The logo on the door is the same color and font as Wayne's World (1992), in which he played Benjamin Oliver. Although she attended a Southern Baptist church as a child, she later grew to become irreligious. 'I said, 'Wow. If a lowly TV critic like me knows you should always check to make sure a collar is working solo before holstering your weapon, wouldnt a veteran Secret Service agent have known that? But the show's end . Also in 2003, she was recognized again by Women in Film with the Lucy Award in recognition of her excellence and innovation in her creative works that have enhanced the perception of women through the medium of television. Tomlin, 63, has approached other series she admired, gaining guest roles on "Homicide: Life on the Street" and a memorable "The X-Files" episode in which she and Ed Asner were paired as mischievous married ghosts. She starts to relate the time she talked about notoriously secretive Woody Allen during production of his "Shadows and Fog" (1992), then stops. I've seen these women all my life, I know how they walk, I know how they talk "[11], In 2013, Tomlin and Wagner worked together on the film An Apology to Elephants, which Wagner wrote and Tomlin narrated.[39]. September 1, 2022, 5:30 AM. The Consumer Advocate Lady is something of a variation of Mrs. Beasley. ; Happily Married: The Presidency can really strain a marriage, but he and Abby very much love each each other and always land on their feet. Elisabeth Moss (Zoey Bartlet) & Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman) also worked together on The Handmaid's Tale (2017) as June Osborne & Joseph Lawrence respectively. Annabeth Schott's (Kristin Chenoweth's) resum says that she was a valedictorian at Barwood High School, got a B.A. In 1969 Lily joined Laugh-In and became an instant success on the already established program, in which in addition to appearing in general sketches and delivering comic gags, she began appearing as the regular well-known characters she created. Tomlin said in 2006: I certainly never called a press conference or anything like that. Friends: The Progressively Harder Who Said It Quiz? It garnered rave reviews, and earned Tomlin a Golden Globe Award nomination.[25][26]. Deborah Fiderer She was married to a Mr. DiLaguardia, but divorced him. Moloney did the whole season as a regular cast member, and Parker only did seven episodes as a Guest Star. "I liked the show immensely. Well, let me back you up a second. Still, I was hoping the May 22 finale, Posse Comitatus, might redeem the season. It was replaced by one performed by a full orchestra starting with episode five. Tomlin is reluctant to reveal any unaired plot points, worried about offending "West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin. One of these characters generally breaks off and the remaining character is then joined by another character, who initiates another conversation as they continue walking. She also guest starred on The X-Files in 1998, in episode 6 ("How The Ghosts Stole Christmas") of season 6 as a ghost haunting an old mansion. Sorkin also said that this was true of almost all of the The West Wing scripts written up to that point (mid-2001), that he was the true and only writer of nearly all West Wing episodes, and the rest of the writing staff only helped him with research and "kicking ideas around" - so he gave "them each a Story by credit on a rotating basis, by way of a gratuity." the likes of Desperate Housewives and Damages following The West Wings "Are the other kids going to like you? Therefore regardless of what time of year the show takes place, the highs and lows for Omaha are 67/44 degrees. It's been more than a year since beloved White House secretary Dolores Landingham was laid to rest on "The West Wing.". After Simon informed her that the assailant was in custody, C.J. She helped counsel him for a time, though he still ended up acting largely as he normally would. The drive-up "West Wing" entrance most often filmed for the show is actually a set used to cover a large door to one of the two sound stages used by the production company. A lot of her story involved her relationship with Charlie Kelly, but her most impactful arc was when she was kidnapped in season four. Mrs Landinghams Schiff ended up being unhappy with his work on the show, specially disliking Toby's storyline as the leak in the last season. Before every scene, he would take off his real wedding ring, bless it and put it in a drawer. Other former White House staffers, such as Peggy Noonan and Gene Sperling, served as consultants for brief periods. Lily Tomlin is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer who has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, six Primetime Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and nominations for an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards and seven Golden Globe Awards.She