Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda have been friends for over 4 decades: Here's a timeline of their friendship (2024)

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1977: Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin met backstage at Tomlin's one-woman show, although Tomlin was a fan of Fonda's long before that.

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin have one of the longest female friendships in Hollywood. It all started when Fonda went backstage at Tomlin's one-woman comedy show, "Appearing Nitely," at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.

In a 2017 interview with The Washington Post, Tomlin said she loved Fonda in the 1971 film "Klute," so meeting her was exciting.

"I've been a fan of hers since before I met her," Tomlin told the Post. "I had a 'Klute' hairdo when she did 'Klute.'"

Fonda, who co-produced "9 to 5," told Stephen Colbert in 2017 that her original idea for the film was a much darker comedy. But after seeing Tomlin's comedy show and hearing Dolly Parton on the radio, she decided to take a more lighthearted approach.

"And what can I say, I was smitten, and I said, 'I don't want to make a movie about secretaries unless she's in it,'" Fonda told Colbert of Tomlin.

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1980: Fonda and Tomlin co-starred in the movie "9 to 5" with Dolly Parton.

Fonda told Colbert it took a year to convince Tomlin and Parton to sign on to the project. And Tomlin added that she tried to get out of the film the first week because she thought she was acting poorly.

By all accounts, it was worth it — "9 to 5" became an instant hit and Tomlin and Fonda forged what ended up being a lifelong friendship.

At a TED talk in 2015 with Fonda, Tomlin said, "We laughed so much; we found we had so much in common. Here [Jane] is, like Hollywood royalty; I'm like a tough kid from Detroit; [Dolly's] a Southern kid from a poor town in Tennessee. And we found that we were so in sync as women."

In her 2017 interview with the Washington Post, Tomlin added, "We've been friends ever since. We're friends because I just love her. I know Jane has my back whenever she can."

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1981: Tomlin released her CBS TV-movie special "Lily: Sold Out," which featured Fonda and Parton.

"Lily: Sold Out" was a TV movie following Tomlin playing herself and taking her one-woman Broadway show on the road to Las Vegas with different skits and characters. Fonda and Parton made cameos in the special, showing the spark was still alive between the "9 to 5" castmates.

It went on to win for outstanding variety, music or comedy series at the 33rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 1981.

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1986: Fonda and Tomlin were spotted together during a screening of the documentary about Tomlin's Broadway play, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe."

Tomlin played 12 different characters in the Broadway play "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" and won a Tony Award for her performance in 1986. A documentary was made about the play the same year and a movie followed in 1991.

"I just could not believe that so many people live inside of this amazing body," Fonda told Ellen DeGeneres in 2019.

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2000: Tomlin and Fonda were all smiles as they appeared side-by-side at the 20th anniversary of "9 to 5."

Tomlin and Fonda gathered with the cast of "9 to 5" to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The movie grossed $3.96 million during its opening weekend in 1980 and produced one of the most iconic soundtracks, Dolly Parton's "9 to 5."

2001: Tomlin cheered for Fonda when the Film Society of the Lincoln Center paid tribute to her.

The two friends have supported each other at special events, award ceremonies, and red carpet appearances over the decades, including Fonda's Lincoln Center Gala.

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2004: Fonda happily accompanied Tomlin to the Valley Community Clinic's Laughter is the Best Medicine Gala, which honored Tomlin.

The charity event honored and celebrated Tomlin, who had her close friends, including Fonda and Reba McEntire, by her side that night.

"I am fascinated by her," Fonda said of Tomlin during a 2019 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show. "She always says something really funny. I cannot believe the funny-bone that she has, and I have loved her since the moment I saw her."

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2014: Fonda and other comedians helped present Tomlin with her Kennedy Center Honors.

Fonda, Reba McEntire, Jane Lynch, and Kate McKinnon all hopped on stage during the 2014 Kennedy Center Honors to tell a few jokes, share some fond memories, and even sing in honor of their friend Lily Tomlin.

Fonda spoke of her longtime friendship with the comedian, saying she couldn't have made "9 to 5" without Tomlin and her "light touch."

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May 2015: Season one of "Grace and Frankie" starring Fonda and Tomlin debuted on Netflix.

"Grace and Frankie," Netflix's longest-running original series, explores the lives of Grace (Fonda) and Frankie (Tomlin) after their husbands fall in love with each other, leaving both of the women single.

To help navigate their new lifestyles, the two women move in with each other and form a special bond that empowers them as the show progresses.

There are seven seasons of the hit show.

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May 2015: The duo gave a hilarious TED Talk about the importance of female friendship.

Along with host Pat Mitchell, Tomlin and Fonda discussed a number of topics including what makes longtime female friendships so important to a happy life, the difference between male and female friendships, feminism, and what they each look for in a good friend.

