---
name: "Lily Tomlin"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/lily-tomlin"
fi1m_id: "lily-tomlin"
imdb_id: "nm0005499"
tmdb_id: 10437
wikidata_id: "Q229271"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "1 September 1939"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 82
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 9
updated: "2026-10-04T16:26:55.025414+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Lily Tomlin

## Identity

Lily Tomlin

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/lily-tomlin
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** lily-tomlin
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005499
- **TMDB ID:** 10437
- **Wikidata ID:** Q229271
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Tomlin, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q229271, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005499/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10437

Actor. Born 1 September 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 1 September 1939, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- **Active:** 1975–2018
- **Also known as:** Mary Jean Tomlin, Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 10: 9 acting, 1 other
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 2 Emmys (2 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 82, as actor, over 9 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 89 (1), 1980s 75 (2), 1990s 85 (3), 2000s 78 (2), 2010s 87 (1), 2020s 58 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 84 to 79 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 4 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Comedy 6, Drama 4, Crime 2, Mystery 2, Action 1, Adventure 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $514m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lily_Tomlin, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q229271, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005499/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10437

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse.md) (87)
- **Tubi:** [*Murphy Brown*](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md) (77)
- **Disney+:** [*Nine to Five*](https://film.one/film/nine-to-five.md) (73)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Lily Tomlin

> Lily Tomlin can make a blunt comic line carry the fatigue of someone who has had a difficult day. We value her most in ensembles, where her attention to ordinary effort keeps the characters worth caring about.

In *Short Cuts* (1993), Lily Tomlin makes Doreen Piggot sound tired without softening her bluntness. The jokes do not make the day seem any less hard to get through. We were moved by how much fatigue she lets us hear beneath the humour, without making a separate appeal for sympathy. This is Tomlin at her most persuasive: attentive to the person doing the talking, with something worth noticing even when the line is not there to get a laugh.

Television gave that attention to character an early outlet in *Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In* (1969–1973), with Ernestine the telephone operator among her creations. Her film debut as Linnea Reese in Robert Altman's *Nashville* (1975) put her inside an ensemble. *9 to 5* (1980) followed, with Tomlin as Violet Newstead alongside Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton. The solo stage work mattered too: *The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe* (1985), written with Jane Wagner, gave her multiple characters to play. On stage, vocal and physical detail distinguish her characters with little help from props or make-up.

In *Short Cuts*, her delivery sits alongside the rasping irritability of Tom Waits's Earl Piggot, whose comic moments remain uncomfortable. Their different rhythms help keep the characters distinct when so many people are competing for our attention. The film sometimes judges its characters too harshly, and fine acting cannot entirely put that right. Tomlin is nevertheless a substantial reason to stay with it: the weariness in her performance gives us more to consider than the immediate joke, and helps make the long running time worthwhile.

Her voice work includes Aunt May in *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* (2018). We recommend the film warmly for its humour, feeling and interest in how comic books look. The busiest action sometimes crowds out the people we want to follow, a particular frustration when an actor's small distinctions are what interest us. For a fuller sense of Tomlin's acting, start with *Short Cuts*, provided an evening with difficult people appeals.

## Biography

Lily Tomlin is an American actress and comedian. Born Mary Jean Tomlin on 1 September 1939 in Detroit, Michigan, she began performing stand-up comedy in the 1960s and gained prominence as a cast member on the television variety series Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1969 to 1973.

She made her film debut in Robert Altman's Nashville (1975), for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Tomlin later appeared in films including 9 to 5 (1980), All of Me (1984) and Short Cuts (1993), in which she played Doreen Piggot. On stage she performed the one-woman show The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (1985), written by her partner Jane Wagner, earning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She has received multiple Emmy Awards and a Grammy Award.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (10)

### Performed in (9) — the average rests on these

- *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* (2018), Fi1m 87, as Aunt May (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse.md)
- *Eastbound & Down* (2009), Fi1m 78, as Tammy Powers — [page](https://film.one/tv/eastbound-and-down.md)
- *Damages* (2007), Fi1m 78, as Marilyn Tobin — [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *Frasier* (1993), Fi1m 88, as Rita (voice) — [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *Short Cuts* (1993), Fi1m 84, as Doreen Piggot — [page](https://film.one/film/short-cuts.md)
- *The X-Files* (1993), Fi1m 84, as Lydia — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), Fi1m 77, as Kay Carter-Shepley — [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)
- *Nine to Five* (1980), Fi1m 73, as Violet Newstead — [page](https://film.one/film/nine-to-five.md)
- *Nashville* (1975), Fi1m 89, as Linnea Reese — [page](https://film.one/film/nashville.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *Lorne* (2026), Fi1m 58, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/lorne.md)

