Lily Tomlin was recognized Sunday for
her contributions with a SAG Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dolly Parton, who co-starred opposite
Tomlin in the 1980 comedy 9 to 5, presented Tomlin with the
award.
In accepting the award, Tomlin thanked
her wife Jane Wagner, saying that she stands tallest on her
shoulders. Tomlin and Wagner married in 2014 after 42 years
together.
“After 50 years in the business, I
find young actors are asking me for sage advice. Along with telling
them to wear sunscreen, I suggest a few things you may find helpful.
Don’t leave the house when you’re drunk. And if you’re already
out there, well, you must learn to tell when you’ve had too much to
drink. Listen to your friends when they stop talking to you and start
talking about you, saying things like, ‘Did she have a purse?'”
Tomlin joked during her acceptance speech.
“Live your life so that when you are
being honored for your achievements, the people called upon to make
laudatory comments can feel reasonably honest about their comments.
Otherwise, in these times, all their words of praise might be
perceived as ‘alternative facts,’ or worst yet, ‘fake news.'”
“Finally, thank those people on whose
shoulders you stand. My partner, writer Jane Wagner, is the woman
[on] whose shoulders I stand the tallest.”
“I feel like I'm just getting
started. What sign should I make for the next march? Global
warming. Standing Rock. LGBT issues. Chinese missiles,” Tomlin
added, reflecting on lifetime of activism.
Tomlin currently stars opposite Jane
Fonda in the Netflix sitcom Grace and Frankie.