is one of the few performers to have been nominated for the four . Twenty years ago, she starred in a special in which she was running for president. She would also go on to play the mother of figure skater Tonya Harding in 2017's 'I, Tonya'. Tomlin provided a voice for the film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, which was released in August 2009. My publicist called me and said, "Time will give you the cover if you'll come out." In season four, episode six, Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) visits a Mattress World. He was the fifth person to serve in that role under President Bartlett. Channing won, having done ten episodes, but was now part of the opening sequence. Rob Lowe was engaged to Melissa Gilbert in the 1980s, they broke up in 1987. It runs deep.' [20] She earned a Grammy award that year for Best Comedy Recording. Tomlin then walked across the stage, stating, "I have to leave." In contrast to the silence Everett's comment received, Lily Tomlin earned applause from the audience as she walked out, straightening her suit as she went. She is the sister of Mary McCormack. What did you think of the third season of The West Wing? "`But I've always done that.". Readers of TV Guide voted the cast of The West Wing their Best Drama cast of all time, receiving 37% of the votes, beating Lost, which received 23%. Aaron Sorkin liked it so much that he wrote it into the next episode of the show ("Six Meetings Before Lunch") as a ritual of C.J.'s. "I was going to revamp the entire White House, redress the Supreme Court, have a live video feed in the office so the American public can reach me any time they wanted. : Tomlin then starred in the 1981 science fiction comedy, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, playing three roles (a fourth, a reprise of her Edith Ann character was cut from the theatrical print, but footage of this character was included in some later TV showings.) The name discrepancy is explained when she corrects Charlie (who has warmly greeted her as Mrs. DiLaguardia) by pointing out that she is no longer married to Mr. DiLaguardia, and she's plain old Ms. Fiderer now. ", "West Wing" isn't the first of her favorite shows on which she's landed a part. Bradley Prom is a writer and a University of Minnesota alum living in Los Angeles with a deep love for the movies, television shows, games, books, and stories that have inspired and provoked him throughout his life. Like Sam, Ainsley too returned briefly in the final season, this time taking up the position of White House Counsel for the Santos administration. During the sixth season, NiCole Robinson (Margaret) became pregnant. Channing did three episodes as a Special Guest Star. Tomlin voiced Ms. Valerie Frizzle on the animated television series The Magic School Bus from 1994 to 1997. For the sixth season, Alan Alda was nominated for Supporting Actor having done six episodes as a Special Guest Star. At 77 years of age, Lily Tomlin looks a lot younger than her actual age which is a confirmation of the Lily Tomlin plastic surgery speculations. She published Edith Ann's "autobiography" My Life (1995), co-written with Jane Wagner. His introduction was quite fun as Josh sussed out that he is a Republican applying to work for a Democratic president. Since these things were never addressed on the show itself, they were the subject of rampant fan speculation, and when Robinson was interviewed by TV Guide after the show's finale, she said that her two best guesses for the baby's father were either Bruno Gianelli (Ron Silver) or "the UPS guy.". Have we done the first one yet? : It's easy to lose track of what goes on in the White House. James Brolin stated in a recent interview (2015) that he originally signed on to do five episodes, but for reasons never explained to him, his ended up being just two. On the bright side, it did mark the end of the series most embarrassing subplot ever: the painfully coy flirtation between Presidential press secretary C.J. One of the few widely panned projects of Tomlin's career was 1978's Moment by Moment, directed and written by Wagner, which teamed Tomlin in a cross-generational older woman/younger man romance with John Travolta. ""It was shocking to me,' Hill [recalled]. The election plot in the final season was the main focus so he did not feature in any White House segments. John Mitchell was sentenced to prison for his role in Watergate in 1977; a year before, Martha Mitchell died of cancer at the age of 57. Liz Smith, the late famous gossip columnist said . Yet that was only one of the episodes many weak spots. Aaron Sorkin told Entertainment Weekly that the first actor he and the producers wanted to play President Bartlet was Sidney Poitier. Despite his outspoken and brash nature, he is still very respected as a legal mind, and compared to his colleagues in the Bartlett administration, he is far more