## Complete filmography (75)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Dolly Parton: An American Original – Special Edition of 20/20* (2026), as Violet Newstead (archive footage)
- *Moving On* (2023), as Evelyn
- *80 for Brady* (2023), as Lou
- *Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration* (2022), Actor
- *Emily @ the Edge of Chaos* (2021), as Ayn Rand (voice)
- *Radium Girls* (2020), Executive Producer
- *I Am Richard Pryor* (2019), Thanks
- *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* (2018), as Aunt May (voice) — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse.md)
- *Grandma* (2015), as Elle
- *Grace and Frankie* (2015), series, as Frankie Bergstein · Executive Producer
- *An Apology to Elephants* (2013), as Narrator (voice) · Executive Producer
- *Admission* (2013), as Susannah
- *Inequality for All* (2013), as Violet Newstead (archive footage)
- *Malibu Country* (2012), series, as Lillie Mae MacKenzie
- *Stars in Shorts* (2012), as Jason's Mom
- *The Procession* (2012), as Jason's mom
- *Web Therapy* (2011), series, as Putsy Hodge
- *Eastbound & Down* (2009), series, as Tammy Powers — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/eastbound-and-down.md)
- *The Pink Panther 2* (2009), as Mrs. Berenger
- *Web Therapy* (2008), series, as Putsy Hodge
- *Damages* (2007), series, as Marilyn Tobin — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/damages.md)
- *The Walker* (2007), as Abigail Delorean
- *The Ant Bully* (2006), as Mommo (voice)
- *A Prairie Home Companion* (2006), as Rhonda Johnson
- *Desperate Housewives* (2004), series, as Roberta Simmons — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/desperate-housewives.md)
- *I ♥ Huckabees* (2004), as Vivian Jaffe
- *NCIS* (2003), series, as Penelope Langston — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)
- *Orange County* (2002), as Charlotte Cobb
- *Bette* (2000), series, Actor
- *The Kid* (2000), as Janet
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, as Deborah Fiderer — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Tea with Mussolini* (1999), as Georgina "Georgie" Rockwell
- *Will & Grace* (1998), series, as Margot
- *Krippendorf's Tribe* (1998), as Ruth Allen
- *Edith Ann's Christmas (Just Say Noël)* (1996), as Edith Ann (voice) · Executive Producer
- *E! True Hollywood Story* (1996), series, Actor
- *Getting Away with Murder* (1996), as Inga Mueller
- *Flirting with Disaster* (1996), as Mary Schlichting
- *The Celluloid Closet* (1996), as Narrator (voice) · Co-Executive Producer
- *Kids for Character* (1996), as Ms. Valerie Frizzle(archive footage) (voice)
- *Blue in the Face* (1995), as Waffle eater
- *The Magic School Bus* (1994), series, as Ms. Frizzle (voice)
- *Edith Ann: Homeless Go Home* (1994), as Edith Ann (voice)
- *Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!* (1994), as Ernestine (archive footage)
- *Edith Ann: A Few Pieces of the Puzzle* (1994), as Edith Ann (voice) · Executive Producer
- *Sesame Street Stays Up Late!* (1993), as Ernestine the Telephone Operator(uncredited)
- *The Beverly Hillbillies* (1993), as Miss Jane Hathaway
- *Short Cuts* (1993), as Doreen Piggot — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/short-cuts.md)
- *Frasier* (1993), series, as Rita (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *And the Band Played On* (1993), as Dr. Selma Dritz
- *The X-Files* (1993), series, as Lydia — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *Homicide: Life on the Street* (1993), series, as Rose Halligan — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/tv/homicide-life-on-the-street.md)
- *The Player* (1992), as Lily Tomlin — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-player.md)
- *Shadows and Fog* (1991), as Prostitute
- *The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe* (1991), as Trudy the Bag Lady / Agnus Angst / Kate / Brandy / Tina / Chrissy / Lud / Marie / Vince / Edie / Lynn / Marge
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Tammy (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *Murphy Brown* (1988), series, as Kay Carter-Shepley — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/tv/murphy-brown.md)
- *Big Business* (1988), as Rose Ratliff / Rose Shelton
- *Waiting Tables* (1986), Actor
- *All of Me* (1984), as Edwina Cutwater
- *Lily for President?* (1982), as Lily Tomlin / Various
- *Lily: Sold Out* (1981), Executive Producer
- *The Incredible Shrinking Woman* (1981), as Pat Kramer / Judith Beasley / Telephone Operator
- *Nine to Five* (1980), as Violet Newstead — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/nine-to-five.md)
- *Moment by Moment* (1978), as Trisha Rawlings
- *The Paul Simon Special* (1977), Writer
- *The Late Show* (1977), as Margo
- *TVTV Looks at the Oscars* (1976), as Judy Beasley/Self
- *Nashville* (1975), as Linnea Reese — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/nashville.md)
- *Juke and Opal* (1973), as Opal
- *Lily* (1973), Writer
- *Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers* (1972), as Telephone Voice (voice) (uncredited)
- *The Electric Company* (1971), series, as Ernestine the Operator
- *The Music Scene* (1969), series, Actor
- *Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In* (1968), series, as Regular Performer

