(audience cheering and clapping)
- Did y'all plan this?
You kind of like compliment each other.
Did you plan it? - No.
- [Kelly Clarkson] You compliment each other.
You walked out and I was like, nice earthy tones.
(Lily and Jane laughing)
I am so excited y'all are here.
I'm such a big fan of both of you.
- We're excited, too.
- I literally. - [Both] Very.
- I've never rubbed anything in my sister's face
and this will be the thing
that I just remind her of every Christmas.
(audience clapping) - Okay.
- She's the one who actually got me addicted
to your show when it first came on
and I was just like, oh my God.
I loved y'all before, but it's just such a great show.
Congratulations on this show
being such a huge hit. - Thank you.
(audience cheering and clapping)
- So you've been doing it and I wanna tell you
Jesse, over there, my singer I work with,
she's celebrating your show with a martini.
She loves you.
- [Lily] Can I have some?
- Everybody kept going so professional.
I was like, she's usually, this is amazing.
This is why we love Jesse.
But also she wanted to celebrate y'all.
We're all very excited and honored that you're here.
- Thanks.
- Anyway, you've been doing this show for seven years now.
- It's the longest running original Netflix show ever.
- That's amazing.
(audience cheering and clapping)
I know that y'all had to meet way before.
So when did y'all first meet?
- Well, I was developing a movie called "9 To 5",
It was not cast yet. - Never heard of it.
(all laughing) (audience clapping)
Never heard of it.
- With your friend, Dolly. - Yes.
- But none of that existed, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton.
I wasn't a television person
and I was developing it as a dark comedy.
And I heard Lily Tomlin is downtown LA
doing a one-woman show called "Appearing Nightly"
and I went by myself.
I was just knocked off my feet.
I was totally smitten by her.
And I first met her going backstage and I said to myself,
I'm not making a movie about secretaries unless she's in it.
So I thought, we're gonna have
to change everything. - I had a Steno pad,
and I was like, we're taking shorthand,
had a typewriter over here. - That's why you got the job.
(Kelly laughing)
So do you remember that, the first time that y'all met?
- Yes, I was totally knocked over
because I was such a fan of Fonda's
and I had a "Klute" hairdo and everything.
(audience laughing) - Love it.
- So when she came back stage it was really exciting for me.
I think she was sort of trepidatious,
but I was like "Can I get an autograph?"
"Can you get a note to my mother?"
(Kelly laughing)
- Asking for all the things? It's amazing.
Well, it must have been cool working with Dolly.
Were you kind of nervous
'cause she'd never done a big thing before?
- Were you nervous? - No.
- I was nervous, but not because of her.
This one, I was nervous 'cause of her.
- Oh my God.
- I love that, when you're so inspired by someone
and you're willing to... That's cool.
- She wasn't sure if I was gonna behave or?
(Kelly laughing) (audience laughing)
- Well that's like working with Blake Shelton.
That's what my life is like on "The Voice".
So I'm like, what's he gonna say?
So wait, is it true that Dolly might actually appear
on "Grace and Frankie"?
I heard that this was true.
Okay. (audience cheering)
I'm very excited.
- We're very excited, that was like the greatest.
She's on our last episode, we were just so excited
that the show was gonna end with the three of us.
- I know, that's what I'm saying.
'Cause we really haven't seen that, so that's amazing.
And also her documentary is coming out
and "9 To 5", the anniversary of it.
So it's like a lot of things coming together at once.
It's very cool.
- The way she is in the last episode is just perfect.
I mean, you couldn't think of a better way
to have Dolly appear. - [Kelly] What a tease.
- I know it's a tease, but oh my god.
- That was a great tease.
- [Jane] Oh, it was so good.
- Yeah, I'm a little upset about it.
I'm like, wait what?
So wait, we're just a few weeks away from summer.
- I'd like to be on a show with Blake Shelton.
- You would? Oh my God.
Actually, that would be...
You would love him and it would be very funny
what would come out of both of your mouths at each other.
Yes, he's very fun to work with.
- Oh, he is? - Do you wanna know why?
It's because probably how much y'all loved working.
This is why I love working.
He and John, it's really fun to work with people
that can put their ego aside and just have a good time
and go in on each other and you know you love each other
at the end of the day and you're good.
That's why it's so fun.
- That's great.
That's good to here. - There's nothing like it.
'Cause I think it feels like sometimes in this industry,
people can have doors up and they're afraid to look silly
or afraid of what people are not being credible
or afraid of all these things
and that fear, I think really stifles creativity
and stifles a good time.
- [Jane] I agree.
- He was on "Reba" when I did her show.
- I know, I knew that.
- He was really adorable.
- So you worked with him?
You met him. - Yeah, I did.
- You never told me that.
- Well, I don't tell you everything.
(all laughing)
- Wait a damned minute.
I am really disappointed.
You know, I have not worn heels in two years.
- Oh, that's the one positive about the pandemic.
- Much less strap on heels.
So when we were headed here,
I said, "Lily, I've gotta hold on to you when I come on."
See, I tell you everything.
