Lily Tomlin made her screen debut in the American variety series ‘The Garry Moore Show’ in 1966. It was the third and final version of the series and remained on-air until 1967. In 1969, she became a part of the American sketch comedy television program ‘Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In’ created by George Schlatter. The series ran for 6 seasons and aired its final episode in 1973. Tomlin also received the ‘Primetime Emmy Award’ and ‘Golden Globe Award’ nominations for her performance in the show. In 1972, she made her silver screen debut in the comedy-drama film ‘Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers’ directed by Robert J. Kaplan. The film holds a 7.3 out of 10 rating on IMDb. She next starred as ‘Linnea Reese’ in the 1975 American satirical musical ensemble comedy-drama film ‘Nashville’ directed by Robert Altman. The film opened to universal acclaim and received 5 ‘Academy Award’ nominations, including ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for Tomlin. Nashville is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. She went on to star in films such as ‘The Late Show’ (1977), ‘Moment by Moment’ (1978), ‘9 to 5’ (1980), ‘The Incredible Shrinking Woman’ (1981), ‘All of Me’ (1984), ‘Big Business’ (1988), ‘Shadows and Fog’ (1992), ‘The Player’ (1992), and ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ (1993).
In 1993, she played the role of ‘Doreen Piggot’ in the Robert Altman-directed American comedy-drama film ‘Short Cuts.’ The film opened to a positive reception and currently has a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Tomlin also bagged the ‘American Comedy Award’ for her portrayal of Doreen Piggot in the film. She next starred in films like ‘Blue in the Face’ (1995), ‘The Celluloid Closet’ (1995), ‘Flirting with Disaster’ (1996), ‘Krippendorf's Tribe’ (1998), ‘Tea with Mussolini’ (1999), ‘The Kid’ (2000), ‘Orange County’ (2002), ‘I Heart Huckabees’ (2004), ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ (2006), ‘The Ant Bully’ (2006), ‘The Walker’ (2007), ‘The Pink Panther 2’ (2009), ‘Stars in Shorts’ (2012), ‘Admission’ (2013), ‘Grandma’ (2015), and ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018). Tomlin was last seen in the 2022 American comedy film ‘Moving On’ directed by Paul Weitz. The film had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Shortcuts is a comedy-drama film, which revolves around the day-to-day lives of several suburban Los Angeles residents, whose lives are loosely connected.
Nashville is a musical comedy drama film which tells the story of a few interrelated people who prepare for a political convention.
The Player is an American satirical black comedy film, which tells the story of Hollywood film producer Griffin Mill, who starts receiving threats anonymously. However, he is certain that David, a scriptwriter is behind it. He invites the latter to sort things out, but things take an ugly turn, and he ends up murdering him.
The Muppets, a group of puppet characters, spoof several classic movies, such as ‘The Wizard of Oz’, and ‘Casablanca’. They also promote an upcoming film of their own ‘The Great Muppet Caper’.
Judy, Violet, and Doralee are fed-up with their egotistical, hypocritical, sexist, bigot boss, Franklin Hart, and his humiliating, condescending behavior, so they decide to get back at him. After kidnapping and tying him up in his own house, they take over the office, making administrative changes that boost productivity. When they discover Hart’s embezzlement, they start digging out evidence.
Tea with Mussolini is a comedy drama war film which tells the story of a young boy named Luca, who is raised by a group of cultured English women, after his mother dies all of a sudden. However, when the Second World War breaks out, it turns their lives upside down.
A Prairie Home Companion is a musical comedy drama film which shows us fictional behind-the-scene activities of the final broadcast of America’s most celebrated radio show.
Mel Colpin was adopted as a child, and when he becomes a father, he feels that he cannot name his son until he knows who his real parents are. Accompanied by his wife and an adoption agent, he departs on a road trip to find out the identity of his real parents.
Kleinman is a timid bookkeeper, who wanders around town and tries his best in finding a dangerous serial killer who is on the loose.
Sage is an eighteen year old girl, who visits her misanthropic grandmother Elle and tells her that she is pregnant and needs money for an abortion. Since Elle is broke herself, the two embark on a road trip across Los Angeles to try and come up with the money.
