Lily Tomlin’s Indomitable Spirit

Lily Tomlin has broken ground throughout her career, not least with “Juke and Opal,” a 1973 comedy sketch in which she plays a black woman opposite Richard Pryor. The New Yorker’s Hilton Als found the sketch revelatory. He was with Tomlin when she received a Life Achievement Award at the SAG-AFTRA awards ceremony, in January. He later sat down with the actress to discuss her life, her work, and their shared admiration for the creative genius of Jane Wagner, Tomlin’s romantic partner of more than forty years.