Lily Tomlin
In the same way people wish Betty White was their grandma, we wish Lily Tomlin was our aunt. An endlessly quotable observationalist, Tomlin has been a staple in American comedy since her first appearance as Ernestine the telephone operator on Rowan and Martin´s Laugh-In in 1969. Four Emmys and two Tonys later, she´s succeeded in every outlet from stand-up to movies, a media powerhouse-due to her unwavering commitment to personal and artistic integrity. In 1975, Time offered her the cover if she´d come out. Offended that it was treated as a bargaining chip, Tomlin declined. Two years later, they gave her the cover anyway. On New Year´s Eve, Tomlin married Jane Wagner, her partner of over four decades. Describing her interest in how journalists and publications have handled the issue over the years, she says, ″Everybody in the industry was certainly aware of my sexuality. In interviews, I always reference Jane and talk about Jane, but they don´t always write about it.″ She and Jane still collaborate creatively, too, and we´re so glad. Last year they worked on An Apology to Elephants, an HBO doc exploring the abusive treatment of elephants by zoos and circuses. Jane wrote it, Lily narrated it, and we recommend it! -QW
What Do You Think?