Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin: All About the Actress’ Decades-Long Friendship

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have been friends for almost five decades.

When the actresses crossed paths in 1978, they were already stars in their own right — and now they’re even bigger household names for their acting, comedy and activism. But apart from the work they did, their friendship was also the subject of attention.

After Fonda and Tomlin met backstage at one of Tomlin’s solo shows, the two quickly found common ground in their careers and personal lives. Today, they worked together on three films, such as the cult one 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton and seven seasons of the Netflix sitcom Grace and Frankie.

In an interview with T: The New York Times Style Magazine 2024, Fonda implied that their days of collaboration are far from over. As they talk about their 2023 film Let’s move on, she mentioned a common theme in the reviews. “Almost every one of them talked about our chemistry. It was like, ‘Well, maybe we should always work together,'” she recalled.

In addition to being multi-talented stars celebrating their personal accomplishments, they’ve also supported each other through tough times, including Fonda’s cancer diagnosis in 2022, when Tomlin praised her strength and described her to PEOPLE as “indomitable.”

At the premiere of the documentary in May 2024 He still works 9 to 5 — examining gender inequality and discrimination in the workplace since the film’s release in 1980 — Tomlin told PEOPLE that their friendship “meant a lot” to her, and Fonda added that she feels “lucky” about their close relationship.

Here’s everything you need to know about Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and their decades-long friendship.

They met in 1978

Lily Tomlin at the premiere of “9 to 5” on December 14, 1980 at the Sutton Theater in New York.

Ron Galella/Collection of Ron Galella via Getty Images

Fonda and Tomlin first met in 1978, backstage at a performance of Tomlin’s solo show, Appearing Nitelyin downtown Los Angeles.

Fonda was already a famous actress, mainly because of her leading role in Barbarella and her Oscar-winning performance in the stupid, but she was “crazy [her] feet” when she saw Tomlin on stage. “I was completely mesmerized by her,” Fonda said during a guest appearance with Tomlin on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2022

Turns out Tomlin was a fan of Fonda’s too – and was also “totally shocked” when Fonda came backstage, Tomlin told host Kelly Clarkson.

Tomlin said T: The New York Times Style Magazine 2024 that her admiration for Fonda even influenced her choice of style.

“For a couple of years I wore a hairstyle from Stupid, but I didn’t have it when she showed up that day,” Tomlin said. “I thought, ‘Why did I drop mine Stupid hairstyle at this auspicious time?’ ”

At the time, Fonda was developing a dark comedy about office workers trying to oust their sexist boss — which would eventually become a cult film 9 to 5 — but it had not yet been poured.

“I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to make a movie about secretaries unless she’s in it,'” Fonda said on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

They are multiple costars

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda attend the #NETFLIXFYSEE event for “Grace and Frankie” at Raleigh Studios on June 2, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

Presley Ann/Getty Images

Fonda and Tomlin have starred in several of the same projects since they made their first film together, 9 to 5, in 1980.

After seven seasons, he stars in a Netflix sitcom Grace and Frankiethey worked together on two more films: 80 for Brady (with Sally Field and Rita Moreno) i Let’s move on.

Tomlin said their long professional relationship was partly a result of Fonda’s fearless personality.

“From the time I met her [in the late 70s] when she was trying to make us all work 9 to 5, she would say ‘we have to take a leap of faith’. And she meant it so deeply, Tomlin continued View 2023 “That’s all it was, I kind of stared right at her.”

Fonda told Los Angeles Times about how her relationship with Tomlin developed after years of working with each other. “It simply deepens by itself, it just automatically deepens,” she told the newspaper in 2022, pointing out that Grace and Frankiehe especially contributed to their closeness.

“You get to know each other damn well because it’s a relatively short time in the movie. And you can fake it [and [pretend to] to be a good person. But more than seven years [working on a TV series], if you’re not a really good person, it shows,” Fonda said. “And guess what? She’s a good person.”

They playfully tease each other

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda speak onstage during the Era Coalition Forward Women’s Equality Trailblazer Awards and premiere of “Still Working 9 to 5.”

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

After decades of friendship — and work in comedy — playful banter about each other is a trademark of Fonda and Tomlin’s relationship.

