Lily Tomlin Biography

Comedienne, actress, and writer. Born on September 1, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan. Over the years, Lily Tomlin made people laugh with her humorous characters from the child Edith Ann to the snarky operator Ernestine. Some of these wacky characters were showcased on the hit comedy series Laugh-In, which ran from 1969 to 1973. Her work on the series catapulted her to stardom. She went on to appear in dramatic and comedic films, such as Nashville (1975) directed by Robert Altman, the working women’s revenge comedy Nine to Five (1980) with Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda, and All of Me (1984) with Steve Martin.

Since that time, Lily Tomlin has continued to mix the serious and the humorous, appearing on such shows as Frasier, Homicide: Life on the Street, Will & Grace, and The West Wing. She has also lent her voice to several projects, including a guest vocal appearance on The Simpsons and as the character Mommo in 2006’s animated feature film The Ant Bully. She reunited with director Robert Altman for his last film, A Prairie Home Companion (2006), and is slated to appear in several upcoming films, including The Walker with Woody Harrelson.

Along with her success on screen and on television, Lily Tomlin won a Tony Award for her one-woman Broadway show In Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe in 1985. She has gone on tour with this show several times to the delight of audiences everywhere. Tomlin also makes numerous appearances as a comedienne across the country each year.

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