I haven’t seen much of Glee beyond a few funny clips and the famous “Vogue” video, but I still rooted for Jane Lynch above all others on Emmy night this year. It’s about time! I thought while watching her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress, her first Emmy win. Finally, one of the funniest and most dynamic actresses in the industry is getting her due. Sure, America’s had a full-on love affair with Lynch since Glee premiered in 2009, but before that, she was just a vaguely recognizable face without a recognizable name.
After years of working hard (she’s had more than one hundred different roles in TV shows, commercials, and movies since the ’80s) and taking risks (she’s taken over parts written for men—and played them better than any man ever could), Lynch is getting the notoriety and respect she’s deserved for far too long. And in honor of the new TV season—and Glee’s second season premiere—fast approaching, what better time to honor a woman I consider one of the most positive examples of female representation in the celebrity world today?
Thumbs Up: Jane Lynch
It’s rare in youth-obsessed Hollywood that an actress who started working in her twenties still finds work at age fifty. It’s even rarer that an actress who entered the industry so young actually got her big break at the age of forty—and thanks to a Frosted Flakes commercial, no less. But that’s where Christopher Guest (who directs sugar-cereal commercials in his spare time, I guess) first met Jane Lynch and invited her to audition for what would become one of his most beloved movies, Best in Show. In her role in that film, the public first experienced Lynch’s finesse for improvisation, her ability to put a uniquely funny touch on a scene without stealing it completely.
She participated in other Guest movies after that, and even had a memorable two-episode stint on Arrested Development, but her best role, in my humble opinion, was one she created on a whim: Paula, Andy’s electronics-store boss in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The part was actually written for a man, until Steve Carrell’s wife suggested that the cast include more women. Lynch, who had taken on men’s roles in the past (being six feet tall helps) came in and transformed a bit part into one of the most celebrated roles in the whole movie.
Almost all of the hilarious quotes from that movie—or at least the ones my friends and I reference all the time—are courtesy of Lynch and her improvisational prowess. Just check out this scene, and keep in mind that none of this was in the script; Lynch created the sexually confident, man-hungry Paula all on her own. Unfortunately, this clip doesn’t include my all-time favorite line, “I’m very discreet … but I will haunt your dreams,” but the Guatemalan love song alone is worth the viewing.
