Lily Tomlin says acting is a form of therapy for her.
The 76-year-old star has had roles in movies such as ‘Nine to Five’ and ‘I Heart Huckabees’, as well as in television series including the critically acclaimed ‘Grace and Frankie’ alongside Jane Fonda.
And opening up about the long-term appeal of acting, Lily admitted she finds the process beneficial for her mental health.
She said: "That’s part of why being an actor is so wonderful and exciting to you, is because you know what you want to go for. There are exceptions – people can fake you out – but if you’re doing a scene that has an emotional turn, it’ll come out different every time you do it.
"That’s what I love about being an actor – it’s kind of like psychotherapy. I get all of my ‘therapizing’ done on the stage."
Lily doesn’t find her age is preventing her from being cast in roles, and is hoping Hollywood will soon change it’s approach to older actresses in general.
She added to Deadline: "I think when all that gets out in the zeitgeist and when people see the potential of humans or age groups that they’re not familiar with or they’re used to thinking of in stereotypical terms, then the creative people will make that adjustment upward. I’ve played lots of mothers in the last four years.
"I just think as women expand beyond those stereotypical roles that they’ve been relegated to, then people will reflect those in the writing."
Lily Tomlin: Acting is my therapy
