Jane Lynch
Encyclopedia
Jane Marie Lynch is an American comedian, actress and singer. She gained fame in Christopher Guest
's improv
mockumentary
pictures such as Best in Show
and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester
in the television series Glee
. She has also had notable roles in numerous mainstream
comedies, such as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
and Role Models
.
, Illinois, the daughter of a homemaker-secretary mother, Eileen, and a banker father, Frank Lynch. Her father was of Irish descent and her mother was of Irish and Swedish ancestry. She was raised in a Catholic family and attended Thornridge High School
. She received her bachelor's degree
in theater from Illinois State University
and her MFA
in theater from Cornell University
.
, acting in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
, and, at the time of her audition, was one of only two women picked to join The Second City
comedy troupe. She then continued to hone her comical and improvisational skills at Annoyance Theater, playing Carol Brady in the theater's The Real Live Brady Bunch. Andy Richter played Mike Brady in the New York shows. He and Jane became very good friends.
Lynch got her start in films in 1988, playing a small role in the film Vice Versa
. In 1993 she had secondary role as a doctor alongside Harrison Ford in The Fugitive
in 1993. Nearly a decade of television roles followed, including L.A. Law
, Judging Amy
, The West Wing, 7th Heaven
, Desperate Housewives
, Friends
, Dawson's Creek
(as Pacey's mother), Felicity, Arrested Development, the cult hit Lovespring International
, Two and a Half Men
, Weeds
, Boston Legal
, The L Word
, Criminal Minds
, Help Me Help You
, Gilmore Girls
, The New Adventures of Old Christine
, Psych
, Monk
and Party Down
among others. She also starred with John Hannah
and William Fichtner
in 2002's MDs and has appeared in the crime drama Criminal Minds
as Spencer Reid's schizophrenic mother.
During this time, she also made numerous television commercials, including one for Kellogg's cereal "Frosted Flakes
" for an adult audience, directed by Christopher Guest
. A few years later, Guest would remember Lynch as he cast actors for his dog show mockumentary
, Best in Show
(2000). As Christy Cummings, Lynch played a butch lesbian personal dog handler to trophy wife Sheri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge
). Since then, she has been a staple part of Guest's casts, appearing in the director's A Mighty Wind
(2003) as porn actress-turned-folk singer
Laurie Bohner and in For Your Consideration
(2006) as an entertainment reporter.
Around this time, Lynch also wrote and starred in the award-winning play Oh Sister, My Sister. Originally produced in 1998, the play kicked off the Lesbians in Theater program at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
in 2004.
Audiences and critics took notice of Lynch for her oddball turn in Judd Apatow
's The 40-Year-Old Virgin
. She told Fresh Air
s Terry Gross
the role was originally intended for a man but, at the urging of Steve Carell
's wife Nancy Walls
, was offered to Lynch instead. Since then, she has starred in a series of films including Role Models
, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
, Space Chimps
, The Rocker
, The Hammer
, Another Cinderella Story
, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
, and Spring Breakdown
.
In Julie and Julia, she played the role of Dorothy McWilliams, Julia Child
's sister. Entertainment Weekly
dedicated an article on their website toward the possibility of her performance receiving an Academy Award nomination.
Beginning 2009, Lynch appeared on the Fox series Glee
. She won glowing reviews for her role as the aggressive cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
. Mary McNamara of the LA Times wrote, "Lynch alone makes Glee worth watching." Before her work with Glee, she was a series regular on the Starz comedy Party Down
. Though the series was renewed for a second season, Lynch would not be returning due to her work on Glee.
Lynch has garnered numerous accolades and awards throughout her career, particularly for her role as Sue Sylvester. In 2005, for example, Lynch was named as one of POWER UP
's "10 Amazing Gay Women in Showbiz." On December 15, 2009, Lynch received a Golden Globe
nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film for her role on Glee
. She was the favorite to win in her category but lost in an upset to Chloë Sevigny
. The series itself also received nominations in three other categories. On August 29, 2010, Lynch won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series
. And in January 2011, Lynch was awarded the Golden Globe in The Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Catergory.
