Jane Wagner (born February 26, 1935) is an American writer, director and producer. She is Lily Tomlin's comedy writer, collaborator, and wife.[1][2][3]
She made her writing debut with the CBS afternoon special J.T. (1969), for which she won the Peabody Award — and drew the attention of Tomlin, who was looking for someone to help develop the Laugh-In character Edith Ann. It was the beginning of a collaboration that continues to this day.[6]
Wagner has been nominated for Grammy Awards, with Tomlin, for the comic's recorded albums and has won three Emmy Awards and a Writers Guild of America award, also with Tomlin, for the comic's television specials.[7][8]
She wrote and directed Moment by Moment, starring Tomlin and John Travolta, and wrote The Incredible Shrinking Woman, which starred Tomlin.[9][10]
The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe won Wagner a Special Award from the New York Drama Critics' Circle and a New York Drama Desk Award. The film adaptation of the play brought Wagner a Cable ACE Award.[11]
Wagner won a second Peabody for the ABC special, Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noel (1996).[12]
Since its launch in 2008, Wagner has been a contributor to wowOwow.com, a website for women to discuss culture, politics and gossip.[13]
Annie Award
1997: nominated – Best Individual Achievement: Writing in a TV Production – Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noel[14]
Drama Desk Award
2001: nominated – Outstanding Revival of a Play – The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe[15]
1986: won – Unique Theatrical Experience – The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe[15]
Emmy Award
1993: nominated – Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special –
The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe[16]
1981: won – Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program –
Lily: Sold Out[16]
1981: nominated – Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program – Lily: Sold Out[16]
1976: won – Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special – The Lily Tomlin Special[16]
1976: nominated – Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Special – The Lily Tomlin Special[16]
1974: won – Outstanding Writing in Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music – Lily[16]
Peabody Award
1996: won – Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noel[17]
1970: won – J.T.[18]
Tony Award
2001: nominated – Best Revival of a Play – The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe[15]
Wagner met her future wife, writer Lily Tomlin, in March 1971. After watching the after-school TV special J.T. written by Wagner, Tomlin invited Wagner to Los Angeles to collaborate on Tomlin's comedy LP album And That's The Truth.[19] On December 31, 2013, Wagner and Tomlin married in a private ceremony in Los Angeles after 42 years together.[20][21]
Tomlin, Lily, and Jane Wagner. On Stage. New York, N.Y.: Arista, 1977. Recorded live at the Biltmore Theatre, New York City. Audio book on LP. OCLC858894156
Wagner, Jane. Development and Effect of Feminist Consciousness Raising Women's Groups, Los Angeles, Late 1960s Through 1982. Ph.D. Thesis/dissertation. Wright Institute, Los Angeles. 1983. OCLC18254930
Wagner, Jane, Elon Soltes, Wendy Apple, and Lily Tomlin. Appearing Nitely. Valley Village, Calif.: Tomlin and Wagner Theatricalz, 1992. Recorded live at the Huntington Hartford Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. Originally produced for television in 1978. Video recording. OCLC28219227
Wagner, Jane. Edith Ann – My Life, So Far. New York: Hyperion, 1994. As told to and illustrated by Jane Wagner. ISBN978-0-786-86120-0OCLC31236871
Tomlin, Lily, Jane Wagner, and Anna Deavere Smith. Conversation with Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner, October 25, 1994. San Francisco: City Arts & Lectures, Inc, 1994. Masonic Auditorium. OCLC743427376
Tomlin, Lily, and Jane Wagner. And That's the Truth. United States: Universal Music Enterprises, 2003. Recorded live at The Ice House, Pasadena, March 1976. Audio book. OCLC212930925
Tomlin, Lily, and Jane Wagner. The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. Tarzana, Calif.: Laugh.com, 2005. 1992 HBO television film. A film adaptation of the Broadway play by Jane Wagner. OCLC63664207
Wagner, Jane, Marilyn French, and Lily Tomlin. The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. New York, NY: ItBooks, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2012. Reprint. Originally published: New York : Harper & Row, 1986. Based on the Broadway play written by Wagner starring Lily Tomlin. Includes an Afterword by Marilyn French and Reflections by Lily Tomlin and by Jane Wagner. ISBN978-0-062-10737-4OCLC798732509
