By 1969, she had landed a regular slot on NBCs comedy sketch show Rowan & Martins Laugh-In. Shes depressed about the state of the world. Netflix released the trailer for the second half of season 7 on Thursday and announced that the final episodes . Lily Tomlin spills that she was a huge fan of Fonda for more than five decades! In "Grace and Frankie," Jane. Lily Tomlin is an actor, comedian, writer and producer. Molly O'Connor (Kimberly Bigsby): Molly's greatest contribution to the West Wing universe was getting killed by . Im not cantankerous so much as volatile I just get overwhelmed with all the work and expectation. I think it does a lot for that if they can get the insurance. When Im not with Lily for a few days, I miss her. Mrs Landingham's replacement as President Bartlet's secretary came in the form of Lily Tomlin's Debbie Fiderer, who . As played by Kathryn Joosten, she was not only a moral bulwark for Martin Sheen's President Bartlet but a real pistol to boot. He died at the age of 56, when Tomlin was 30. She really went out on a limb to get the world's perfect man Charlie Young hired at the White House, ignoring the son of a Democratic Party contributor to give the job to the more qualified applicant. she told PEOPLE. Tomlin tells me her younger brother, Richard, is also gay Im telling you so much stuff its amazing and that he and his partner, Michael, lived in the same town as their mother until she died 10 years ago, at 91. Between the CJ Creggs and the Jeb Bartlets and the Toby Zieglers and the Charlie Youngs of the show, some of the secondary characters with less screen time can slip through the cracks. I got pretty pretty well doinked. We both have the same work ethic and we genuinely love each other, even though we come from such different backgrounds. Jane is such a wonderful writer, and weve had enough success that it has sustained us. Over lunch at a Studio City restaurant down the street from her office, Tomlin admits she had daydreamed about a ``West Wing' guest role, maybe as a tart-tongued pol modeled after former Texas Gov . "I love the show," she says. No, she says baldly. Police don't know when Interstate 55 will reopen after massive Whats that going to be at West End Service Station? I became crazy about magic tricks when I was 10 or 11. Along the way, she has been a groundbreaking force for women in comedy, as well as LGBTQ+ representation and even older women on television, all while being just plain smart and . My mother was pretty traditional, says Tomlin. Twenty years ago, she starred in a special in which she was running for president. SHOW MORE. Ive never been in that rarefied air of $20m a picture or whatever they get, but. I loved his material. But don't try telling her that. She has a penchant for lengthy, humorous anecdotes, often about her childhood in Detroit, growing up in an apartment building filled with fascinating inhabitants whom she can recall with a precise turn of phrase (Mrs Clancy, who lived over us on the second floor, taught in a girls school and she was just totally pretentious. Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions About Credits "Grace and Frankie" stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin take the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answer the. President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet The Australian supermodel, 40, looked youthful and rejuvenated as she received an IV drip of vitamins and hydration . The grainy footage shows her sitting in the front of a car, squeezed next to Dustin Hoffman, and objecting forcefully to some direction she has been given. "I just thought, 'This movie is going to make it because of that song.' Brass balls on that woman. It could be that shes exhausted. the Extra-Terrestrial will receive a 40th anniversary screening (Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy will attend opening night). Thats sort of a truism thats tinged with a bit of humor. Im not cantankerous so much as volatile: Lily Tomlin: I dont relate to any of my life, except the stories Im telling you, ily Tomlin is wearing black to match her mood. Jane is such a wonderful writer, says Tomlin. Originally posted April 11, 2016. Career Tomlin was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the film Nashville . But no, I dont look back and think, Ah, this is perfect. I dont even relate to any of it, except the stories Im telling you.. Sunday Morning Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda on acting, aging and activism August 14, 2022 / 10:04 AM / CBS News This story was originally broadcast on April 24, 2022. This story first appeared in the April 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. The planets aligned for her casting when Tomlin was appearing in a New York revival of "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" and