Lily Tomlin has been making audiences laugh for decades, but this TV season she's taking a more serious role in an episode of 'NCIS.' Tomlin went on 'The Talk' (weekdays, syndicated on CBS) to discuss her character, and the challenge of acting in drama as opposed to comedy.

Tomlin plays a character named Penelope, Special Agent Timothy McGee's grandma. "She's a scientist and a political activist ... and she gets mixed up in a lot of dangerous stuff," Tomlin told the panel.

As to the challenge of playing drama as opposed to comedy, Tomlin reported she didn't struggle with it much. "It's not any different," she said. "It's just on the continuum. You do what's on the paper and what the style of the show is."