Jane Lynch :: How Lucky Can You Get?

As the title of her book says, Jane Lynch's life has been a series of Happy Accidents. Born in Dolton, Illinois, on July 14, 1960, Lynch was like many other young Midwesterners who, upon seeing the lights of the big city, was enthralled and wanted more. Though perhaps, in her case, it's more accurate to reference footlights, the ones on the many stages she would come to occupy beginning with her first role as a candle in her school's third grade production.

Like many "geeks" who herald from small town suburbia, Lynch searched for artistic outlets, though, as she admitted, her choices were few. Singing in her high school choir and doing plays there fed the itch, but it was never enough.

She had a secret, too, like many young LGBT people from the not-so-tolerant '70s. Because of it, she preferred to stay in the shadows and not stand out. A dichotomy when you consider the direction in which she was headed, would work tirelessly for and ultimately arrive at - her place in the glow of those fabulous lights.

So Jane, tell me a little about what growing up was like for you?

I grew up in a suburb. I don't know if you know much about them, but they are kind of a concrete wasteland - not much culture. It was a kind of a manifest destiny for the people of my parent's generation who grew up in the city - moving out to the suburbs and all of that. We were in a kind of an unincorporated area, at least for the first five or six years.

There wasn't much going on culturally, so going to the big city, which was Chicago for me, was a really big deal. We would head up there pretty often. I must say, though, growing up there, that there are truly lovely people who I love and still have contact with.

I grew up in Wisconsin and would escape to Minneapolis whenever I could, as well. I'm really grateful it was there; otherwise being gay would have been even more of a challenge.

Oh man, that is so true. Minneapolis is such a great city. Though Minnesota isn't all that happy with gay people is it? Well, you know, it really actually is. I guess I think that because of people like Michele Bachmann - a woman who is hardly an example of a tolerant Minnesotan (laughs)!

Isn't that the truth? It's so different now then when I was a young kid in Wisconsin in my 20s. It was pretty liberal legislatively and fairly tolerant. Now, it's like the state has been hijacked.

That's right, unions began there (Wisconsin was the first state to grant public-sector unions the right to negotiate contracts, Gov. Gaylord Nelson signed that into law in 1959) and Russ Feingold, the Democratic Senator, was from there as well. Madison is kind of a stalwart island that retains its liberal stronghold.

At what point did you begin to figure out your sexuality?

I guess when I first heard the word, I thought, "Oh my god, that's me!" I was about 12 when I heard someone use the word "gay" and I remember thinking, "Oh my god, I have the girl version of that (laughs)!" I didn't really act on it, but of course being in the theatre, there were a lot of gay people who I encountered. Most of us were in the closet up through college, but eventually everybody must come out. Especially when you're involved with theatre, which is all about expression. It's about being true to who you are and plumbing the depths of your own person, you eventually have to run into that part of yourself (laughs).

Was there a pivotal moment for you that made you decide to come out?

I really had two "coming outs." When I came out to myself, I was in my senior year in college... let's just say I acted on it (laughs). I didn't officially come out or tell my parents until I was 31. That was really a turning point. I was freshly sober and involved in AA, where you kind of dig deep. You do this thing called the Fourth Step and come clean with everybody. Coming out wasn't necessarily a formal part of my Fourth Step, but it was definitely something that I had to do if I wanted to continue to move forward.

I wanted to have a relationship with my family, and I had started to feel myself pulling away from them. I decided that I would rather take the chance and let them know, then not do it. It's kind of the same as how you have to be as an actor, sort of like the Stanislavski system [the inventor of Method Acting]. It's also what is inscribed at the top of the temple at Delphi, "Know Thyself."

You've managed to pack a lot into the last few years. Are there moments that in particular stand out for you?

I guess there are many moments, though not all of them are defining moments artistically. Getting into the Christopher Guest works, "Best In Show," "A Mighty Wind" and "For Your Consideration" were definitely not only career-defining, they kind of propelled me into a place in my process that I didn't expect. I didn't know that I would be good at that kind of improv.

