Jane Wagner
Jane Wagner (born February 26, 1935) is an American writer, director and producer. She is known for her creative collaborations with her wife Lily Tomlin.
Jane Wagner
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- Name
- Jane Wagner
- Born
- 26 February 1935
- Birthplace
- Morristown, Tennessee, U.S.
- Occupation
- Screenwriter, director, producer
- Awards
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special 1974 Lily
- Nationality
- United States
- Education
- School of Visual Arts · Morristown-Hamblen High School East
- Languages
- English
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Jane Wagner (born February 26, 1935) is an American writer, director and producer. She is known for her creative collaborations with her wife Lily Tomlin.
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jane Wagner • Born — 26 February 1935 • Birthplace — Morristown, Tennessee, U.S. • Occupation — Screenwriter, director, producer • Awards — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special 1974 Lily
Early life and education
Early life and education
Wagner was born and raised in Morristown, Tennessee, where she developed an interest in writing. She attended Morristown High School, where she wrote for the school newspaper. At 17, she moved from East Tennessee to New York City, where she studied painting and sculpture at the School of Visual Arts and pursued an acting career.
Career
Career
Early in her life, she toured with the Barter Theatre of Abingdon, Virginia, and later became a designer for such firms as Kimberly-Clark and Fieldcrest. Wagner 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. In 1977, she and Tomlin co-wrote and co-directed Tomlin's Broadway debut, the one-woman show "Appearing Nitely." 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. Wagner wrote and directed Moment by Moment, starring Tomlin and John Travolta, and wrote The Incredible Shrinking Woman, which starred Tomlin. 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. Wagner won a second Peabody for the ABC special, Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noel (1996).
Personal life
Personal life
Wagner met her future wife, actress 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. On December 31, 2013, Wagner and Tomlin married in a private ceremony in Los Angeles after 42 years together.
Identity
Identity
Jane Wagner is recorded with the occupation record producer. Recorded with the occupation film director. Recorded with the occupation stage actor. Recorded as having studied at School of Visual Arts and Morristown-Hamblen High School East.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1935
Jane Wagner was born on 26 February 1935.
Works and publications
• Wagner, Jane, and Gordon Parks, Jr. J.T. New York: Dell, 1971. • 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. • 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. • 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. • Wagner, Jane. Edith Ann – My Life, So Far. New York: Hyperion, 1994. As told to and illustrated by Jane Wagner. • 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. • Wagner, Jane. J.T. New York: Carousel Films, 2000. DVD. Originally broadcast in 1969. Jeannette Du Bois, Theresa Merritt, Kevin Hooks. • 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. • 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. • 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.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Jane Wagner”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q13560376: Jane Wagner
General reference · Wikidata
Honors, awards and nominations
Annie Award 1997: nominated – Best Individual Achievement: Writing in a TV Production – Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noel Drama Desk Award 2001: nominated – Outstanding Revival of a Play – The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe 1986: won – Unique Theatrical Experience – The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Emmy Award 1993: nominated – Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special – The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe 1981: won – Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program – Lily: Sold Out 1981: nominated – Outstanding Writing in a Variety, Music or Comedy Program – Lily: Sold Out 1976: won – Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special – The Lily Tomlin Special 1976: nominated – Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Special – The Lily Tomlin Special 1974: won – Outstanding Writing in Comedy-Variety, Variety or Music – Lily Peabody Award 1996: won – Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noel 1970: won – J.T. Tony Award 2001: nominated – Best Revival of a Play – The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Lambda Literary Award 2020: won – Lambda Literary Visionary prize
Citations
References
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Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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