The female co-star Jane Fonda called “my favourite man I ever worked with”
When Jane Fonda emerged in the 1960s as one of Hollywood’s most notable new talents, she immediately established herself as a little different from her contemporaries. She chose to star in several European productions that were considerably more scandalous than the American movies she picked, like The Game Is Over, which was accused of obscenity in Italy.
Subsequently, the press quickly labelled her a sex symbol, which was cemented when she appeared in Barbarella as a cosmic adventurer whose outfits consisted of skimpy swimsuits and knee-high boots—perhaps not ideal for exploring outer space. A few years later, however, Fonda found herself attracted to the feminist movement and dedicated herself to playing roles that felt empowering and rallied against male objectification, which she achieved with her Oscar-winning performance in Klute.
Sadly, Fonda has worked with many male directors during her career who have treated her badly, making her realise just how corrupt and male-dominated the industry is. She had her issues with Barbarella, which was directed by her then-husband, Roger Vadim, whom she left shortly after filming. “It’s all about making love and having strange sexual adventures,” she told Glamour, calling it “a bit objectifying of me and of women”.
Alongside other frustrating men, such as Jean-Luc Godard, who Fonda found sexist, there was René Clément. The French filmmaker actually tried to sleep with her while directing her in Joy House because “he needed to see what my orgasms were like,” according to the actor, who shared the story on Watch What Happens Live.
Thus, Fonda has learnt that to survive in Hollywood as a woman, you need close female friendships. Luckily, she’s found this in Lily Tomlin, who she calls “my favourite man I’ve ever worked with.” Speaking at Cannes, she also referred to the actor as “my sister,” adding, “I love her more than anything.”
The pair first met in 1978 after Fonda went to watch one of Tomlin’s stand-up shows. They struck up an immediate friendship, leading Fonda to ask her new friend to star in 9 to 5, which she had conceived the idea for. The 1980 film was a massive success, with the friends starring as office workers who go against their misogynist boss.
Following the success of 9 to 5, Tomlin and Fonda remained close friends, but they didn’t collaborate again until 2015, when they starred in the hit series Grace and Frankie. The show follows the pair as they become friends following the shocking discovery that their respective husbands are actually lovers who wish to get married. Running for seven seasons, Grace and Frankie finally ended in 2022, but the pair soon starred in two more films, Moving On, released that same year, and 80 for Brady in 2023.
Discussing their close friendship, Tomlin shared while appearing on The View, “From the time I met her when she was trying to get us all to do 9 to 5, she would say ‘we’ve got to take a leap of faith.’ And she meant that so deeply. That’s all there was to it. I kind of glommed right onto her.”