"I look for someone who has a sense of fun, who's audacious, who's forthcoming, who has politics, who has even a small scrap of passion for the planet, someone who's decent, has a sense of justice, and who thinks I'm worthwhile," Tomlin said, as the audience laughed.

Fonda added, "I don't even know what I would do without my women friends. I mean it's, 'I have my friends, therefore I am.'"

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November 2015: Tomlin helped honor Fonda for her activism at the Vanguard Awards.

In 2015, the LA LGBT Center honored Fonda during its 46th-anniversary Vanguard Awards gala. Of course, it tapped Tomlin to introduce Fonda and speak about her vigilance as an activist for climate change and equal rights.

"Jane's life as an activist has always been a part of work and the choices she makes as an artist," Tomlin said. "She has integrated her commitment to social justice in every aspect of her life and we are all the better for it."

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September 2017: The "9 to 5" cast reunited to present at the 69th Annual Emmy Awards.

In 2017, Fonda, Tomlin, and Parton reunited at the 69th Emmy Awards. Parton said, "Personally, I've been waiting for a '9 to 5' reunion ever since we did the first one."

The country singer also called out the comedy duo's Netflix series, saying, she hoped she got one of the adult toys the pair make and sell on "Grace and Frankie."

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January 2018: Jane Fonda's documentary, "Jane Fonda in Five Parts," premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

"Jane Fonda in Five Acts" is a documentary about Fonda's extraordinary life, from her acting roles to her activism and controversies. The first four acts were titled after important men in her life and the last act was titled "Jane," because the actress wanted to find her own identity and not be defined by others.

Tomlin was featured in the documentary, both interacting with Fonda and separately sharing kind remarks about her.

It premiered at Sundance Film Festival before being released to the public in September 2018.

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January 2018: During their "Grace and Frankie" press tour, the pair displayed their fun-loving and bickering camaraderie.

In January 2018, Fonda and Tomlin were on a press tour to promote the fourth season of "Grace and Frankie." In an interview on the "Today Show," Hoda Kotb asked the pair if female friendships get better with time.

"And far more important, right?" Fonda responded. "I mean it's the center of my life. I don't know what I'd do without [Tomlin] … in real life or off-camera."

Tomlin acknowledged their nearly 50-year friendship before playfully saying to Fonda, "I think it was before your first facelift."

Then in an interview with Andy Cohen, the pair received a fan question inquiring about each other's most annoying habits. They both acted demure and shy before quickly revealing each other's dirty laundry.

"Well, maybe sometimes when she bangs the door on her trailer and then won't allow me in. That sort of irks me," Tomlin quipped.

"Well, she sometimes forgets her lines," Fonda responded before Tomlin denied her claim.

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January 2019: The pair couldn't possibly get any closer when appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel to promote the fifth season of their show, the pair seemed lost and confused when their chairs were separated by a side table.

They both kept looking at the space between them and told Kimmel that they were too far apart. Fonda proceeded to stand up and squish into Tomlin's char, wrapping her arms around her.

"Much better!" Tomlin exclaimed.

The pair went on to say that they're still learning from and growing with each other.

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January 2019: Fonda and Tomlin took on the internet's most-searched questions in "Wired Autocomplete" video.

Wired asked Fonda and Tomlin to answer some of the internet's most-searched questions about themselves and the results were, predictably, hilarious. While Fonda answered most of the questions about herself truthfully, Tomlin quipped back with some creative answers.

When asked what her full name is, for example, Tomlin replied, "Jane Fonda is my real name, I had to change it."

One of the questions asked if Fonda was in a relationship to which Tomlin said, "Yeah, I'm with her. She's my pal!"

The pair continued being playful until signing off using each other's names rather than their own.

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November 2019: Tomlin and Fonda starred in the documentary "Waging Change" about restaurant workers' fight for a fair wage.

Abby Ginzberg's 2019 documentary "Waging Change" explores the female-driven campaign to increase the federal minimum wage from $2.13 an hour.

In addition to other celebrities, Fonda and Tomlin appeared in the documentary to raise awareness about the challenges faced by restaurant workers trying to take care of themselves and their families while on minimum wage.

"We're trying to get one fair wage for restaurant workers cause you know when you raise the minimum wage, it doesn't include tip workers," Fonda said on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" in 2019.

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December 2019: Tomlin was arrested at Fonda's climate rally outside the US Capitol.

In late 2019, Fonda moved to Washington, DC, "to be closer to the epicenter of the fight for our climate," USA Today reported. To raise awareness for the climate crisis, Fonda held a series of "Fire Drill Fridays" protests that called for the end of exploring new fossil fuels.

Tomlin joined Fonda during a protest outside the US Capitol on December 27, 2019, and both were temporarily arrested for civil disobedience.

"Fire Drill Fridays" started in the Fall of 2019 and are still on, as of May 2022.