In addition to her current work on "Glee
", Lynch continues to pursue other projects. Lynch hosted Saturday Night Live
on October 9, 2010; the news of her hosting was accidentally broken to her by her Glee
boss, Ryan Murphy, by text message. Lynch also guest starred on the Nickelodeon
show iCarly
as Pam Puckett, Sam Puckett's mother, in the episode iSam's Mom.
She starred in Comcast
's XFinity ads that are prevalent in both the Internet and television in the United States, mainly with two different laptops and two different colored Persian cats. She also stars in LG Corp.'s Text Ed campaign to educate drivers about the dangers of texting while driving.
Lynch's first experience hosting an awards show was in 2010 when she hosted the 2010 VH1 DoSomething
Awards. It was announced that she will be hosting the 2011 VH1 DoSomething Awards, airing on VH1 on August 18. Lynch hosted the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
on September 18, 2011, only the third woman in Emmy history to host the awards show solo. According to September 19's "Hollywood Reporter" Lynch hosting the Emmys did not help ratings, as viewing was down 8% year over year and eight million less people watched the Emmys as watched Michael Vick's return to Atlanta on Sunday Night Football on NBC (21.5 million for Eagles-Falcons, 13.5 million for the Emmys).
Christopher Guest
Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest , better known as Christopher Guest, is an American screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor and comedian. He is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed and starred in several improvisational "mockumentary" films that...
's improv
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
pictures such as Best in Show
Best in Show (film)
Best in Show is a 2000 independent film that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. The film focuses on the slightly surreal interactions among the various owners and handlers as they travel to the show and compete. Much of the dialogue was improvised.Christopher Guest directed; he also...
and is currently best known for playing the role of Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
in the television series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. She has also had notable roles in numerous mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
comedies, such as Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also...
, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American buddy comedy film about a middle-aged man's journey to finally have sex. The film was written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by its lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue...
and Role Models
Role Models
Role Models is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Wain about two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for various offenses. For their service, the two men work at a program designed to pair kids with adult role models. The film...
.
Early life
Lynch was born and raised in DoltonDolton, Illinois
Dolton is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,614 at the 2000 census. Dolton is located just west of the expressway Interstate 94 and immediately south of the city limits of Chicago. Its most common ZIP code is 60419....
, Illinois, the daughter of a homemaker-secretary mother, Eileen, and a banker father, Frank Lynch. Her father was of Irish descent and her mother was of Irish and Swedish ancestry. She was raised in a Catholic family and attended Thornridge High School
Thornridge High School
Thornridge High School is a public high school located in Dolton, Illinois. It was built as part of Thornton Township High Schools District 205. It is sometimes confused with the similar sounding schools in the same district: Thornton Township High School and Thornwood High...
. She received her bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in theater from Illinois State University
Illinois State University
Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...
and her MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
in theater from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
.
Career
Lynch spent fifteen years in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, acting in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. It has since relocated to Chicago's Halsted Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Its name comes from...
, and, at the time of her audition, was one of only two women picked to join The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
comedy troupe. She then continued to hone her comical and improvisational skills at Annoyance Theater, playing Carol Brady in the theater's The Real Live Brady Bunch. Andy Richter played Mike Brady in the New York shows. He and Jane became very good friends.
Lynch got her start in films in 1988, playing a small role in the film Vice Versa
Vice Versa (1988 film)
Vice Versa is a 1988 comedy film starring Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage. It is the fourth screen adaptation of the 1882 novel of the same name by F. Anstey...
. In 1993 she had secondary role as a doctor alongside Harrison Ford in The Fugitive
The Fugitive (1993 film)
The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
in 1993. Nearly a decade of television roles followed, including L.A. Law
L.A. Law
L.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
, Judging Amy
Judging Amy
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
, The West Wing, 7th Heaven
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
, Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
(as Pacey's mother), Felicity, Arrested Development, the cult hit Lovespring International
Lovespring International
Lovespring International is an American comedy series created by Guy Shalem and Brad Isaacs which aired on Lifetime on Mondays at 11pm during the Summer of 2006 in the United States. Lovespring was canceled on December 1, 2006...
, Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men
Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake...
, Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
, Boston Legal
Boston Legal
Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
, The L Word
The L Word
The L Word is an American co-production television drama series originally shown on Showtime portraying the lives of a group of lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and their friends, family and lovers in the trendy Greater Los Angeles, California city of West Hollywood...
, Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
, Help Me Help You
Help Me Help You
Help Me Help You is an American television situation comedy that aired from September 26, 2006 to December 12, 2006. It was first broadcast at 9:30pm Tuesdays on ABC in the United States and on Global in Canada...
, Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
, The New Adventures of Old Christine
The New Adventures of Old Christine
The New Adventures of Old Christine is an American comedy series starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus which ran for five seasons on CBS from March 13, 2006, to May 12, 2010...
, Psych
Psych
Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts...
, Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
and Party Down
Party Down
Party Down is an American comedy television series created and primarily written by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd that aired on the Starz network in the United States.-Conception:...
among others. She also starred with John Hannah
John Hannah (actor)
John David Hannah is a Scottish actor of film and television. He has appeared in Stephen Sommers' Mummy Series, Richard Curtis' Four Weddings and a Funeral and Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow...
and William Fichtner
William Fichtner
William Edward Fichtner is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Sheriff Tom Underlay on Invasion, as Alexander Mahone on Prison Break, as William Sharp in Armageddon, and as Ken Rosenberg in the video games Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.- Early life...
in 2002's MDs and has appeared in the crime drama Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
as Spencer Reid's schizophrenic mother.
During this time, she also made numerous television commercials, including one for Kellogg's cereal "Frosted Flakes
Frosted Flakes
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes is a breakfast cereal first introduced by the Kellogg Company. It consists of corn flakes "frosted" or coated with sugar. The "Frosted Flakes" name is used by Kellogg's in United States and Canada. The cereal was first introduced in 1951 as Sugar Frosted Flakes...
" for an adult audience, directed by Christopher Guest
Christopher Guest
Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest , better known as Christopher Guest, is an American screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor and comedian. He is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed and starred in several improvisational "mockumentary" films that...
. A few years later, Guest would remember Lynch as he cast actors for his dog show mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
, Best in Show
Best in Show (film)
Best in Show is a 2000 independent film that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. The film focuses on the slightly surreal interactions among the various owners and handlers as they travel to the show and compete. Much of the dialogue was improvised.Christopher Guest directed; he also...
(2000). As Christy Cummings, Lynch played a butch lesbian personal dog handler to trophy wife Sheri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress best known for playing "Stifler's mom," the older woman in the film American Pie ; Hilary Duff's stepmother in A Cinderella Story ; Paulette, the manicurist in Legally Blonde and its sequel; the voice of Aunt Fanny in the animated feature Robots ; for her...
). Since then, she has been a staple part of Guest's casts, appearing in the director's A Mighty Wind
A Mighty Wind
A Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary about a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands must reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. It was directed by Christopher Guest...
(2003) as porn actress-turned-folk singer
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
Laurie Bohner and in For Your Consideration
For Your Consideration (film)
For Your Consideration is a 2006 comedy film directed by Christopher Guest. It was co-written by Guest and Eugene Levy, both also starring in the film....
(2006) as an entertainment reporter.
Around this time, Lynch also wrote and starred in the award-winning play Oh Sister, My Sister. Originally produced in 1998, the play kicked off the Lesbians in Theater program at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center
The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center provides a broad array of services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Its clinic and on-site pharmacy offers free and low-cost health, mental health, HIV/AIDS medical care and HIV/STD testing and prevention, although there are no direct...
in 2004.
Audiences and critics took notice of Lynch for her oddball turn in Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow
Judd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well known for his work in comedy films, especially for films he has been involved with throughout the latter half of the 2000s. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, a film production company that also developed the...
's The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American buddy comedy film about a middle-aged man's journey to finally have sex. The film was written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by its lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue...
. She told Fresh Air
Fresh Air
Fresh Air is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States. The show is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its longtime host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 450 stations and claimed 4.5 million listeners. The show...
s Terry Gross
Terry Gross
Terry Gross is the host and co-executive producer of Fresh Air, an interview format radio show produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia and distributed throughout the United States by National Public Radio....
the role was originally intended for a man but, at the urging of Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
's wife Nancy Walls
Nancy Walls
Nancy Ellen Carell is an American actress best known for her comedic work on Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show.-Early life:...