Thomas Schlamme, an executive producer of "The West Wing," was in the audience. Tomlin reunited with Fonda for their current Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie.They play women who become friends after learning their husbands are gay and in love with each other. The. ", Tomlin says the secret to her more than 50-year relationship with her wife and longtime writing partner, Jane Wagner, is mutual "admiration and respect. Still breaking Hollywood taboos at 76, the actor plays an abortion-funding grandmother in her new film. Lily Tomlin Facts World War II started the same day she was born. Age. There was Mrs. Rupert, who was a botanist. I fell in love with him. I thought I'd get on one or two shows as a legislator or a lobbyist. The actress (pictured here with Martin Sheen) had a memorable role as Deborah Fiderer, President Josiah Bartlet's no-nonsense executive secretary. I dont know how well-founded this is, but as tragic as Ukraine is, you think of it as a white European country. Over lunch at a Studio City restaurant down the street from her office, Tomlin admits she had daydreamed about a "West Wing" guest role, maybe as a tart-tongued pol modeled after former Texas Gov. She sits across the table from me, in a black Adidas sweatsuit with white stripes down each sleeve, and black Converse trainers. | Were you watching the Oscars telecast when the slap happened? They hardly laughed at all. The couple married in 2013 but have never had children. I was up and down, but I saw Will Smith walk up and something happened. Shes written much of your material, including The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life. Debbie is at least a very competent poker player, having seemingly fleeced the entire White House senior staff in "Evidence of Things Not Seen". Oh my God, those are stuffed animals people sent me. Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin was born on September 1, 1939 (age 83 years) in Detroit, Michigan, United States. On April 23, actress and one-time Bond girl Jane Seymour will be on hand for a screening of 1980s Somewhere in Time, the supernatural romance in which she shared the screen with Christopher Reeve. "I love the show," she says. "She's very focused, very intelligent and very . Im very protective people will shoot you on the spot. In an interview with the Star Tribune, the droll and deadpan Tomlin, who wed longtime romantic and artistic partner Jane Wagner in 2013, mused on her latest roles, the state of feminism and the . Nine years after The West Wing aired its series finale, the stars of the beloved show reunited on Tuesday, Jan. 13. : Lily Tomlin Birth Name: Mary Jean Tomlin Birth Place: Detroit, Michigan, United States Profession Actor, comedian, writer Executive Producer 3 Credits Grace and Frankie 2022 The Search for. She learned to read early and would fight her father for the newspaper. Lily Tomlin has lots of them. I tried to get on `Lawrence Welk,' but it didn't work.". I thought, Well, heck, why wouldnt I be a feminist? Interview: Lily Tomlin defies convention, again, on Grandma SHE came out long ago, but at 76, Lily Tomlin is delighted to be landing roles that let her challenge prejudice against her. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. Tomlin is reluctant to reveal any unaired plot points, worried about offending "West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin. I just die for those stories. At an age when most actresses struggle to get work, and in an industry where openly gay stars are rarer than they should be, she is on a roll. The only person who does more to ensure that President Bartlet's MS doesn't flare up due to exhaustion is his wife, Abbey Bartlet. Still, it's not the first time she has played a leading figure in the White House on TV. Grandma is on general release from 11 December, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. And Im of course interested in all her political activities. Did it ever bother you that you were called a feminist at a time when that wasnt always considered an accolade? I wanted to be a theater actress, but then I became much more of a television performer. "Don't let me digress because I can digress from here to the parking lot," she warns. People are more conscious about misogynistic jokes or homophobic jokes or racial slurs. 