Best known for playing the maniacal cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester in the musical dramedy television show “Glee,” Jane Lynch has a vast roster of roles under her belt dating back to 1986. She attributes this to her mantra: “never saying no to anything.”
"I didn't care what they were doing […] I just said yes to everything,” she said in an episode of “Collider Connected.”
This mentality seems to have worked out in her favor. Lynch, who didn’t find success until her forties, has appeared in dozens of recognizable titles spanning drama and comedy in both film and television, with a sprinkling of gameshow hosting duties thrown in as well. Her specialty tends to be scene-stealing characters that are quirky, a little unhinged, and strongly authoritative in personality. Many of her roles were originally created for men, such as Paula in “The 40-Year Old Virgin.”
Lynch grew up outside of Chicago and began her career acting in the Steppenwolf Theater Company. She was also a member of the comedy troupes The Second City and Annoyance Theater, where she developed her comedic timing and honed her improvisational skills.
After moving to Los Angeles, Lynch landed small roles in the films “Vice Versa,” “The Fugitive,” and “Basic Instinct.” At 39, she met director Christopher Guest while filming a commercial for Frosted Flakes. Months later, he offered her a role in his dog show mockumentary “Best in Show,” and they teamed up again for “A Mighty Wind” and “For Your Consideration.” From there, she had several supporting roles in a series of films, including “Role Models,” “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” and “Spring Breakdown.”
While continuing her film career, Lynch has appeared in an array of popular television shows, including “Desperate Housewives,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “Gilmore Girls,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and the cult-hit Showtime series “Party Down.” To the delight of fans of Constance Carnell, Lynch will be reprising the role in the “Party Down” revival later this year.
Lynch married her longtime partner Jennifer Cheyne last year and they live with their dog in a beach house in Santa Barbara.