Comedian and actor Lily Tomlin is to be honoured in January with the Screen Actor’s Guild Life Achievement Award.
SAG president Gabrielle Carteris said: “Lily Tomlin is an extraordinary actress, as equally adept at narrative drama as in comedy roles. But it is through her many original characters that Lily’s creative genius fully shines. She has an ability to create diverse and distinct characters that are at once familiar, eccentric and oh so honest – in a way that illuminates life’s hidden corners.
“Her characters are wholly unique, and by exposing every nuance of human behaviour they widen our scope of understanding. On behalf of nearly 160,000 members, we are honoured to bestow our Life Achievement Award on the truly amazing Lily Tomlin.”
Lily Tomlin began her career as a stand up and now has six comedy specials under her belt, as well as many famous comedy characters, films such as Big Business, 9 to 5 and I Heart Huckabees and most recently her Netflix sitcom in which she stars with Jane Fonda, Grace & Frankie.
The SAG award will join Lily’s already groaning trophy shelf – she has won Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, many Emmys, two Tonys, a Grammy and a Writers Guild of America Award.
Her philanthropic work, on animal welfare, civil rights, health care, homelessness and LGBTQ rights is also acknowledged by the SAG.
