Lily Tomlin has credited Ellen
DeGeneres with opening doors for gay actors in Hollywood.
Appearing on OWN's The Rosie Show,
Tomlin, 72, discussed how things have changed for gay actors in
Hollywood.
Tomlin, who met her partner and
collaborator, comedy writer Jane Wagner, in 1971, explained that she
had been asked to keep her relationship quiet.
“I've even had people say to me when
Jane and I were doing specials. One of our writers, who was a really
terrific person, and she said to me, 'You know, I think you and Jane
should come to work in different cars.'”
“To keep it on the QT,” O'Donnell
inserted.
“Yeah. Well, I said, 'Why would we
do that?' And she said, 'People are talking.' You know, but they
always talked. I never ...”
“It was never really a secret,”
O'Donnell finished and Tomlin agreed. “But how society has changed
...”
“Yeah, that it's even possible to be.
And that's really due to Ellen, in large part.”
O'Donnell agreed, then also gave credit
to Neil Patrick Harris, who is raising two children with his partner.
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(Related: George
Clooney: Ellen DeGeneres, Neil Patrick Harris have opened doors for
gays.)