, was offered to Lynch instead. Since then, she has starred in a series of films including Role Models
Role Models
Role Models is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Wain about two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for various offenses. For their service, the two men work at a program designed to pair kids with adult role models. The film...
, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also...
, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a 2007 music comedy film written and produced by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan, directed by Kasdan and starring John C. Reilly...
, Space Chimps
Space Chimps
Space Chimps is a 2008 computer-animated family comedy film produced by Vanguard Animation, Starz Media and 20th Century Fox, and it was released on July 18, 2008. The film is produced by Barry Sonnenfeld, John H. Williams, and John W...
, The Rocker
The Rocker (film)
The Rocker is a 2008 American comedy directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Rainn Wilson, Josh Gad, Teddy Geiger, Emma Stone, Christina Applegate and Jason Sudeikis...
, The Hammer
The Hammer (film)
The Hammer is a 2007 comedy film starring Adam Carolla and Heather Juergensen. It was directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld.-Plot:Jerry Ferro is pushing 40 years old and is not what you would call a success. He works part-time in construction as a carpenter and part-time as a boxing instructor at a...
, Another Cinderella Story
Another Cinderella Story
Another Cinderella Story is a 2008 romantic comedy directed by Damon Santostefano and starring Selena Gomez and Drew Seeley. The film was released direct-to-DVD by Warner Premiere on September 16, 2008. It was released on DVD in the UK on October 27, 2008...
, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, also known as Ice Age 3, is a 2009 3-D computer animated film. It is the third installment of the Ice Age series, produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox...
, and Spring Breakdown
Spring Breakdown
Spring Breakdown is a comedy film starring Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, and Rachel Dratch. Three years after principal photography, and after the film's owner, Warner Independent Pictures, was shut down by its parent company, it was released direct-to-video in 2009.-Plot:The film begins with Gayle,...
.
In Julie and Julia, she played the role of Dorothy McWilliams, Julia Child
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
's sister. Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
dedicated an article on their website toward the possibility of her performance receiving an Academy Award nomination.
Beginning 2009, Lynch appeared on the Fox series Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. She won glowing reviews for her role as the aggressive cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester
Sue Sylvester
Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian...
. Mary McNamara of the LA Times wrote, "Lynch alone makes Glee worth watching." Before her work with Glee, she was a series regular on the Starz comedy Party Down
Party Down
Party Down is an American comedy television series created and primarily written by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd that aired on the Starz network in the United States.-Conception:...
. Though the series was renewed for a second season, Lynch would not be returning due to her work on Glee.
Lynch has garnered numerous accolades and awards throughout her career, particularly for her role as Sue Sylvester. In 2005, for example, Lynch was named as one of POWER UP
Power Up
POWER UP is an American non-profit organization and film production company with the stated mission "to promote the visibility and integration of gay women in entertainment, the arts, and all forms of media". It was founded in 2000 by film producers Stacy Codikow and Amy Shomer...
's "10 Amazing Gay Women in Showbiz." On December 15, 2009, Lynch received a Golden Globe
67th Golden Globe Awards
The 67th Golden Globe Awards was telecasted live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 17, 2010 by NBC, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM and 8:00PM – 11:00 PM . The ceremonies were hosted by Ricky Gervais, and were broadcast live for the first time.Nominations were...
nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film for her role on Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
. She was the favorite to win in her category but lost in an upset to Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Stevens Sevigny is an American film actress, fashion designer and former model. Sevigny gained reputation for her eclectic fashion sense and developed a broad career in the fashion industry in the mid 1990s, both for modeling and for her work at New York's Sassy magazine, which labeled her...
. The series itself also received nominations in three other categories. On August 29, 2010, Lynch won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series
This is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.-Superlatives:-1950s:*1953: Vivian Vance - I Love Lucy as Ethel Mertz** Audrey Meadows - The Jackie Gleason Show as Alice Kramden...
. And in January 2011, Lynch was awarded the Golden Globe in The Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Catergory.
In addition to her current work on "Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
", Lynch continues to pursue other projects. Lynch hosted Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
on October 9, 2010; the news of her hosting was accidentally broken to her by her Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
boss, Ryan Murphy, by text message. Lynch also guest starred on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
show iCarly
ICarly
iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...
as Pam Puckett, Sam Puckett's mother, in the episode iSam's Mom.