66. I'd say, 'Ten dollars to the one who gets ready first,' so we had a little incentive.". Something like that. I discovered Abbotts Magic shop and used the money I had made from the time I was walking the dogs, or taking the garbage out or going to the corner store. debbie fiderer interviewaiken county sc register of deeds debbie fiderer interview "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. | But is Tomlin actually that cantankerous? Nothing official, but veteran Lily Tomlin will join NBC's "The West Wing" as the new secretary to President Bartlet (Martin Sheen). There were women who were teaching at private boarding schools. Tomlin with parents Guy and Lillie Mae and brother Richard. The West Wing Cast: Where Are They Now? I mean, he was a rascal and he would carry on. I can hear you. The end of "Grace and Frankie," starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, is almost here. Lily Tomlin, one of America's foremost comediennes, continues to venture across an ever-widening range of media, starring in television, theater, motion pictures, animation, video, and social media. Her mother, Lillie Mae, from whom Tomlin took her stage name, was a housewife and a nurses aide. Why this project, aside from getting to work with Jane No. I dont know what the disparity is, but its probably as much as they can get away with. I really do.. But its not terribly funny. Height. Wagner and Tomlin proudly picked up their marriage license a few days before exchanging vows on Dec. 31, 2013. After gaining a following for her work in West Village comedy shows and appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, Tomlin was invited to join the cast of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in 1969. "I sent word through my agent that I wanted to be on the show. In the past few years, Tomlin has made several guest appearances on Desperate Housewives, NCIS, Eastbound and Down, and guest starred in the acclaimed FX series, Damages, in the Emmy-nominated role of matriarch of a wealthy New York family accused of financial . Like the first time when he was something like the 199th draft pick, and he ran out onto the field and brought his team to win the Super Bowl. This woman doesn't seem to have a dissembling bone in her body; when she takes one too many doses of her anti-anxiety medication before her interview, which is something you wouldn't want your interviewer to know, that's the first thing out of her mouth. Why work so hard at this point? It did make it hard on her, its true, says Tomlin. Wagner wrote Tomlins hit Broadway show, The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. Throughout her career, she has put some of her comedy creations into real-life situations to see what would happen. The couple got together in the early 70s, but Tomlin resisted coming out fully, for fear of upsetting her Methodist mother. But what became of the actors? Tomlin debuts . She had two sons who Im sure were in the CIA because they could take radios apart, and they were, like, real studious and strange, and they wore those old plaid wool caps with the earflaps and they snapped. Before your next job interview with the President, I'm gonna remind you that you probably don't wanna be stoned. For Tomlin, whose TV credits go back to "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," the new role is humbling. (Or non-applicant, in Charlie's case.). Tomlin portrays Deborah Fiderer on The West Wing. I'm not very religious. Lily Tomlin has 25 Emmy nominations and 6 wins to her name, including the two she won in 1974 for writing and performing in her self-titled TV special. Advertisement. Her mother, too, was totally sweet, totally intelligent, soft spoken, very witty And never sarcastic, never ridiculing, always such a loving, sweet way of being hilariously funny., Tomlin recalls a party some years ago where her mother effortlessly charmed all the guests. After a series of blundered interviews, first where she was high on an accidental overdose of anti-anxiety medicine and then when she was being flippant in an attempt to cover up why she'd been fired from her previous White House job, Bartlet was left unimpressed. She has an extraordinary emotional range and can shift from comedic to tragic in the space of a sentence. Her mood has shifted so quickly it is almost as if she has slipped into a different character, and I can see with startling clarity the mercurial quality that has made her one of Americas foremost comic actresses. Because what else is important after that? 1:52. Her ears are shrouded by two enormous floating foam circles they look like headphones, but without anything connecting them. I was so popular from Laugh-In that I was able to go on the road and cultivate a whole other audience, a concert audience, and I had all the old regular people who loved the Laugh-In characters, like Edith Ann and Ernestine. Weitz has said he based Elle on Tomlin. By Interview. "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. He so much wanted his acceptance by the real people and the real folks in his life. Richard Creamer/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Ann Clifford/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty, Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner's Tony Nominations, Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda's