Today we celebrate the birth of actor Jane Lynch. Her breakthrough role came in the TV series Glee, where she played cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester for six seasons. However, this talented performer had been receiving critical acclaim long before that.
Lynch was born in Illinois in 1960 and grew up in the town of Dolton. She attended Illinois State University, graduating in 1982 with a theatre degree. She later continued her studies, earning a Master of Fine Arts from Cornell University.
Lynch joined the prestigious Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, spending 15 years developing her craft.
In 1988, she made her film debut with a small role in Vice Versa, which starred Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage. Over the following years, she appeared in several films, including The Fugitive, where she played a doctor alongside Harrison Ford, and the spoof Fatal Instinct.
Her major breakthrough came after working with director Christopher Guest on a television commercial. He subsequently cast her in Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.
Throughout her career, Lynch has appeared in numerous television series, including The X-Files, L.A. Law, Judging Amy, The West Wing, Desperate Housewives, Friends, NewsRadio, Married… with Children, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dawson’s Creek, Felicity, and many others.
It was her role as Sue Sylvester in Glee, though, that made her a household name. The performance earned her a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe, and many other accolades. Since Glee concluded, she has appeared in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Only Murders in the Building, and had a recurring role in The Good Fight.
She made her Broadway debut in 2013, playing Miss Hannigan in a revival of Annie. She returned to Broadway in 2022 to play Rosie Brice in Funny Girl.
On television, she also hosted the game show Hollywood Game Night for several years and has hosted the US version of The Weakest Link since 2020.
Lynch was married to Laura Embry from 2010 to 2014. In 2021, she married her wife, Jennifer Cheyne.