progressive in favor of affirmative action and public education. [13] A year later, she became a cast member on the short-lived third and final incarnation of The Garry Moore Show. Lily Tomlin was born Mary Jean Tomlin on September 1, 1939, in Detroit, Michigan, USA, to Guy Tomlin and Lillie Mae Tomlin. From the long list of amazing television series in the 21st century., The West Wing is widely considered near the top of that list for its clever dialogue and emotionally resonant stories. The Secretary of Agriculture, played by Harry Groener, is named Roger Tribbey, and the White House Counsel, played by John Larroquette, is named Lionel Tribbey. Lily Tomlin. This helped the crew while filming, as the sixth season of the show is dedicated to Middle Eastern relations. In season three, Mark Harmon has a four-episode story arc as a Secret Service agent. But don't try telling her that. Disparities in cast salaries led to very public contract disputes, particularly by Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer, and Bradley Whitford. Column inches refer to the vertical length of a column of text in a newspaper. 10 TV Shows That Actually Stuck The Landing, Friends: The Progressively Harder Match The Scene To The Season Quiz, 10 TV Character Deaths Fans Still Aren't Over. Born on 1st of September, 1939, Lily Tomlin is a multi-talented American actress, singer, writer, comedian and producer. Likewise, according to an article in The Guardian (November 6, 2008), the character of Josh Lyman was modeled after Representative Rahm Emanuel; on the show, Lyman became President Santos' Chief of Staff, while Obama's first staffing announcement after his 2008 election was to name Emanuel as his Chief of Staff. Historic SIUE season ends with quarterfinals loss to UT Martin. The West Wing has received praise from critics, political science professors, and former White House staffers and has been the subject of critical analysis. Tomlin says she's been trying to get a role on "The West Wing," which airs at 9 p.m. Wednesdays on NBC, for some time. On the set of the series one day, Allison Janney was entertaining the cast and crew by lip-syncing to an obscure spoken jazz piece called "The Jackal" by Ronny Jordan. The others nominated were Martin Sheen (for Lead Actor), Richard Schiff, Dul Hill and Bradley Whitford (for Supporting Actor), and Janel Moloney and Mary-Louise Parker (for Supporting Actress). She was also barely referenced following her departure, which wasn't explained. Therefore, after digging up that secret, maybe he determined working there might not be the best fit, and thus he was gone quickly and never heard from again. Following the lives of President Josiah Bartlet and his . Currently, shes part of the casts for Avenue 5 on HBO, and Dead to Me and Inside Job, both on Netflix. This was the first American drama series to react to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. That would be enough," a reference to President Bartlet telling his daughter Ellie, "The only thing you ever had to do to make me happy was come home at the end of the day." Their work together Tomlin, the legendary actress and sketch comedian, and Wagn Some of the exterior shots of the West Wing office were filmed on-location at the South Portico of the Headquarters of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution on 1776 D Street NW in Washington, D.C. She was around in the background for several episodes, but never got major focus. Smart, gutsy and eccentric, Fiderer promises to keep Bartlet on his toes. What happened to Josh's sister? All rights reserved. All rights reserved. Tomlin also played chain-smoking waitress Doreen Piggott in Altman's 1993 ensemble film Short Cuts, based on stories by Raymond Carver. Both the regular characters played by Rene Estevez and Anna Deavere Smith are named "Nancy". took the opportunity to plant one on him, now that their professional relationship no longer precluded it. | From 1969 until 1973, she was a regular on the television program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. In 2010, for the 20th anniversary of Entertainment Weekly Magazine, EW reunited Martin Sheen (President Josiah Bartlet), Allison Janney (C.J. Like Mandy, she only appeared in season one. Timothy Busfield (Danny Concannon) was Arnold Poindexter in the first two movies. In "That Would Be Enough," Eilza sings, "So long as you come home at the end of the day. ; Heel Realization: He experiences a slow one, drawn out over the course of the early seasons, regarding the cover up of his . Lily Tomlin. Mandy is the paradigm of disappeared The West Wing characters, so much so that the trope of disappearing TV characters they go to "Mandyville" is named after her. With over 250 acting credits listed on IMDb, it's not surprising that the guy has racked up a net worth of $60 million. "She's very focused, very intelligent and very imaginative." The