I'm never gonna wear heels again.
- And you leave out run ins with Blake Shelton.
Congratulations on all the success of the show.
Is it hard to say goodbye to these characters
that you've been playing?
'Cause you feel like these characters have kind of become
a little of you or a little of you is in them.
- Well you can see by the way we're dressed
that would probably show you that a lot of us are in them.
(audience laughing)
- A lot of them is in us.
A lot of us is in them.
Whichever way you cut it. - It's a different show.
(Kelly chuckling)
So are y'all afraid of the characters, leaving them behind?
- Well, we cried. I cried.
She probably didn't cry.
- I did cry.
I cried more than you cried. - Oh no, you didn't.
I have a film to prove it.
No, I cried more than she did.
- She was crying because a lot of the people,
they were applauding us, you know, but she was fearful
that they were applauding because she was leaving.
(all laughing)
How can you resist that?
- You were teed up. - [Lily] Look at her.
(Kelly laughing)
Get her a martini, Jesse.
- Oh my God, it's not that.
It's not anything so horrible.
- No, it was sad.
It was sad, we were together.
There's also something to be said for a regular job.
- Very much so. - Yeah.
- Us being musicians, literally we got this job
and then COVID hit and all our musician friends
didn't have work for a couple years.
We really lucked out 'cause all our people
are on the road and nobody was able to work.
So we get that.
We had jobs during that time, it was very cool.
- I have to apologize for being so rude.
It's just my-
- Ruthless. You're ruthless.
(all laughing) - [Kelly] Oh my God.
- No, I don't know when to shut up.
- No, but that's why it's so awesome.
This is what's awesome about Blake.
See, you and Blake, I need y'all to do a movie with Blake.
You know what, if can you get him to work.
- I'll do it.
- That cowboy likes being on his ranch.
He doesn't like to work, but actually that would be...
When are y'all doing this 'cause I am excited as a fan.
Y'all should do something, do a fun movie.
Are you gonna do that?
- [Jane] Well.
- Okay.
I didn't know.
- We've actually already done one
and we're gonna start another one.
- Two movies.
- Okay, I know, but are you gonna do one
based on these characters at all?
- No. - No.
- Fine.
(all laughing)
Fine, don't give the people what they want.
No, I just love these characters.
They're just such a fun, fresh idea.
- I agree, I think-
- How about a movie with Tom Brady?
- [Kelly] Not too shabby.
- Better watch out, Blake.
- [Kelly] So many football jokes right now.
- Really?
- Nevermind.
So, wait.
How would you describe the importance
of female friendships in your life?
Because that's what I feel like,
literally Jess and I were just talking
before y'all came out here and she was like, this show,
you have no idea what it meant for me
and I think for females in general.
I have always had solid female friendships.
I feel like they're the friendships, no offense to men,
but I can really go deep and we can really talk
and just be very vulnerable and work stuff out.
Do you feel like that's been helpful
for you through your life? - Yeah, totally.
Male friendships are facing outward side by side,
looking out, "Oh, look at her boobs."
"God, what a great car."
And always gonna do a touchdown, you know that.
Women friendships are face to face.
And it's like, "Can you help me?"
"I'm really lost."
"Can you help me?"
And you'll take me in your arms.
We're not afraid to ask for help.
We're not afraid to express vulnerability.
We just drill down to kind of soul level
very fast, women do.
- Do you think that's a societal thing though?
I'm raised in the south.
They're raised not to do that, I feel like.
- [Jane] That's right.
- Which is a shame.
- Don't express need, don't ask for help,
keep it on the surface.
It's one of the strengths-
- 'Cause you'll appear weak. - Of women.
That's right, is that we're not afraid of that
and it's one of the things that gives us strength.
I'm sorry I'm doing all the talking.
- That's all right. - It's okay.
- I've already lived it.
(all laughing)
- That's true, actually.
And that's the truth.
- Oh my God.
- Anyway, there's a Harvard medical school study
that shows that for women, lacking women friends
is as dangerous for their health as smoking.
- Wow.
- There's a lot to be said for women friendships.
We just have to teach men how to do friendship differently
and maybe there'd be fewer wars.
- To say that it's okay to do it that way.
Like I said, with the guys I grew up with,
I think they were taught to have barriers.
- Oh yeah, they don't need anyone.
- Have you had strong female relationships your whole life?
- Yes, indeed.
Here's one right here.
- Yeah, I love y'all.
- More than 40 years, almost 50.
(Jane whispering)
50 years. - Oh my God.
(all laughing)
She said, wait.
Over that much time there's obviously been
ups and downs in your life?
How do you think the other has kind of helped you
in not only your career, maybe your personal life?
- What I did is I learned,
because she had already examined her life so thoroughly,
written like three books about her life.
- About myself.
(all laughing) - I love you.
- About your life, really.
And so I just chucked searching my life
and I just adapted, I jumped on her.
- And molded.
- I jumped on her and I just thought I would live her life
kind of vicariously because she'd already done
all the research.
- You're that kid in school,
looking at the paper on the other one, that's amazing.