Lifelong Friendship, Jane Fonda Says Katharine Hepburn 'Intimidated' Her on Set: I 'Try to Do the Opposite', Looking Back at Jane Fonda's Life and Career in Photos, Rita Moreno's Life in Photos, in Celebration of Her 91st Birthday, Legendary Actress Maggie Smith's Life in Photos, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin Struggle with FaceTime, Announce 'Grace and Frankie' Reunion Live Read, Lily Tomlin Says 'Grace and Frankie' 'Deepened' Her Friendship with Jane Fonda: 'Seemed So Natural', Cecil B. DeMille Award Winners: Every Star Who's Ever Earned the Golden Globes' Big Honor, An Unrivaled TV Queen: See Betty White's Most Iconic Television Roles Through the Years, says the secret to her more than 50-year relationship with her wife, stumping for for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, getting arrested while demonstrating for climate action and justice in the 2010s. The TCL Chinese Theatre ceremony is one of several events populating the TCM Classic Film Festival. Company Credits Then there were a lot of Southern people who had come to work the factories. There is a YouTube clip of Lily Tomlin famously losing her shit on the set of David O Russells I Heart Huckabees. "`But I've always done that.". We are in her office in Studio City, Los Angeles, a room stuffed with twinkling gold trophies and statuettes, and framed magazine covers. The actress, acclaimed for her early "Laugh-In" comedy, dramatic turns in "Nashville" and other films and her ambitious one-woman plays, is a model of modesty. And so all my relatives are mostly fundamental Christians, and Im sure many of them now are Trumpers. Little is known about Debbie's personal life. Well, Mr. President, if you wanna talk about getting screwed with your pants on President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet | She's also a charmingly haphazard storyteller and the possessor of one of the great celebrity smiles, an impish kid-who-ate-all-the-cookies grin that lights up her face and puts Julia Roberts to shame. Fiderer establishes a tight schedule for him with enforced naps and a new telephone system, and stands by it even when he protests. Episode 2. Well, it would have been suicidal career wise at that point, she admits. Wagner wrote, Tomlin in the 1991 filmed version of her 1985 Broadway play, The actress as Ernestine the telephone operator, one of many enduring characters she created for NBC sketch comedy series, Tomlin with Robert DoQui in Robert Altmans ensemble musical dramedy, Tomlin (second from right) at a White House reception for the 2014 Kennedy Center honorees; she shared the stage with (from left) Al Green, Tom Hanks, ballerina Patricia McBride, Sting and President Obama, who commended her for pushing boundaries by creating characters both edgy and optimistic: I can promise that your contributions to American stage and screen will live on., Met Gala 2023: Margot Robbie Pays Homage to Karl Lagerfeld and Cindy Crawford in Vintage Chanel, CinemaCon Takeaways: Ryan Goslings Barbie Ken-ergy, Wicked Wows and The Flash Frenzy, Box Office Milestone: Super Mario Bros. Movie Hits $1B Globally, CinemaCon Surprise: Leonardo DiCaprio Shows Up for Martin Scorsese Honor, Barry Humphries, aka Dame Edna, Dies at 89, Richard Riordan, Former Mayor of Los Angeles, Dies at 92, John Wright, Oscar-Nominated Film Editor on Speed and Hunt for Red October, Dies at 79, Matt Dubin to Lead Formosa Group Following Resignation of Founder Bob Rosenthal (Exclusive), Chris Pratt and James Gunn Talk Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. And people adore her. Tomlin nods. Your brand of humor is sketch, not insult comedy. She speaks at such speed the words career into each other like dodgem cars. Images: Warner Bros. Television (7); Giphy (2), The And Just Like That Trailer Teases Season 2's Release Date & Aidans Return, House Of The Dragon Season 2's Cast Includes 'Slow Horses' & 'Perry Mason' Stars, 'The Mandalorian' Season 4 Is Already In The Works, Everything To Know About 'RHONY' Season 14, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. I cant remember who it was, but someone wouldnt put stuff in the script. Ah, yes: the stories. I think of the people in Haiti and in all the countries of color where terrible things happened and not as many people responded, and it was not as widely spread in the press. Tomlin and her wife, writer Jane Wagner, were creative collaborators from the time they met in 1971 but their most famous work together was a 1986 one-woman show called The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, written by Wagner and for which Tomlin won a Tony. Which people? | But in society at large, there is a pay disparity between men and women. Have you thought about what it would be like if you were starting out in todays times? Well, I was a little