Oval Office set originally designed by Michael J. Taylor was constructed for Dave (1993) and then subsequently used for The American President (1995), which was also written by Aaron Sorkin and included Martin Sheen, Joshua Malina, and Anna Deavere Smith in its cast. On "Grace and Frankie," the final episodes air April 29 on Netflix, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin play rivals turned besties when their husbands fall in love with each other. West Wing regulars reprising their roles included Dul Hill (Charlie Young), Allison Janney (C. J. Cregg), Rob Lowe (Sam Seaborn), Janel Moloney (Donna Moss), Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler), Martin Sheen (President Bartlet), and Bradley Whitford (Joshua Lyman). Finally, there was the dramatic denouement, in which the Prez ordered the Bahamian assassination of a terrorist while taking in a Broadway show. Between 19792008, writing specials competed alongside, Kelli Bender, "Lily Tomlin Reprises Ernestine Role for PETA's New Ad Blasting SeaWorld,", Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Play, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, List of awards and nominations received by Lily Tomlin, Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series, Outstanding WritingComedy-Variety or Music Special, Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program, "Emmys 2018: Keep an eye on 'Grace and Frankie' in Best Comedy Series", "Obituary for Lillie Mae Tomlin, 1914-2005 (Aged 91)", "Cleveland Evans: With Tomlin's help, Lily blossoms again", "Lillie M Tomlin - United States Social Security Death Index", "Mary Jean Tomlin - United States Census, 1940", "Lily Tomlin Mysterious Modest and Multifaceted", "Lily Tomlin, Playing Lakeland Next Week, Dishes on Her Act, Sexuality and Retiring", "Lily Tomlin in Madison Ave. debut with Peter Lynch", "Chart beat: Katy Perry, Kathy Griffin, Miley Cyrus", "What a Character. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. Lily Tomlin (executive assistant Deborah Fiderer) Martin is a darling man. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from. In fact, she is never even referenced again over the subsequent six seasons. During an episode of the "West Wing Weekly" podcast hosted by Joshua Malina and Hrishikesh Hirway, Aaron Sorkin told the story of how Marlee Matlin came to play the character Joey Lucas on The West Wing: "Actually, it was because of you [Joshua Malina]. "I thought it would be nice if I could suggest an idea to 'West Wing,' but then you let those things drift because you think, `Well, I might get rejected. The show has a strong connection to the Revenge of the Nerds franchise. "Once, I practiced with the Notre Dame cheerleading squad and performed with them for a game, and I was even on ABC during the game, and nobody knew it was me," she says. Spanning 7 seasons, The West Wing still has a few storylines that were never resolved. In 2012, seven years after those episodes first aired, the U.S. Air Force admitted to having completed a classified 469-day military mission of a previously secret, unmanned, Boeing-built, reusable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle. After college, Tomlin began doing stand-up comedy in nightclubs in Detroit and later in New York City. After President Bartlett revealed to the American public that he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, his Chief of Staff, Leo McGarry was under extreme fire by political opponents for keeping the secret. In 2012, cast members Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, Janel Moloney, Richard Schiff, Melissa Fitzgerald, Joshua Malina, Lily Tomlin, Mary McCormack, and Martin Sheen appeared as their "West Wing" characters in a video supporting Michigan State Supreme Court candidate Bridget Mary McCormack (as well as raising awareness of the non-partisan section of the ballots in Michigan and many other states). This means that in the "West Wing" universe, Presidential elections took place in 1998. However, the February 2023 report has now been confirmed as a complete hoax, the actress best known for her roles in Malibu Country or The West Wing is alive and well. I tried to accentuate the positive for as long as I could, but eventually, the shows chronic shortcomings just wore me down. What episode did Lily Tomlin join West Wing? "I love the show," she says. Two years later, the four again demanded a doubling of their salaries, a few months after Warner Bros had signed new licensing deals with NBC and Bravo. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Quiz: Which Reynolds Said It? John Goodman (President Glenallen Walken) was the football coach in Revenge of the Nerds (1984). It was his commanding performance that led Donald P. Bellisario to cast him as Jethro Gibbs in NCIS (2003). ", So far, she says, "Everybody's been very sweet and kind to me.". John Spencer and Bradley Whitford previously worked together on "Presumed Innocent" with Harrison Ford 1990. voiceover work. Tomlin and Kathryn Joosten were in talks to star in a Desperate Housewives spin-off,[29] which was given the green light in May 2009. Wagner, Jane. Debbie is at least a very competent poker player, having seemingly fleeced the entire White House senior staff in "Evidence of Things Not Seen". And everybody's supposed to be extremely intelligent and fairly witty," she adds, with a small, self-mocking laugh. Now Lily Tomlin is ready to make you laugh again", "Exclusive News on Ponyo's English Voice Talent Cast", "Grandma: A look at the film "Grandma" with director Paul Weitz and actor Lily Tomlin", "Review: In 'Grandma,' Lily Tomlin Energizes an Intergenerational Road Trip", "Lily Tomlin Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB", "Magic School Bus Returns With Kate McKinnon, Lin-Manuel Miranda", "Was life a 'Cabaret' for Bob Fosse? Deborah Fiderer : Well, let me back you up a second. He also worked in the White House. It's perhaps best Tomlin didn't have to hear the comments Everett made after, which can be heard in the video below. The series started shooting in August 2012 with a premiere date of November 2, 2012, at 8:30 pm ET but was canceled in 2013 after 18 episodes. Well, Mr. President, if you wanna talk about getting screwed with your pants on President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet Following Ainsley as Associate White House Counsel was a fellow Republican, Joe Quincy. On the 50th anniversary of its premiere, creator George Schlatter reflects on the revolutionary comedy hour that launched the careers of Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin, gave birth to late-night televi "You can say it's stand-up," she says of her show, different from her popular one-woman show "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. Joosten's next long-term recurring role on a television show was on Desperate Housewives (2004). Cregg) & Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman) also worked together on episode 4.9, Mom: Bad Hand and British Royalty (2017), of Mom (2013) as Bonnie & Mitch respectively. After leaving the show, Aaron Sorkin claimed that when he began watching the season five premiere (the first episode to be written without him) he turned it off after less than a minute, and never watched another episode. West Wing's 'C.J. However, this all was likely due to Proctor getting cast as a main cast member onCSI: Miami. Leo's "Big Block of Cheese" story is true. "), Bobbi-Jeanine is a showbiz veteran of the lounge circuit where she sings and plays organ. The first time her name appears in the opening credits is in season two, episode one, "In The Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I." | [10][11][12] She is a 1957 graduate of Cass Technical High School. When her one-woman show opened years ago in New York, the strait-laced Mrs. Beasley came out in her Red Cross outfit to serve refreshments to people standing in line. Ronald Reagan may have been the last real-life US president to be the US president in this show's universe. In television parlance, this is called a "walk and talk" scene, though some "West Wing" fans also dubbed the exchanges "pedeconferences". It has been ranked amongst the best television shows of all time in publications such as Time, TV Guide, Empire, Rolling Stone and New York Daily News. Meanwhile, Abbey ( Stockard Channing ) creates a firestorm when she calls herself "just a wife and mother"; the Qumaris are making noise about their . In recent weeks, as Ive grown increasingly underwhelmed by the profoundly disappointing third season of The West Wing, Ive seen numerous postings on the message boards along the lines of, If you hate the show so much, why do you write about it every week? To which my response is: If you hate my column so much, why do you read it every week? Hey, at least I get paid for this gig. The road to success is always under construction. Tomlin plays Frankie Bergstein, recently separated from her husband of forty years (Waterston) while Fonda plays Grace Hanson, recently separated from her husband (Sheen). She starred as Frankie Bergstein on the Netflix series Grace and Frankie, which debuted in . variety comedy in the 1960s, Lily Tomlin has switched between television, Fiderer is the new personal secretary to President Bartlet on "The West Wing," taking Mrs. Landingham's old desk. On TV's West Wing, why did Lily Tomlin's character previously get fired from the White House? Deborah Fiderer season. Throughout the seven seasons of the show, Toby Ziegler, as played by Richard Schiff, smiles a grand total of 21 times. The only difference is that JFK was holding a cigar in his hand. "I feel really lucky and proud to be on such a great show, and to be written as such an interesting person," Tomlin says. During the 2008 