Jane Lynch

Jane Marie Lynch is an American actress, comedian, and singer born on July 14, 1960. She is best known for her extensive work in comedic television and film, most notably her breakthrough performance as cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series Glee. Over her career, Lynch has received multiple honors, including a Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Lynch was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, and raised in a Catholic family in Dolton, Illinois. Her father, Frank Joseph Lynch, was a banker of Irish descent, and her mother, Eileen Lynch, was a homemaker-secretary of Irish and Swedish heritage. She attended Thornridge High School before studying theater in college, earning a bachelor's degree from Illinois State University in 1982 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Cornell University in 1984.

Lynch began her professional acting career in Chicago, where she spent 15 years performing with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and The Second City comedy troupe. She further honed her improvisational skills at the Annoyance Theater, playing Carol Brady in The Real Live Brady Bunch. Her stage career also includes writing and starring in the play Oh Sister, My Sister, performing in Nora Ephron's off-Broadway production Love, Loss, and What I Wore, and appearing on Broadway as Miss Hannigan in Annie and Mrs. Brice in Funny Girl.

She made her feature film debut in Vice Versa in 1988 and appeared in secondary roles in films such as The Fugitive. Lynch achieved broader recognition through her work with director Christopher Guest in mockumentary films including Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. Following her breakout turn in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, she secured supporting roles in mainstream comedies such as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Role Models, Paul, The Three Stooges, and Julie & Julia. She has also voiced characters in animated features, including Space Chimps, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Shrek Forever After, Rio, and the Wreck-It Ralph franchise.

On television, Lynch built a prolific profile with recurring and guest roles in series such as Two and a Half Men, The L Word, Party Down, Criminal Minds, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Good Fight, and Only Murders in the Building. Her starring role on Glee from 2009 to 2015 brought her widespread acclaim. Additionally, Lynch has served as a television host, presiding over the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, the game show Hollywood Game Night, and the American revival of The Weakest Link.

Beyond acting, Lynch published an autobiography, Happy Accidents, in 2011, and has toured with her cabaret show See Jane Sing, releasing the holiday album A Swingin' Little Christmas in 2016. In her personal life, Lynch was married to Lara Embry from 2010 until their divorce in 2014, and she married Jennifer Cheyne in November 2021. She is deaf in her right ear.