leery of it at first, and then I got very interested in football and the astonishing games Tom Brady has played. And just sharing what I think is funny. You met Jane No. She has a very handsome nephew and we thought, Well, we could get his sperm and I could bear his child. I wouldnt want to, but I could., But in reality, Tomlin says, she would be the one who would have to get up and fix breakfast for the kids and all that So in retrospect, we say every day, Im so glad we didnt have any children. When I think of the world now, I dont want to even deal with having to raise a child.. She also re-wired the President's phone so that the line would go directly to her, allowing her to make the President's outgoing calls for him so he wouldn't have to remember them all. Filming & Production The President interviews feisty secretarial candidate Debbie Fiderer (Lily Tomlin) for a second time. Her parents had moved to Detroit from Kentucky, looking for work in the wake of the Great Depression. The gang's back together! Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day. But what are you going to do about Isis? She looks at me, as if I have the answer. ", She saw that there was an opening when a car wreck eliminated Mrs. Landingham, who was played by Tomlin's friend Kathryn Joosten. 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. : The sugar seems to give her a direct hit of positivity and she is suddenly giggly and girlish, her lively eyes darting this way and that; her long, mobile face breaking easily into smiles. I can be much to the dismay of the people around me. : I loved her ever after! Watch enough Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda interviews, and you'll pick up on a charming contradiction. Welcome to Life Lessons. Mrs. Bartlet, I can't tell you how hard I prayed for you. If America had a lesbian, 76-year-old national treasure, Tomlin would be it. Mrs. Rupert started hitting the ceiling. Do you think culture and comedy have evolved in the time since you first started out? Lily Tomlin - Debbie Fiderer. Yeah. "A friend sat near Schlamme and heard him say, 'Lily would be great on the show,'" Tomlin recalled. There was just a huge mixture of human beings. She said, If youre not careful, youre going to end up in show business.. The Paris terror attacks erupted a few days before we meet, and shes been listening to a rightwing radio talkshow in the car on the way here. Tomlin recently spoke with THR about the comedic riches of growing up in a Detroit apartment building, why she doesnt like it when comedians cut down movies at the Oscars, and the pile of stuffed animals in her home office. Then she breaks off, looking around her, as if remembering where she is. I didnt pay much attention to Carol because shes only a couple of years older than I am. Further, her eventual. Lily Tomlin At 75: The Actress Discusses Great Roles, Old Cars And Coming Out The star of the film Grandma and the Netflix series Grace and Frankie married her partner of 42 years, Jane Wagner, in . But slowly, it just got closer and closer to the bone. Also, Jane doesnt like the limelight., Tomlin (right) with Jane Wagner, her professional and life partner, whom she met in 1971. Theyd just say, Dial with your index finger. And I dont even know if we had abided by it, but I went back to using my middle finger as soon as it blew over. "I sent word through my agent that I wanted to . Tomlin is reluctant to reveal any unaired plot points, worried about offending "West Wing" creator Aaron Sorkin. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . She Is Always Utterly Herself This woman doesn't seem to have a dissembling bone in her body; when she takes one too many doses of her anti-anxiety medication before her interview, which is. It was just the way it was. Throughout her extraordinary career, Tomlin has received numerous awards, including: seven Emmys; a Tony for her one woman Broadway show, Appearing Nitely; a second Tony for Best Actress, a Drama . My mother and father both are from Kentucky. In addition to her many groundbreaking moments on stage and screen, the actress is a tireless crusader for causes that matter to her, whether it's stumping for for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s to getting arrested while demonstrating for climate action and justice in the 2010s. So they stopped trying to discipline me.. However, Bartletlater realized thatshe'd lied so as not to get others in trouble and also found thatshe was able to recite numbers from the day's global markets, so he hired her anyway. 