Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda have been pals for around 40 years. And as with most enduring friendships, they don’t mind having a chuckle at one another’s expense.
Tomlin popped by “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on Thursday and spent much of the chat gushing about Fonda, her co-star in the 1980 hit film “9 to 5” and on Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie,” currently shooting its sixth season.
Along with Dolly Parton, Fonda and Tomlin have been part of the talk about a planned sequel to “9 to 5.” But, like many things in Hollywood go, it presumably will take a while before the iconic trio can reunite in front of the cameras for such a project.
“They’re writing it at the moment,” Tomlin told DeGeneres of the film, which reportedly aims to reflect women’s issues in the modern workforce. “We hope that we live to see it. We’re very advanced in years. I said to [Fonda] the other day, ‘I wonder which one of us would go first.’”
In 2017, Fonda celebrated her 80th birthday by hosting an “Eight Decades of Jane” fundraiser in Atlanta that raised $1.3 million for the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential foundation. The organization, which Fonda founded in 1995, is focused on teen pregnancy prevention and adolescent health.
Tomlin turns 80 on Sept. 1, and to celebrate, she said Fonda will be on hand to help her raise funds for the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Parton is the youngster among the three ― she turned 73 in January.
Also in Thursday’s interview, DeGeneres challenged Tomlin to a game of “Will-y Lily Know It?” in which the actress was quizzed about her knowledge of youth culture and slang against a millennial.
True to form, Tomlin impressed with her knowledge of pop songstress Billie Eilish and Coachella.