During a joint performance at Today 2018 to promote the fourth season Grace and Frankie, host Hoda Kotb asked the two how long they had known each other. Fonda joked that they were just off-screen friends “sometimes” and speculated that she had known Tomlin for about 50 years. Tomlin’s response was a bit harsher though, saying, “I think before your first facelift!”

In other interviews, Fonda spoke candidly about their friendship, while Tomlin offered a joke instead.

On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert In 2023, Fonda described their relationship as “just a little intimate” and called it “genius.” Fonda added, “There’s no one like her.”

Tomlin jokingly described their relationship as “somewhat distant.” She explained, “That’s how you keep love alive.”

At times, the two mimic the banter and bickering of their on-screen characters, Grace and Frankie. In a joint 2015 TEDTalk about the power of female friendships, the host noted that a woman can be told a lot by the company she’s in — to which Fonda looked wide-eyed at Tomlin and said, “We’re in big trouble.”

In response, Tomlin offered a quip of her own. “Just being with her sucks the life out of me,” she joked.

They are activists

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda hold hands as they lead a climate protest on the steps of the US Capitol in Washington, DC on December 27, 2019.

EVA HAMBACH/AFP via Getty Images

Both Fonda and Tomlin are known for their social activism – Fonda for her fight against the climate crisis, and Tomlin for her involvement in the LGBTQ+ and women’s rights movements – and the two have often protested alongside each other.

The two attended the Women’s March in LA in 2017 and talked about the experience The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that year. “750,000 people, men and women, baby carriages, wheelchairs — it was unbelievable,” Fonda said. In her signature deadpan tone, Tomlin cut her off and added that there were also dogs.

In December 2019, Tomlin spoke at one of Fonda’s “Fire Drill Fridays” protests outside the Capitol in Washington, DC. At the event, Tomlin spoke about climate change and its impact on forests and indigenous populations, according to The New York Times. After that, Tomlin was arrested and at the end of the protest he was handcuffed to the zip ties, USA Today reported.

Fonda herself has been arrested numerous times throughout her life as a result of her activism — including five times during the 12 weeks of climate protests in Washington in 2019. After the protests, Tomlin said The New York Times Magazine 2020 to support her colleague and friend, calling her “real tough”.

The two are protesting for other reasons as well. In the summer of 2023, they appeared on picket lines in support of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Fonda and Tomlin were some of the first famous actors to publicly appear at the strikes, per The Hollywood Reporter.

In some cases, their climate activism involves more entertainment than civil disobedience. The two held each other Grace and Frankie reunion live reads in 2022 and 2024, with proceeds supporting the Jane Fonda Climate PAC. “Isn’t it wonderful when friends support the work you love?” Fonda wrote on Instagram alongside a promotional video for the event.

They are each other’s biggest cheerleaders

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin at the Los Angeles premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “80 For Brady” at the Regency Village Theater on January 31, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Although Fonda and Tomlin have appeared on various red carpets and in television interviews promoting their joint projects, they also support each other individually at awards shows and honors.

In 2001, Tomlin sat with Fonda at her gala at Lincoln Center, and in 2014, Fonda—along with fellow comedians Jane Lynch, Reba McEntire, and Kate McKinnon—honored Tomlin onstage at her Kennedy Center Honors.

The following year, Tomlin presented Fonda with the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Vanguard Award. In her speech, she praised her “dear, dear friend” for her activism and work ethic.

“I am inspired and amazed by your courage and wisdom. You make your dreams come true by being a worker, not just a dreamer,” she said. “You have hope for the future and you have big plans for it. Thank you for including me.”

In 2022, Fonda introduced Tomlin at her Hollywood hand and foot print ceremony in LA “I can’t stop crying. I’m very touched to be here,” Fonda said in her speech, referring to Tomlin’s extensive career and accomplishments.

“She has more empathy than anyone I’ve ever met, and I think that’s one of the reasons her comedy is so different from most comedians,” Fonda said, adding that while many comedians joke at other people’s expense, Tomlin doesn’t.

She continued: “Acting is a profession of empathy [and] Lily Tomlin, I think, carries with her an alien bag of empathy. He has more empathy than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education