Hundreds of Emmy voters packed the Netflix FYSEE space to attend a screening of Grace & Frankie, the Emmy nominated comedy celebrating aging with grace. Voters were treated to a screening of Season Five Episodes as well as a star-studded panel featuring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Martin Sheen, Sam Waterston, and co-creator Howard J. Morris.
The panel of legendary performers boasts a collective 2 Oscars with 9 nominations. 10 Golden Globes with 38 nominations, and 9 Emmys with 48 total nominations. The four actors long Hollywood resume was a clear draw for audiences as Fonda remembered her time with Redford on Barefoot in the Park or becoming a star during Cat Ballou and as Waterston told stories of his first Broadway role in Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama’s Hung You In The Closet and I’m Feeling so Sad.
Beyond the chemistry of its two stars and their ex-husbands, Grace & Frankie has become an undeniable anthem for an American generation that has largely been forgotten in the media. As Sam Waterston pointed out we now spend an entire third of our lives in our elder years and Grace & Frankie proves that it can be fun.
Co-Creator Howard J. Morris credits the unique perspective of Grace & Frankie to primarily focusing on hope. “It’s present through everything that we write. This is not a cynical show. It is proof that your life isn’t over when you think it is and a whole lot of people can relate to that.”
Grace & Frankie in its later seasons has also featured an A-List roster of guest performers including Nicole Richie, Lisa Kudrow, and Estelle Parsons. Martin Sheen revealed that Elliot Gould will be featured in the upcoming sixth season as well as Mary Steenburgen. Some of Jane’s favorite guests have been the trifecta of handsome costars; Sam Elliott, Craig T. Nelson, and Peter Gallagher.
Overall Sam Waterston and the rest of the cast wanted to stress that Grace & Frankie is a show that can prioritize having fun while also addressing serious issues that we will all eventually face. Throughout the fifth season, we saw characters address their changing health, battle age discrimination in the workplace, and fight for a more accessible world. As Waterston described the sentiment: “Important and serious are not the same thing. I think the show is important but not serious.”
