The Screen Actors Guild Awards should have been a 37-year anniversary reunion for the feminist comic masterpiece 9 To 5. But though Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton were in the audience, they were missing the third member of their trio. Jane Fonda wasn't at the 2017 SAG Awards, even though she was nominated for her work in Grace & Frankie and meant to help present Tomlin with her Life Achievement Award. Why did Fonda miss the SAG Awards? Parton told the crowd and the audience at home that Fonda is recovering from some kind of illness like the flu, though she didn't get specific. Earlier in the night, however, Tomlin told reporters on the red carpet that Fonda had come down with strep throat, and that's why she couldn't attend.
It's a bummer that these women couldn't be together at the event, though Parton did hint that they've talked about making a 9 To 5 sequel soon. (Give it to me!) But there's no reason to worry about Fonda. The 79-year-old actor and activist was out in full force at the Los Angeles Womens March on Jan. 21. She gave an impassioned speech, calling her fellow marchers to "rise up" and "resist." Before the march, Fonda appeared on Real Time With Bill Maher to talk about the mission of the event and how celebrities can support and galvanize a movement.
Your chances of getting sick are greater when you're run down or traveling a lot, and Fonda seems to have been working really hard recently. She and Life Achievement Award winner Tomlin are old friends in addition to being co-stars, so I'm sure she wouldn't have missed her special night unless it was essential to her health.
Luckily, Dolly Parton was more than capable of presenting Tomlin's award on her own. The sunny, flamboyant singer-songwriter-actor gave a hilarious introduction and sent her love to their absent girlfriend at the same time.
Wishing a speedy recovery to Jane Fonda so she can be back at demonstrations and on set again soon!