Albert Markovski heads the local chapter of an environmental group trying to stop the building of a new Huckabees store. Soon, local Huckabees executive and Albert’s rival, Brad Stand, infiltrates the group and replaces him. After strange coincidences start happening Albert hires existential detectives, Bernard and Vivian Jaffe and things get hilariously complicated.
Edwina Cutwater is a millionaire on her deathbed, who wants to have her soul transferred to a younger woman. However, things don’t go as planned, and she finds herself in her lawyer’s body. Now they must work together to find a way to get her soul out of his body.
Blue in the Face is a comedy film which tells the story of a group of locals who gather at the neighborhood cigar shop in Brooklyn.
Big Business is a comedy film which revolves around two sets of identical twin sisters, who discover that they share an incredible connection.
After his application is rejected at Stanford University, Shaun finds out that his academic transcript got mixed up with that of another student. Due to his determination to get accepted at the university, Shaun decides to use any means necessary.
He is an image consultant, successful, but coarse and therefore disliked and unhappy. One day he comes home to find a toy plane on his porch and a strange boy inside his house. Although he chases him out he finds the boy sitting on his couch when he comes home the next day. Very soon, he begins to see a resemblance between them.
Carter Page III is an escort for the wives of several powerful men in Washington DC. When a secret lover of Lynn, one of his women friends is murdered, he agrees to report the crime himself to shield her from the scandal. However, his life takes a turn when he becomes a suspect himself.
Portia Nathans, an admission officer, meets a high school student who is just about to enter college. She decides to give him a tour across the university, unaware that he might be the boy that she gave up for adoption several years ago.
As the notorious globe-trotting burglar, ‘The Tornadoट, resurfaces after a decade and in a series of thefts around the world, steals various invaluable historical artifacts including the precious Pink Panther diamond, Inspector Jacques Clouseau joins a team of esteemed international detectives to solve the case. Now, it is up to the lauded inspector Clouseau to prove his talent by apprehending the elusive burglar.
This comedy film tells the story of a farming family that becomes rich after finding oil, and they make their way to Beverley Hills.
This comedy film revolves around a university professor who is assigned to find the last undiscovered tribe of New Guinea. Despite his failure to find the tribe, he refuses to admit it, and gives a lecture about the Shelmikedmu tribe, which is named after his children Shelly, Mike and Edmund. He also decides to dress up his family like the fictitious tribe to videotape them as ‘proof’ of his discovery.
Wealthy middle-aged Trisha Rawlings begins a tumultuous relationship with a much younger suave drifter Vick ‘Strip’ Harrison, after being separated from her philandering husband. Unfortunately, age and class difference and Trisha’s misgivings threaten to break up the relationship.
The Celluloid Closet is a documentary film which highlights the historical context that LGBT people have occupied in the history of cinema in North America.
Set in Spider-Verse, a group of multiple universes, the story focuses on Miles Morales, a New York teen. Bitten by a radioactive spider, he now gains spider-like abilities similar to Spider-Man. Shortly after that he discovers a "Super-Collider" built by supervillain Kingpin and must now join with other Spider men and women from other dimensions to save his city.
Five-year-old Sōsuke rescues a goldfish princess trapped into a bottle and names her Ponyo. As they develop a bond, she is brought back under the ocean by her father, powerful wizard Fujimoto, who imprisons her after learning that she wants to become human. She frees herself and becomes human using Fujimoto's potent magic, upsetting the balance of the world.
The Ant Bully is an animated adventure comedy film, which tells the story of Lucas who is being bullied a boy bigger than him. Lucas takes out his frustration on an innocent colony of ants, flooding it with his water gun. Things take a turn when he is magically shrunken down to the size of an insect.
Lily Tomlin Awards
Winner | Short Cuts (1993) | 1994 |
An Apology to Elephants | Outstanding Voice-Over Performance | 2013 |
Lily: Sold Out | Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program | 1981 |
The Paul Simon Special | Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special | 1978 |
The Lily Tomlin Special | Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special | 1976 |
Lily | Best Writing in Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music | 1974 |
Lily | Outstanding Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music Special | 1974 |
Winner | Best Comedy Recording | 1972 |