She starred in Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
's XFinity ads that are prevalent in both the Internet and television in the United States, mainly with two different laptops and two different colored Persian cats. She also stars in LG Corp.'s Text Ed campaign to educate drivers about the dangers of texting while driving.
Lynch's first experience hosting an awards show was in 2010 when she hosted the 2010 VH1 DoSomething
Do Something
Do Something is a non-profit organization that motivates young people to take action around social changes through national campaigns and grants for projects that make an impact. The organization's CEO is Nancy Lublin, who founded Dress for Success in 1996.-History:The organization was co-founded...
Awards. It was announced that she will be hosting the 2011 VH1 DoSomething Awards, airing on VH1 on August 18. Lynch hosted the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in primetime television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, was held on September 18, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Fox televised the ceremony within the United States. Actress Jane Lynch hosted...
on September 18, 2011, only the third woman in Emmy history to host the awards show solo. According to September 19's "Hollywood Reporter" Lynch hosting the Emmys did not help ratings, as viewing was down 8% year over year and eight million less people watched the Emmys as watched Michael Vick's return to Atlanta on Sunday Night Football on NBC (21.5 million for Eagles-Falcons, 13.5 million for the Emmys).
Personal life
Lynch's memoir, Happy Accidents, was released Fall 2011 by Hyperion Voice. She was inspired to write the book after reflecting upon the successes of her past year and wishing she could have told her more anxious, younger self to not worry as much. The memoir also includes detail about her years as an alcoholic and her success in battling this addiction. Lynch is openly lesbian, and married Lara Embry in 2010.Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Taxi Killer | ||
| 1988 | Vice Versa Vice Versa (1988 film) Vice Versa is a 1988 comedy film starring Judge Reinhold and Fred Savage. It is the fourth screen adaptation of the 1882 novel of the same name by F. Anstey... |
Ms. Linstrom | |
| 1992 | In the Best Interest of the Children In the Best Interest of the Children In the Best Interest of the Children is a fact-based TV film starring Sarah Jessica Parker who plays a woman struggling with manic-depression while raising her five children... |
Gwen Hatcher | TV Movie, as Jany Lynch |
| Straight Talk Straight Talk Straight Talk is an 1992 American comedy-film distributed by Hollywood Pictures, directed by Barnet Kellman and starring Dolly Parton and James Woods. Parton did not receive star-billing in any other theatrically-released films until the 2012 film Joyful Noise, alongside Queen Latifah... |
Gladys | ||
| 1993 | Dr. Kathy Wahlund | ||
| Fatal Instinct Fatal Instinct Fatal Instinct is a 1993 comedy film directed by Carl Reiner. It parodies the erotic thriller movie genre, which at the time had reached its commercial peak. The film stars Armand Assante as a lawyer and cop named Ned Ravine who has an affair with a woman named Lola Cain played by Sean Young... |
Prison Reporter | ||
| 1997 | Touch Me | Counselor | |
| 2000 | What Planet Are You From? What Planet Are You From? What Planet Are You From? is a 2000 comedy film starring Garry Shandling and Annette Bening. It was directed by Mike Nichols.-Plot:A denizen of a faraway planet occupied only by highly evolved males is ordered to find a female human, impregnate her and bring the baby back to the planet... |
Doreen | |
| Red Lipstick | Final TV Newscaster | ||
| Color Me Gay | Executive / Do-Rag Lesbian | Finalist at the 2nd PlanetOut.com Short Movie Awards | |
| Best in Show Best in Show (film) Best in Show is a 2000 independent film that follows five entrants in a prestigious dog show. The film focuses on the slightly surreal interactions among the various owners and handlers as they travel to the show and compete. Much of the dialogue was improvised.Christopher Guest directed; he also... |
Christy Cummings | ||
| 2001 | Nice Guys Finish Last | Mom | Comedy short |
| Martini | Dr. Jane | Short Short subject A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all... |
|
| 2002 | Hiding in Walls | Diane Moffet | Comedy short |