Being thrown into the deep end of the pool and being in the moment, with the other people in those shows, was wonderful. I loved it. It takes a certain amount of confidence and entitlement to your own presence in a scene to make it work... and to not hog the scene. You're basically part of an ensemble, just one of the instruments, but you really have to know how and when to "blow your own horn," if I could keep mixing those metaphors!

Those three films were a particular kind of collaboration that seems to me is really rare in film. Guest must have been amazing to work with.

Yes, and Eugene Levy, who co-wrote with him was too. Christopher is definitely responsible for how those movies look and feel. How they move and the engine of them is all Chris Guest. Not to take away from what the actors do, we are all very important to the films, but he's the guy who makes the magic and breathes life into it.

Would you say that "Glee" was the tipping point for your career?

As far as the level of recognition and notoriety, "Glee" was definitely the tipping point for me.

The show is coming to an end pretty quickly isn't it?

Yes, we've got I think 13 episodes... maybe 12... yes, 12 episodes left and we'll start shooting them soon, but I don't think that they will actually start showing till mid-season. It's about half of what a regular season is, so it's going to be a little shorter.

How much are you going to miss Sue Sylvester?

Well, there is definitely the part about missing having a regular job and missing the character and crew. Going through the gates to work at Paramount still gives me a thrill. I'd always wanted to be an actress, to be on television, in movies and in theatre, and every time I get to do it, I still get such a charge out of it. I will definitely miss that part of the show.

It's a significant program because of the topics that have been taken on.

Ryan [Murphy] took that part of it very seriously. He didn't let anything relevant in pop culture pass by without writing about it. I think that was really helpful for many in the end and made kids feel like they weren't alone - that somebody had their back. That is such an important thing.

It will be interesting to see what will happens, how it will resolve, though I'm sure you can't share that... (If she could see me, I'd be nodding and winking at her).

I don't have any of the answers anyway; we haven't seen the scripts yet (laughs)!

You really expanded your musical range in the show; do you see yourself now as a musician, or solely as an actor?

I guess I would have to say an actor first. I'm not really a musician; I don't play any instruments other than singing. If I were forced at gunpoint, to identify myself as one particular thing, I would definitely choose actor (laughs).

Do you prefer live performance?

When I did "Annie," I realized that I hadn't been on stage in a play in maybe 25 years. I did live comedy for many years, but I haven't really done that either in about 10 years. Once I was out there doing Miss Hannigan, I realized and remembered that this is why I do it, because I love it so much.

So, I have the bug again, absolutely. Do I like it better? I don't know, there is something about the energy that is required to put on a live performance that I just love. You are so in the moment. Once you get on that train, there is no getting off of it and you are on it until it pulls into the next station.

Are you planning to do more live performance like your upcoming show in San Diego?

Yes, I have a handful of dates after "Glee" wraps in the late winter/early spring. The San Diego date is sort of a maiden voyage for us. I'll be using a new band and my friend Kate Flannery, who plays Meredith the drunk on the show "The Office," who is a very good friend, is singing a couple of tunes with me. She is really my cohort in this whole thing and I'm very glad to have her with me.

Congratulation on your new gig, "Hollywood Game Night," and on your Emmy Award for the show. It is such a riot! I understand the idea was born out of dinner parties at Sean Hayes?

Thank you! It's such a great show and yes, Sean had these game nights in his house where we would go from room to room playing. It was an event, so many of the games were ones that I'd never heard and it was all so meticulously planned out. We're all fiercely competitive and it was a lot of fun. So, he had the idea, "Let's put this on television," and NBC said "Okay," and that's really how it all came to be. We are having about as much fun as it looks like we are having.

I loved Martha Stewart on the show... hysterical.

I know, really, what was Martha Stewart doing on our show? She was actually great, but I have to admit, my first response when I heard she was coming on was, who? Really? (Laughs)

I guess it's good to see that she has a sense of humor.

Exactly, loosen up Martha (laughs)! And she totally did, she was great on the show.

Catch Jane Lynch Thursday nights for Hollywood Game Night on NBC. "Glee"'s final season will begin mid-2015. She will be performing her one-woman show, "An Evening With Jane Lynch," in San Diego at the Balboa Theatre on Saturday, October 18. For tickets and more information call 619.570.1100 or go to sandiegotheatres.org