At the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, Lily Tomlin told the journalists how much she enjoyed joining the cast of the popular dramatic series Damages. Damages stars Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, and Tate Donovan, and this year adds Lily Tomlin to the group.
Lily Tomlin is a Die Hard Fan of Damages
“I was a fan of the show from day one,” Tomlin admitted. “It's the only show I've ever run home to see, no matter what. If I were working on another show even, I'd say, ‘I have to get out of here.’ That first season, it was on Tuesday nights, and I'd say, ‘I have to get home. I have to see [Damages],’ and I wanted to see the 7 o'clock [feed]. I didn't want to see the 10 o'clock feed. I wanted to see it from the get-go. And when I'd see Glenn [Close] anyplace at an event or anything, I would just jump all over her, and I'd say, ‘You've got to tell us. What's going to happen? Why can't you be on every night? Why can't you be on all year? Why do I have to wait now?’ When the first season was over, I just about went nuts.” Tomlin enthusiastically expressed her excitement about the show.
“But I think what got me a part was I ran into Todd Kessler (executive producer of Damages) at a photography show in L.A., and when someone told me who he was, I completely lost it. You know how women throw themselves - like they'll jump on a guy they know really well and put their arms around his neck and their legs around his waist?” The crowd of journalists couldn’t help but laugh along with Tomlin as she described this incident.
“So I think when it came to do the third season, they thought, ‘Remember that girl that jumped on you at that photography show? She really likes the show. Let's see if she's going to pass.’ So I was thrilled to get it. I didn't have a hesitation. I wanted to be on the show very, very much.”
Lily Tomlin’s History
Lily Tomlin is an accomplished comedienne and actress. She first came to the public’s attention during Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In series which ran from 1969-1973. Her character of Ernestine, the telephone operator, won her rave reviews and helped launch her career.
Since then Tomlin has been acting in films and on television, and has had a one-woman Broadway show. She has been nominated for numerous awards and has won several, including six Emmys and two Tony awards.
The third season of Damages airs Mondays at 10 PM ET on FX.
