Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 30 March 2017
Fonda and Tomlin savor

senioritis as ‘Grace and Frankie’

FRAZIER MOORE ous laughs, continue to ex- “And we have to be learn-
AP Television Writer plore growing older while ing our lines. Some of us,”
NEW YORK (AP) — The thumbing its nose at Father she adds with a comically
message of “Grace and Time. knowing eye in Tomlin’s
Frankie” is: There’s life after Fonda and Tomlin (today direction, “have QUITE a
70. hale and hearty at, respec- challenge that way.”
And also your own brand tively, 79 and 77) are the “I have NO problem learn-
of vibrator, according to best advertisements for ing lines!” Tomlin chortles.
this Netflix comedy’s just- what the series is about. “She is just so full of it!”
released new season. They first worked together “Lily stumbles around and
In this March 24, 2017 photo, Lily Tomlin, left, and Jane Fonda,
co-stars in “Grace and Frankie,” pose for a portrait in New York. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in a certain hit film nearly forgets her lines,” persists
Associated Press press on as the title char- four decades ago. Fonda, “then, when it’s all
acters whose longtime hus- Fonda had attended a put together, it all turns out
bands (played by Martin live performance by Tomlin perfectly.
Sheen and Sam Waterston) “and I fell in love with her. She somehow makes it
abruptly left them for each I was preparing a movie seem so fresh. When I for-
other at the series’ incep- called ‘9 to 5’ that was kind get MY lines, I just feel sort
tion. of serious. of like I’m a dud.”
“When our law-partner But after I saw her show, “This is just crazy talk,” Tom-
husbands tell us they’ve I thought, ‘I CAN’T do a lin counters, then reports
been having an affair for movie about secretaries that, a few days before, she
20 years, we’re bereft and if Lily Tomlin isn’t one of watched a couple of epi-
cast adrift,” says Tomlin. them.’ And we had to to- sodes, “and — oh, I’m sorry
“What happens when tally redo the movie so it — you’re really GOOD.”
you’re in your late 70s and was funny.” “You think?” says Fonda, as
the rug is pulled out from Tomlin says she came to if caught by surprise.
under you?” poses Fonda. the project “totally in awe” “Oh, yes. Just terrific.”
The answer they and their of Fonda, and, referring to “Aw, thanks,” says Fonda,
show are promoting: “There Fonda’s Oscar-winning per- clearly touched.
can be a third act that’s formance in the 1971 thriller But it all begs the question:
pretty robust and pretty “Klute,” confides, “I had al- How do these veteran ac-
fun,” as Fonda puts it. ready worn a ‘Klute’ hairdo tresses do it?
“Don’t write us off just be- for a couple of years.” Fonda: “You’ve got to get
cause we’re over the hill. With their on-screen re- enough sleep.”
‘Cause there’s a lot of oth- union for “Grace and Tomlin: “You’ve got to
er hills still to come that are Frankie,” Fonda says Tom- squat.”
pretty exciting.” lin, once again, is “good for Fonda: “Squat over
As the third season begins, me to be around. WHAT?”
the often-fractious friend- I come from a long line of Tomlin: “Just squat. So that
ship shared by uptight depressed people, and you stay flexible.”
Grace and free-spirited Lily’s humor is right close Fonda: “I get eight or
Frankie has steered them to the surface. I tend to nine hours of sleep. Which
into marketing a product depression, and she finds means when I get home I
designed to meet the spe- laughter in everything. We go right to sleep.”
cial needs of women of have fun together.” Tomlin: “I don’t go right to
their vintage. It’s a vibrator Even so, the series presents bed. But I SHOULD.”
with thoughtfully large-print challenges. Fonda: “I can only have
directions and a swiveling In the first season, Fonda one martini, or not even
head that won’t aggra- unexpectedly identified any if I have to work the
vate the user’s carpal tun- with the abandonment is- next day.”
nel syndrome or arthritis. Its sues her character was Tomlin: “I could have a
brand name: Menage a going through. “It kind of glass of wine if I’m going
Moi. shatters” Grace, she says, out to dinner — but who
Thus does “Grace and and “it did for me, Jane, as can go out to dinner?”
Frankie,” between gener- well. It triggered something Fonda: “Dinner?! I don’t
in me. It was really hard to even eat after 3 or 4.”
be playing somebody go- Tomlin: “Don’t make it
ing through that.” sound so stringent!”
Thinking back on it seems Fonda: “I WANT to make it
to bring Fonda to the brink sound stringent, so people
of tears. will feel sorry for us and re-
Or not, she argues with a sent us less for being our
smile. “I just have some- age with such good jobs. I
thing in my eyes.” feel so lucky!”
And there are other de- Sure, but all those people
mands besides the emo- who don’t have a TV show
tional. Like “working 16 “can go to bed a little lat-
hours a day when you’re er,” Tomlin points out. “And
almost 80,” Fonda says. only squat halfway.”q