| Collateral Damage Collateral Damage (film) Collateral Damage is a 2002 American action film that tells the story of a Los Angeles firefighter, Gordon Brewer , who looks to avenge his son's and wife's deaths at the hands of a guerrilla commando, by traveling to Colombia and facing his family's killers.-Plot:A bomb is detonated in the plaza... |
Agent Russo | ||
| Miss Rush | TV Movie | ||
| 2003 | Laurie Bohner | Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast The Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast is an annual award given by the Phoenix Film Critics Society.-2000s:*2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring... |
|
| Exposed Exposed (film) Exposed is a 2003 American independent comedy film starring Brenda Strong, Lumi Cavazos, Gia Carides, Tate Donovan and Missi Pyle.Bob Smith , the host of the scandalous news show "Probe", launches an investigation to dig up dirt on three popular television celebrities who are up for a "Woman of... |
Julie Gross | ||
| 2004 | Little Black Boot | Grace | Comedy short |
| Surviving Eden | Maude Silver | ||
| Sleepover Sleepover (2004 film) Sleepover is a 2004 American teen film directed by Joe Nussbaum and starring Alexa Vega and Sara Paxton.-Plot:On the last day of 8th grade before their freshman year in high school, Julie Corky has a slumber party with 3 best friends, Hannah Carlson , Yancy Williams , and Farrah James... |
Gabby Corky | ||
| Memoirs of an Evil Stepmother | Blanche Monroe | Comedy short | |
| Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a 2004 black comedy film directed by Brad Silberling. It is an adaptation of the The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, and The Wide Window, being the first three books in A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket... |
Realtor | Uncredited role | |
| Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean... |
Scenes deleted from final cut | ||
| 2005 | Holly Hobbie and Friends: Surprise Party Holly Hobbie and Friends: Surprise Party Hollie Hobbie and Friends: Surprise Party is a direct-to-DVD animated film released in 2006 by Paramount Pictures. This is the first movie to star the Holly Hobbie doll, albeit completely redesigned from her traditional look. This movie stars Alyson Stoner and Liliana Mumy.The film premiered in... |
Joan Hobbie / Minnie | Animated, voice actor |
| Promtroversy | Mimi Nimby (Concerned Parent) | Comedy short | |
| Paula | |||
| Bam Bam and Celeste | Darlene | ||
| Sybill Platt | |||
| 2006 | Dr. Davina | ||
| Separated at Worth | Jennifer | TV Movie | |
| Fifty Pills Fifty Pills Fifty Pills is the debut feature film of director Theo Avgerinos, which premiered at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.-Plot:... |
Doreen | ||
| Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also... |
Lucy Bobby | ||
| For Your Consideration For Your Consideration (film) For Your Consideration is a 2006 comedy film directed by Christopher Guest. It was co-written by Guest and Eugene Levy, both also starring in the film.... |
Cindy | Nominated—Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast Gotham Awards The Gotham Awards is an annual ceremony of awards presented to the makers of independent films which takes place in New York City... |
|
| Dr. Emily Brice | Comedy short | ||
| Holly Hobbie and Friends: Christmas Wishes Holly Hobbie and Friends: Christmas Wishes Holly Hobbie and Friends: Christmas Wishes is the second direct-to-DVD movie to feature the Holly Hobbie character. It premiered on November 11, 2006 on Nick Jr., and was released on DVD by Sony Wonder on November 14... |
Joan Hobbie / Minnie | Animated, voice actor | |
| Eye of the Dolphin Eye of the Dolphin Eye of the Dolphin is a 2006 American drama film distributed by Monterey Media and Quantum Entertainmen. The film was written by Wendell Morris and directed by Michael Sellers. It starred Carly Schroeder, Adrian Dunbar, George Harris, Katharine Ross and Christine Adams... |
Glinton | Lovespring International Lovespring International Lovespring International is an American comedy series created by Guy Shalem and Brad Isaacs which aired on Lifetime on Mondays at 11pm during the Summer of 2006 in the United States. Lovespring was canceled on December 1, 2006... |
|
| 2007 | I Do & I Don't | Nora Stelmack | Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival Jury Award for Best Actress Comedy Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010... |
| Smiley Face Smiley Face (film) Smiley Face is a 2007 American/German comedy film written by Dylan Haggerty and directed and co-produced by Gregg Araki. It stars Anna Faris as a young woman who has a series of misadventures after eating a large number of cupcakes laced with cannabis... |
