Happy 79th Birthday Lily Tomlin – Thanks for All the Laughs!
If you have been watching the new Netflix series, “Grace and Frankie,” you have probably fallen in love with Lily Tomlin all over again. In the series, she plays Frankie, a funny, quirky, hippie character that appears alongside the elegant and conventional Grace, played by Jane Fonda.
In real life, Lily is funny, smart and authentic in everything that she does. I just love her! She has been woven into the lives of so many women in our community – and today is her 79th birthday! To celebrate, I want to take a very quick look at her life and then let’s all wish her a very happy birthday in the comments section at the end of this article.
Lily Tomlin was born Mary Jean Tomlin, on September 1, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan. I can vividly remember watching her play the adorably outrageous child Edith Ann, sitting in that big chair.
Some of her roles were iconic to our generation. Like the women she played, Lily is complex, kind and wildly bohemian. What is your favorite role that she played?
In addition to her on-screen work, Lily won a Tony Award for her one-woman Broadway show. Who can forget her roles in movies like “Nashville” and “Nine to Five?” You can take a trip down memory lane and check out some of her classic roles here.
Lily has always challenged social conventions and stereotypes. That’s nothing new. Lots of celebrities do exactly the same. What makes Lily special is her ability to use humor to challenge the status quo.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Lily at a recent TED Women event that I attended in California. I told her about the Sixty and Me community and thanked her for her work. The timing was perfect since she and Jane Fonda had just given a presentation about the power and importance of having authentic girlfriends in your life as you get older.
Today Lily celebrates her 79th birthday. Let’s give her a shout out and wish her an amazing day! Thank you Lily for being your beautiful, funny and eccentric self.
Happy Birthday Lily Tomlin! Are you a Lily Tomlin fan? What is your favorite role that she has played? What one question would you ask Lily if you had the chance? Please join the conversation.
