Freak was a woman who loved to chew on rubber. Her story described how her habit started with pencil erasers.
- Tess/Trudy was a homeless woman. She would talk to people on the street. She shared her unusual thoughts and stories about talking to aliens.
- Bobbi-Jeanine was a singer and organ player from the lounge circuit. She often gave advice about show business.
Tomlin also created male characters. These included Tommy Velour and Rick. In 1982, she introduced Purvis Hawkins. He was a rhythm-and-blues soul singer. Tomlin used stage lighting to create the look for this character.
In 1970, AT&T offered Tomlin a large sum of money to play Ernestine in a commercial. She turned it down, wanting to protect her artistic work. However, in 1976, she played Ernestine in a funny ad parody on Saturday Night Live. She also made two commercials as an "updated" Ernestine for WebEx in 2003.
Tomlin released her first comedy album, This Is A Recording, in 1971. It featured Ernestine's funny phone calls. The album reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. This made it the highest-charting album by a solo female comedian. She won a Grammy award for Best Comedy Recording that year. Her second album, And That's The Truth (1972), featured Edith Ann. It was also very successful and earned another Grammy nomination.
Film Stardom and Acclaim
Tomlin made her first dramatic film appearance in Robert Altman's Nashville (1975). For this role, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1977, she starred in the comedy-mystery The Late Show with Art Carney. This film was highly praised by critics.
In March 1977, Tomlin made her Broadway debut in a one-woman show called Appearing Nitely. She co-wrote and co-directed it. She received a Special Tony Award for this show. That same month, she was featured on the cover of Time magazine.
In 1980, Tomlin co-starred in 9 to 5. She played a secretary named Violet Newstead. Her character joined coworkers Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton to get back at their boss. The film was one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. Tomlin then starred in the 1981 science fiction comedy The Incredible Shrinking Woman. She played three different roles in this film.
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Tomlin had another big hit with All of Me (1984). She starred opposite Steve Martin. In this movie, she played a sick heiress whose spirit gets stuck in Martin's body. In 1985, Tomlin starred in another successful one-woman Broadway show. It was called The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. This show won her a Tony Award. It was later made into a feature film in 1991.
In 1988, Tomlin and Bette Midler played two sets of identical twins in the comedy Big Business. The twins were accidentally switched at birth.
Continued Work and The West Wing
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Tomlin played a chain-smoking waitress in Robert Altman's 1993 film Short Cuts. From 1994 to 1997, Tomlin voiced Ms. Valerie Frizzle on the animated TV series The Magic School Bus. In the 1990s, she also appeared on the popular sitcom Murphy Brown. She played the title character's boss. She also had guest roles on Homicide: Life on the Street and The X-Files.
From 2002 to 2006, Tomlin had a recurring role on the drama series The West Wing. She played Deborah Fiderer, the presidential secretary. Tomlin also worked with director David O. Russell in two films. She played an artist in Flirting with Disaster. Later, she was a detective in I Heart Huckabees.
Tomlin worked with director Robert Altman again in his last film, A Prairie Home Companion (2006). She played Rhonda Johnson, a singer partnered with Meryl Streep. Tomlin also voiced a character in the film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2009). In 2005, she voiced Tammy in The Simpsons episode "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas".
In 2010, Tomlin guest-starred in the TV series Damages. She played Marilyn Tobin and was nominated for an Emmy. She also appeared in the NCIS episode "The Penelope Papers". She played Penelope Langston, the grandmother of Agent Timothy McGee. In 2012, Tomlin guest-starred on the HBO series Eastbound and Down. She played Tammy Powers, the mother of the main character. Tomlin also co-starred with Reba McEntire in the TV series Malibu Country.
Grace and Frankie and Recent Work
From 2015 to 2022, Tomlin starred in the Netflix comedy series Grace and Frankie. She played Frankie Bergstein. Her character becomes friends with Grace Hanson (played by Jane Fonda). This happens after they learn their husbands are leaving them for each other. Tomlin received her first Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nomination for this role in 2015. In 2015, Tomlin also starred in the film Grandma. The movie received excellent reviews and earned Tomlin a Golden Globe Award nomination.
Tomlin returned to voice Professor Frizzle in the 2017 Netflix sequel The Magic School Bus Rides Again. This show continued the original series. In 2018, she had a small voice role as Aunt May in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Personal Life
Lily Tomlin met writer Jane Wagner in March 1971. They began working together on Tomlin's comedy album. On December 31, 2013, Tomlin and Wagner married in a private ceremony in Los Angeles. They had been together for 42 years.
Beliefs and Activism
Tomlin has supported feminist and gay-friendly film projects. On her 1975 album Modern Scream, she made fun of actors who try to distance themselves from their gay characters. In 2013, Tomlin narrated the film An Apology to Elephants, which Jane Wagner wrote.
Awards and Recognition
Lily Tomlin has received many awards throughout her career. These include seven Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and a Grammy Award. She was also nominated for an Academy Award.
Her first two Emmy Awards were for her 1973 special Lily. She won more Emmys for other specials and for narrating the 2013 documentary An Apology to Elephants. She also won a Daytime Emmy for voicing Miss Frizzle. Tomlin won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording in 1972 for This Is a Recording.
She received a Special Tony Award in 1977. Later, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (1986). Her role in the film Nashville (1975) earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This made her one of the few artists nominated for all four major American entertainment awards.
Tomlin's performance in The Late Show (1977) earned her nominations for the BAFTA and Golden Globe Award. She received more Golden Globe nominations for All of Me (1984) and Grandma (2015). Her role as Frankie Bergstein in Grace and Frankie (2015–2022) earned her many nominations. These included the Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Awards, and SAG Awards.
In 1992, she received the Women in Film Crystal Award. Tomlin was added to the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2003, she received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. She was also recognized by Women in Film with the Lucy Award. This award honored her work that improved the way women are seen in television.
In December 2014, she was one of five people honored at the annual Kennedy Center Honors. In January 2017, Tomlin won the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2022, Tomlin received the Career Achievement Peabody Award. Her 1971 album This Is a Recording was chosen for the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2024.
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See also
In Spanish: Lily Tomlin para niños