Casting Director | ||
| Suffering Man's Charity Suffering Man's Charity Suffering Man's Charity, also released as Ghost Writer, is a 2007 comedy/horror film directed by Alan Cumming and written by Thomas Gallagher.-Plot:... |
Ingrid | ||
| Love is Love | Reverend Greeley | Comedy short | |
| Holly Hobbie and Friends: Best Friends Forever | Joan Hobbie / Minnie | Animated, voice actor | |
| Alvin and the Chipmunks Alvin and the Chipmunks (film) Alvin and the Chipmunks is a 2007 comedy film directed by Tim Hill. Based on the animated series of the same name, the film stars Jason Lee, David Cross, and Cameron Richardson with the voices of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney. It was distributed by 20th Century Fox and... |
Gail | ||
| Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is a 2007 music comedy film written and produced by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan, directed by Kasdan and starring John C. Reilly... |
News Interviewer | Uncredited role | |
| 2008 | Honey Strumpet | ||
| Woman in hardware store | |||
| Adventures of Power Adventures of Power Adventures of Power is an American feature film written and directed by Ari Gold, starring Ari Gold, Michael McKean, Jane Lynch, Shoshannah Stern, Chiu Chi Ling, and Adrian Grenier and featuring Steven Williams, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Annie Golden and Nick Kroll, with a cameo performance by Rush drummer... |
Joni | ||
| Tru Loved Tru Loved Tru Loved is a 2008 independent feature film written and directed by Stewart Wade.-Plot:Sixteen-year-old Tru has been raised in San Francisco by two lesbian mothers and two gay fathers... |
Ms. Maple | ||
| Space Chimps Space Chimps Space Chimps is a 2008 computer-animated family comedy film produced by Vanguard Animation, Starz Media and 20th Century Fox, and it was released on July 18, 2008. The film is produced by Barry Sonnenfeld, John H. Williams, and John W... |
Dr. Poole | voice actor | |
| Lisa | |||
| Another Cinderella Story Another Cinderella Story Another Cinderella Story is a 2008 romantic comedy directed by Damon Santostefano and starring Selena Gomez and Drew Seeley. The film was released direct-to-DVD by Warner Premiere on September 16, 2008. It was released on DVD in the UK on October 27, 2008... |
Dominique Blatt | Direct-to-DVD | |
| Role Models Role Models Role Models is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Wain about two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for various offenses. For their service, the two men work at a program designed to pair kids with adult role models. The film... |
Gayle Sweeny | ||
| Man Maid | Sabena | ||
| 2009 | Big Breaks | M.J. | Short |
| Spring Breakdown Spring Breakdown Spring Breakdown is a comedy film starring Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, and Rachel Dratch. Three years after principal photography, and after the film's owner, Warner Independent Pictures, was shut down by its parent company, it was released direct-to-video in 2009.-Plot:The film begins with Gayle,... |
Senator Kay Bee Hartmann | ||
| Weather Girl Weather Girl Weather Girl is a 2009 comedy film. The film stars Tricia O'Kelley, Mark Harmon, Jon Cryer, Enrico Colantoni.-Plot:A Seattle morning show weather girl, after learning her boyfriend has cheated on her, freaks out on-air and is fired... |
J.D. | ||
| Mr. Troop Mom Mr. Troop Mom Mr. Troop Mom is an American 2009 Comedy Family film directed by William Dear, written by Thomas Ian Griffith and starring George Lopez, Daniela Bobadilla, April Telek, Julia Anderson, Elizabeth Thai, Geoff Gustafson, and Jane Lynch. It tells of Eddie Serrano , a widower, and his teenage daughter... |
Ms. Hulka | Nickelodeon Nickelodeon Studios Nickelodeon Studios was a television taping studio as well as an original attraction at Universal Studios Florida.-History:... film |
|
| Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust is a video game published by Codemasters for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows and Mobile phone which was released on 27 March, 2009. It is the first Leisure Suit Larry game to be released for seventh generation consoles. It was announced on January 17,... |
Video Game/Voice Work | ||
| Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, also known as Ice Age 3, is a 2009 3-D computer animated film. It is the third installment of the Ice Age series, produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox... |
Diatryma Mom | Voice Work | |
