Jane Fonda Explains Why She Loves Working With Lily Tomlin
One of the most pure friendships in the industry is that of legendary actors Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. Their chemistry made waves when they took on the roles of a pair of unlikely best friends in Netflix's hit sitcom "Grace and Frankie," which ran for seven seasons — but the pair have been pals for many years now. So, why do they love working together so much?
Fonda told The Hollywood Reporter in a January 2023 profile that Tomlin's sense of humor is one of the things she loves most about her longtime collaborator. "She's got this funny bone that's just innate, and I'm in awe of it because it's the opposite of me," she told the outlet. "I come from a long line of depressives." Meanwhile, Tomlin is attracted to Fonda's view of the world itself. "She's just sort of dear and like a young girl with such ideas and ambitions, for the planet, for life," Tomlin told The Hollywood Reporter as part of the feature. "And that always made me smile."
The dynamic duo are one half of a foursome in their upcoming comedy "80 for Brady," and they star alongside industry legends Sally Field and Rita Moreno (and, of course, Tom Brady).
The friendship of Fonda and Tomlin
The pair first met backstage at Tomlin's one-woman show in 1977, and they have since made their friendship into a worldwide source of serotonin as well as a partnership they can bank on, literally. It all started in 1980, when the pair joined forces in the hit comedy "9 to 5" alongside the legendary Dolly Parton, but had since culminated in their beloved turn on "Grace and Frankie."
Both Fonda and Tomlin had a penchant for tackling female friendship stories throughout their career, but it means a lot to see them continue to pursue these stories in their older age. "There's not a lot of representation for older female friends that felt authentic to Jane's experience," explained "80 for Brady" director Kyle Marvin in the THR profile. "It's something she clearly thinks about and values. What we talked about was the idea of exploring female friendship of that age in a nuanced way."
There's no one better equipped than Fonda and Tomlin to explore older female friendships in a way that welcomes nuance and accepts that these connections, while exciting and life-affirming, can also be complicated and full of grey areas. Things don't necessarily get easier as we age, but our priorities do shift, and the pair's work on "Grace and Frankie" is a prime example of how to portray that ideological change in a way that feels grounded and full of truthful exploration (especially the kind that makes you laugh). It will be great to see how Fonda and Tomlin reprise that thoughtful chemistry in "80 for Brady."
"80 for Brady" will premiere in theaters in the United States on February 3, 2023.