Lily Tomlin Calls Grace and Frankie Costar Jane Fonda a 'Real Toughie' Amid Protest Arrests
Lily Tomlin stands with her Grace and Frankie scene partner Jane Fonda — even in handcuffs.
In a new interview with The New York Times, Tomlin, 80, gushed about her costar on the Netflix comedy — which enters its sixth and penultimate season in January 2020 — noting Fonda’s passion for political activism.
“I support Jane; Jane is a real toughie,” said Tomlin, who described Fonda’s commitment to the cause as so strong that she once asked to halt production on the show so that she could protest, though she eventually found a compromise.
On Friday, Tomlin followed in the footsteps of various other celebrities by getting arrested during the 12th week of climate protests in Washington, D.C. organized by 82-year-old Fonda, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Other stars to get booked during a Fonda-led rally during recent weeks include Ted Danson, Sally Field, Diane Lane and fellow Grace and Frankie cast member, Sam Waterston.
RELATED: Lily Tomlin Explains Why She Turned Down Coming Out on Time Magazine: ‘It Was a Hard Decision’
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Speaking with the Times, Tomlin also opened up about the other important Jane in her life — wife Jane Wagner, whom she married in 2013 after more than 40 years of being together.
“In one sense, [marriage] wasn’t important,” she said. “We used to say: ‘Who wants to get married? A gay person is not square enough to get married. There’s no excuse for a square gay person.'”
She continued: “We kind of threw it off like that. But then we just thought it was such a fabulous thing in terms of the law and being totally equal, so we got married.”
Tomlin said over the years, the couple’s love grew “stronger” the longer they were together.
“I rely on her. I depend on her. I trust her totally. It seems like it’s just meant to be,” she said. “I fell in love with her the minute I saw her.”
RELATED: Lily Tomlin on Her 45-Year Relationship with Jane Wagner: ‘A Lot of Good Things Happen’
Earlier this year, Tomlin told PEOPLE about her relationship with Wagner, 84, including the secret to their long-lasting bond: mutual “admiration and respect.”
To pull off their secret, low-key wedding, Tomlin said they tried to go incognito to get their marriage license days in advance.
“We went in Van Nuys because if anyone should see us, we didn’t want them to write about us,” Tomlin said. “There were all kinds of young kids there getting married.”
A few days later, they wed in an intimate ceremony at a friend’s house.
“It was sweet,” said Tomlin. “We didn’t have any rings, so I went into our jewelry and was digging out rings. I said, ‘We have to have some kind of rings!’“
As for what the the Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner would tell her younger self, Tomlin told PEOPLE it would simply be: “A lot of good things happen for you.”
The new season of Grace and Frankie hits Netflix on Jan. 15, 2020.