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. Well, I had a steady job for a long time on a hit show. Its my third movie with him. I just carried on terribly. Tomlin crumbles a piece of ginger cake with fingers knotted by arthritis and eats it rapidly. Tomlin loves that story, the way it shows that fatherly mix of unspoken pride and paternal concern; the way her father remained so honest and true in the face of her burgeoning celebrity. Looking back over your career, is there a sketch character you havent taken on that you wished you had? Tomlin met her future wife the writer Jane Wagner in 1971, after inviting her to collaborate on a comedy album. United States Congressional Election (1982), United States Presidential Election (1998), United States Presidential Election (1960), United States Congressional Election (1998), United States Congressional Election (2000), United States Presidential Election (1994), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. (August 2015) Lily Tomlin is an American actress and entertainer who has had various performances on stage and screen throughout a career spanning almost seven decades since 1965; various of which earned her recognition and honor . "', But, Tomlin adds, "Everybody loved Mrs. Landingham. I try to be wittier, at least, rather than just taking a cheap shot at someone. She tells me this is to mark the documents belonging to her wife and producing partner, Jane Wagner. "In a concert like this, Ernestine and Edith Anne and dozen or so others pop up," she says. You are in two new movies. What I got from that was a sense of humanity. "I used to make material for us to do for shows in the backyard when I was about this age," Tomlin (with brother Richard in 1945) told PEOPLE. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Can you tell me about the stuffed animals on the couch behind you? Develop [your comedy] or make it better, or step into the wrong thing. Its visceral, says Fonda. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ The mourning period was suitable. E.T. Lily Tomlin broke through as a comedic force on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In in the early 1970s, and has remained a vibrant presence in televisionnot to mention film and theater as wellup until this very moment. ", Roger Catlin, Hartford Courant and Tribune Newspapers. "The language is very dense, filled with ideas and intelligence and observations and questions. Thank God the internet wasnt the big instrument of defaming people as it is today. In the early years of her career, she experienced sexism: she recounts several occasions when she and Jane would pitch a project to a studio boss and it was like they didnt hear it. She just gets on with it. What are those? Then suddenly he would be inspired and just launch into the scene. In fact, I was sitting on the set of Grace and Frankie a couple of years before COVID, and I said to Jane, Im going to call Paul Weitz and tell him to write a movie for us. I made the call, and he wrote Moving On. In John Willis' Screen World, Vol. get the world's perfect man Charlie Young hired at the White House. "Are the other kids going to like you? : This week, we revisit some highlights from our January 1976 and May 1988 interviews with the Laugh-In luminary Lily Tomlin. But most people don't do extended monologues in character. Technical Specs, Aaron's VHS List to Buy, Maybe, probably not. Pat pat pat. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Lily Tomlin enters 'The West Wing' Tuesday, October 8, 2002 . The witty repartee between Bartlet and Fiderer never ceases to amuse. And my mother said to me, I think people can tell that youre trying to do something good, something that would communicate something.. And she always broke her curfew. In 1965, she moved to New York to pursue her acting career. Yeah, but Helen Mirrens playing the Queen all the time, guffaws Tomlin. But oh man, you guys, she does so much more than that. Tomlin says she had been trying to get a role on "The West Wing" for some time. Silence. I cant throw them away, and nobody wants them. Since Grace and Frankie wrapped (with the final 12 episodes to be released April 29), the unstoppable Tomlin has lined up two more movies with another longtime compatriot Jane Fonda. In her latest film, Grandma, Tomlin plays an ageing gay poet trying to raise $600 for her granddaughters abortion. And you always have some sweet, witty thing to say. And she said, You know, sometimes I think it up ahead of time. She whoops with laughter. ", Besides the characters, she says, "Lily gets to talk too. Wed, Sep 25, 2002 60 mins. Deborah Fiderer (previously DeLaGuardia) is the second Executive Secretary to President Josiah Bartlet. "Joan Collins was going up the stairs in front of me, and all the fans let out a big roar when they saw Ernestine," Tomlin recalls. She asked my mother if I could come over and spend the evenings with her. Richard Pryor appeared on that special. As I said up top, Debbie is really not worried about what you think about her, and if you don't like that, you can take your business elsewhere.