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January 2020: Fonda and Tomlin guest-hosted "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

A few weeks after getting arrested, the duo guest-hosted an episode of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" during which they joked about Tomlin getting locked up.

"Isn't it great that we're still having firsts?" Fonda asked Tomlin.

"Well, because of you, I got arrested for the first time," Tomlin replied, later adding, "I learned a lot in the slammer."

The pair also joked about going off to do their own things after "Grace and Frankie" wrapped, and asked if they could actually do their separate plans together.

When playing the "Burning Questions" game, they were asked to describe each other in one word, both paused for a long time before laughing.

"Tenacious! Oh, that's not worth it," Tomlin said, adding, "Courageous! Fantastic! Top of the world! Fabulous!"

Fonda opted for: "Brilliant! Funny! Empathic!"

Next, they were asked what lie they last told each other, to which Tomlin slyly responded, "That you were terrific!"

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March 2020: Before the coronavirus pandemic forced Fonda's climate rallies online, she and Tomlin squeezed in one more demonstration in California.

Tomlin helped Fonda bring her "Fire Drill Fridays" from Washington, DC, to Los Angeles, California.

They wore matching red as they appeared outside San Pedro City Hall in LA on March 6, 2020.

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April 22, 2022: Fonda introduced Tomlin before her Hand and Footprint Ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatres in LA.

Tomlin was honored with Turner Classic Movies Film Festival's Hand and Footprint Ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theatre. The actress got heartfelt and funny remarks from her friend Fonda.

"I can't stop crying. I'm very moved to be here. It's a real honor," Fonda said. "Lily's been pushing me around for decades. So, I'm really glad she's gonna put her hands in cement, maybe they'll get stuck. And her feet, too."

Fonda went on to say how she admires Tomlin's empathy and comedic chops before introducing the honoree herself.

"Thank you for tolerating Jane's insults to me," Tomlin said.

She also reminisced about meeting Fonda and said it was an honor to have her prints near Fonda's.

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April 28, 2022: The pair got emotional over the final season of "Grace and Frankie" in an interview on "Good Morning America."

The friends were pretty emotional in their "Good Morning America" interview to promote the seventh and final season of "Grace and Frankie."

Interviewer Chris Connelly told the pair, "The tenderness between the two of you throughout these last two episodes just makes your heart explode."

Both Fonda and Tomlin's eyes watered and they got choked up.

"With the show finishing, I won't have her in the trailer next door to me," Tomlin said. "I'm gonna miss her every day. It's kind of like losing her a little bit."

Fonda felt just as strongly. "I have a physical emptiness when she's not around. I miss her physically," she said, adding, "It's really nice to love somebody who you spend so much time with."

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April 29, 2022: The pair played "Vanity Fair's Game Show" to see how well they knew each other.

Fonda and Tomlin played a game with Vanity Fair to test how well they know each other. Tomlin learned that her activist friend has only been arrested six times, saying, "Then I have something to live for. I could probably catch up to you."

They both knew a lot about each other's childhoods and preferences (specifically about weighted blankets). They even competed over the number of awards they've each won.

"I know so much about her. She knows very little about me. It's because I'm an enigma," Tomlin declared.

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May 2, 2022: Fonda and Tomlin reminisced over their friendship and projects on "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

They also did some press on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," battling over who cried more at the end of their show's season and mocking each other.

Clarkson's "The Voice" co-judge Blake Shelton was brought up and Tomlin revealed that she had a cameo alongside Shelton on Reba McEntire's show "Malibu Country."

Fonda was taken aback and called out Tomlin for never telling her about this.

"Well, I don't tell you everything," Tomlin responded.

Fonda was even more shocked, saying, "Now wait a damn minute, I am really disappointed!"

But Tomlin made it up when she said she's learned so much from their friendship.

"I jumped on her and I just thought I'd live her life, kind of vicariously because she's already done all the research," she said in regards to Fonda's many memoirs.

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May 5, 2022: Fonda revealed new projects the pair have done together in a video for "Glamour."

Fonda went over her iconic roles and activist moments in a "Glamour" video. But she also discussed her current projects with Tomlin awaiting release.

"Since we wrapped the final season of 'Grace and Frankie,' we've done two movies together."

The pair have filmed "Moving On" and "Eighty for Brady."

"Moving On" is comedy about "two friends who reconnect for a funeral and decide to exact revenge on a widower who wronged both of them," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Eighty for Brady" is a road-trip movie based on a real story, which will be produced by and star Tom Brady.

Tomlin discussed the film at her Hand and Footprint Ceremony, sharing that along with herself and Fonda, Sally Fields, 75, and Rita Moreno, 90, join them.

"You know, you feel like we're making a teen movie, like a beach blanket movie. I mean they're so young, and so vibrant, they're so alive and wonderful," she said.

Neither film have release dates as of yet.