Emmy Awards, Tomlin appeared as part of a tribute to the influential 1960s television series Laugh-In. President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet Lily Tomlin is an actor, comedian, writer and producer. The show was praised for its high production values and repeatedly recognised for its cinematic achievements. Lily Tomlin is a comedy legend, award-winning actress and tireless activist. In life, it means Tomlin jumps from describing the backstory she's created for Fiderer (she plans to post it on her Web site) to how she felt like a social nerd around "Tea with Mussolini" movie co-stars Maggie Smith and Cher to missed career opportunities. Each of the principal actors made approximately $75,000 per episode, with Martin Sheen's confirmed salary being $300,000. The character of Josh Lyman, played by Bradley Whitford, often makes jokes about his assistant Donna being from Wisconsin. opinionated and ultimately well-matched for dealing with President Bartlets own In 1985, Tomlin starred in another one-woman Broadway show The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, written by her long-time life partner, writer/producer Jane Wagner. In the 20082009 fifth season of Desperate Housewives, she had a recurring role as Roberta, the sister of Mrs. McCluskey (played by Kathryn Joosten who coincidentally had played Tomlin's secretarial predecessor on The West Wing). Offers may be subject to change without notice. Fiderer's subsequent colorful job history of gambler and alpaca farmer have been sketched in, along with some evidence of political activism, but her personal life remains a cipher. In Eppur Si Muove, it was revealed she had a relative she lost to cervical cancer, which is often the result of the Human papillomavirus infection (HPV). They married 42 years after their first date. Fiderer is the new personal secretary to President Bartlet on "The West Wing," taking Mrs. Landingham's old . The West Wing won at least one Emmy in each of its seasons except the sixth. That idea was abandoned when Poitier's fee was, in Thomas Schlamme's words, "very high", and John Wells was able to ascertain that Poitier was not interested when his manager asked Wells to stop calling. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Still, it's not the first time she has played a leading figure in the White House on TV. The fold refers to the outer fold of a newspaper. She once mentioned to Abby that she is not very religious. The benefit also featured interstitial guest appearances from When We All Vote co-founders Lin-Manuel Miranda (a West WIng superfan) and Michelle Obama. Tomlin met her future wife, writer Jane Wagner, in March 1971. (Tomlin returns in the play next spring in Los Angeles.). Ted McGinley (Mark Gottfried) played Stan Gable in the first, third, and fourth movies. Television critic Heather Havrilesky asked, "What rock did these morally pure creatures crawl out from under and, more important, how do you go from innocent millipede to White House staffer without becoming soiled or disillusioned by the dirty realities of politics along the way?". The Consumer Advocate Lady is a dour, austere woman who rigidly inspects and tests products for their alleged value. Co-star Bradley Whitford pointed out the obvious chemistry between the characters of Josh and Donna, and Aaron Sorkin agreed. The character later made a guest appearance at The Superhighway Summit at UCLA on January 11, 1994, interrupting a speech being given on the information superhighway by then-Vice President Al Gore. Make that spunky and mysterious. Although Lily Tomlin (Deborah Fiderer) did not join the cast until season three, episode twenty-two in 2002, her character was mentioned all the way back in season one, episode three ("A Proportional Response") as Debbie DiLaguardia, the White House personnel employee who first sent Charlie's resum to Josh's attention. But in fact, not a single president in the twentieth century has been under 5'9" (Harry Truman's height). She also appeared in the NCIS episode titled "The Penelope Papers", playing Penelope Langston, the grandmother of Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray). This is a reference to the famous quote from A Few Good Men (1992), when Jack Nicholson asks Kiefer Sutherland "What the hell is going on in Bravo company, Matthew?" Beginning in variety comedy in the 1960s, Lily Tomlin has switched between television, theatre and film throughout her career. EGOT, having won a Tony, a Grammy and six Emmys for her comedy, drama and Lily Tomlin is an actress and comedy legend known for roles on television shows such as 'Laugh-In' and 'Grace and Frankie,' and films such as 'Nashville' and 'Nine to Five.' Tomlin decides the little figurines are alpacas, most likely a keepsake from her desk on The West Wing, where her character, a former alpaca farmer, served as executive assistant to Martin Sheen .