Inside Lily Tomlin’s forbidden love story: She had to hide who she was from the person she loved most
Even though Lily Tomlin is one of Hollywood’s top actors, she once had to keep her true love a secret.
After originally rocketing to success during the late 1960s for her appearances on numerous variety series and comic sketch shows, the renowned actress has had a place in people’s hearts for decades.
She recently co-starred with Jane Fonda in the popular Netflix series “Grace and Frankie,” which follows the lives of two women whose spouses have fallen in love with one another and want to get married.
Over the years, her other acting credits have included ‘Nashville’, ‘The Late Show’, ‘Shadows and Fog’, ‘All Of Me’, ‘Flirting With Disaster,’ and ‘Big Business.’
Not only this, but Tomlin has also lent her voice to animated shows and movies like ‘has experience as a voice-over artist on animated films like ‘The Ant Bully,’ ‘The Simpsons,’ and ‘The Last Of The Red Hat Mamas.’
Tomlin has demonstrated to be a very private person, keeping one significant aspect of her life mostly hidden for more than 50 years despite having an acting resume that seems to go on forever.
Her 55-year marriage to author Jane Wagner makes up that aspect of her private life.
Meeting Jane Wagner
Since 1969, when Wagner began appearing on the comedy-sketch programme “Laugh-In,” Tomlin has known Wagner. Tomlin developed some really entertaining characters during this time, but she also expressed interest in hiring a writer to help her refine one of them—a perceptive five-year-old named Edith Ann.
In 1971, Wagner was hired to develop the characters, and she and Tomlin hit it off right away. The two soon established themselves as an official couple. In a 2020 interview with Variety, Tomlin reflected on their romance and claimed that it was “love at first sight in two minutes” for her.
Their personal and professional lives grew stronger as their relationship grew older, Wagner told the site.: “When I got confidence, it was because of Lily, who believed in my work. We loved similar things, and it was just kind of remarkable that we were on the same page, aesthetically.”
She continued: “Her appreciation of my work meant all the difference to me. I saw her motivation. I saw her drive, and her strength taught me something.”
Wagner has undoubtedly appreciated seeing Tomlin value her work, and vice versa. She also mentioned in the interview that Tomlin’s admiration for Wagner provided her the motivation she required.
When did Tomlin and Wagner marry?
Interestingly, this dynamic combination didn’t always plan to be married. Tomlin actually made an appearance on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” where she spoke about her marriage to Wagner and the reasons they ultimately decided to go on in their relationship.
Corden then asked why the pair waited 45 years before tying the knot with Wagner, with Tomlin responding: “Truthfully, there was a guy on the red carpet that constantly asked me when we were going to get married. And after it was possible to get married, I had no recourse but to get married.”
The pair got married in December 2013—10 years ago—but they obtained their marriage licence a few days earlier by picking it up covertly.
The newlyweds exchanged vows in a private ceremony at a friend’s house, and Tomlin later disclosed that she did not want outlets to write about them.
I don’t know about you, but Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner’s love story is one of the sweetest in Hollywood!
Wishing Lily Tomlin the happiest of birthdays – here’s to many more!