## Gallery

- ![Lily Tomlin](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-33fa44b2275b.jpg) Lily Tomlin — U.S. Department of State, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Lily_Tomlin_in_2014.jpg/1280px-Lily_Tomlin_in_2014.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Publicity photo of Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin and Richard Pryor from Tomlin's 1973 CBS Television special, Lily.](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-97d09fb48494.jpg) Publicity photo of Alan Alda, Lily Tomlin and Richard Pryor from Tomlin's 1973 CBS Television special, Lily. — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Alan_Alda_Lily_Tomlin_Richard_Pryor_1973.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin & Jane Fonda at Wash D.C. Kennedy center 2000 (2019)](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-31f83af12d22.jpg) Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin & Jane Fonda at Wash D.C. Kennedy center 2000 (2019) — John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel  Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Dolly_Parton_Lily_Tomlin_Jane_Fonda_%2848591893841%29.jpg/1280px-Dolly_Parton_Lily_Tomlin_Jane_Fonda_%2848591893841%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kathy Griffin, Lily Tomlin, Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-2687579a6210.jpg) Kathy Griffin, Lily Tomlin, Jane Lynch, Matthew Morrison (2010) — Greg Hernandez from California, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Kathy_Griffin%2C_Lily_Tomlin%2C_Jane_Lynch%2C_Matthew_Morrison_%285175952324%29.jpg/1280px-Kathy_Griffin%2C_Lily_Tomlin%2C_Jane_Lynch%2C_Matthew_Morrison_%285175952324%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Lily Tomlin](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-1a55a77e620a.jpg) Lily Tomlin — Image via TMDB
- ![Lily Tomlin](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-38e18da93c49.jpg) Lily Tomlin — Image via TMDB
- ![Lily Tomlin](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-0cde7ec1bc72.jpg) Lily Tomlin — Image via TMDB
- ![Kathy Griffin, Lily Tomlin (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-92eb043fbbaf.jpg) Kathy Griffin, Lily Tomlin (2010) — Greg Hernandez from California, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Kathy_Griffin%2C_Lily_Tomlin_%285175341771%29.jpg/1280px-Kathy_Griffin%2C_Lily_Tomlin_%285175341771%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Kathy Griffin, Lily Tomlin (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-f95c90c4d3d9.jpg) Kathy Griffin, Lily Tomlin (2010) — Greg Hernandez from California, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Kathy_Griffin%2C_Lily_Tomlin_%285175341771%29_%28cropped1%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Lily Tomlin](https://film.one/media/person/82427/gallery-4aa739ba4f58.jpg) Lily Tomlin — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1976: Best Supporting Actress (nominated), for *Nashville*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 2 won

- 2013: Outstanding Voice-Over Performance (won), for *An Apology to Elephants*
- 1981: Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series (won)

### SAG Awards — 1 won

- 2017: Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award (won)

### Berlin International Film Festival — 1 won

- 1977: Best Actress (won)

### Other awards — 8 won

- Kennedy Center Honors 2014: Kennedy Center Honors (won)
- Lucy Award 2003: Lucy Award (won)
- Mark Twain Prize for American Humor 2003: Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (won)
- Michigan Women's Hall of Fame 1998: Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (won)
- Crystal Award 1992: Crystal Award (won)
- Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play 1986: Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (won), for *The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe*
- Special Tony Award 1977: Special Tony Award (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album 1972: Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (won), for *This Is a Recording*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/lily-tomlin