| Julie & Julia Julie & Julia Julie & Julia is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, and Chris Messina... |
Dorothy McWilliams | ||
| Post Grad | Carmella Malby | ||
| 2010 | Shrek Forever After Shrek Forever After Shrek Forever After, taglined as The Final Chapter, is a 2010 animated fantasy-comedy film, and the fourth and final installment in the Shrek film series, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia, and on May 21 in the United... |
Gretchen | |
| 2011 | Rio Rio (film) Rio, often promoted as Rio: The Movie, is a 2011 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. The title refers to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, in which the film is set. The film features the voices of Jesse Eisenberg, Anne... |
Yo/Alice | |
| Paul Paul (film) Paul is a 2011 science fiction comedy film directed by Greg Mottola, written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. It stars Pegg, Frost, and the voice of Seth Rogen as the title character... |
Pat Stevenson | ||
| 2012 | The Three Stooges The Three Stooges (film) The Three Stooges is an upcoming slapstick comedy film based on the mid-20th century comedy shorts of the same name. It was produced, written and directed by the Farrelly brothers and co-written by Mike Cerrone... |
Mother Superior | filming |
| 2012 | Wreck-It Ralph Wreck-It Ralph Wreck-It Ralph is an upcoming 2012 3D computer-animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and directed by Rich Moore, a former animation director of The Simpsons and Futurama. Its working titles were Joe Jump and Reboot Ralph. The film will feature the voices of John C... |
Sergeant Calhoun | voice |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Bakersfield P.D. Bakersfield P.D. Bakersfield P.D. was a short-lived American television comedy series that aired on the Fox network in 1993-94.The show was based in the police department of the city of Bakersfield, California. It was shot with naturalistic lighting and without a laugh track... |
Michelle Hathaway | Episode: "Bakersfield Madam" |
| 1993 | Empty Nest | Tammy | Episode: "The Girl Who Cried Baby" |
| 1994 | Married... with Children Married... with Children Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created... |
Greta | Episode: "Valentine's Day Massacre" |
| 1994 | Party of Five Party of Five Party of Five is an American teen drama television series that aired on Fox for six seasons, from September 12, 1994, until May 3, 2000.Critically acclaimed, the show suffered from low ratings and after its first season was slated for cancellation... |
Dr. Pennant | Episode: "Much Ado" |
| 1994 | Evaluator | Episode: "The Tutor" | |
| 1995 | In The House In the House (TV series) In the House is an American sitcom that premiered on April 10, 1995 on NBC. The series moved to UPN after its second season where it remained for an additional three seasons until it was canceled on August 11, 1999. In the House starred LL Cool J and Maia Campbell.-Synopsis:Marion Hill is a former... |
Ruth | Episode: "Female Trouble" |
| 1995 | NewsRadio NewsRadio NewsRadio is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from 1995 to 1999. The series was created by executive producer Paul Simms, and was filmed in front of a studio audience at CBS Studio Center and Sunset Gower Studios... |
Carol | Episode: "The Cane" |
| 1996 | Cybill Cybill Cybill is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired on CBS from January 2, 1995 to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the series revolves around Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s, who has never gotten her show... |
Mrs. Sweeney | Episode: "Educating Zoey" |
| 1996 | 3rd Rock from the Sun 3rd Rock from the Sun 3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet... |
Mrs. Koppel | Episode: "Dick, Smoker" |
| 1996, 1998 | Caroline in the City Caroline in the City Caroline in the City is an American situation comedy that ran from September 21, 1995 to April 26, 1999 on the NBC television network. It starred Lea Thompson as cartoonist Caroline Duffy. The series premiered in the two-hour Thursday night block led by Friends.-Premise:Caroline Duffy is a... |
Hostess | 2 Episodes: "Caroline and the Bad Date" and "Caroline and the First Date" |
| 1996 | Frasier Frasier Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars... |
Cynthia | Episode: "A Lilith Thanksgiving" |
| 1999 | Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg Dharma & Greg is an American television sitcom that aired from September 24, 1997, to April 30, 2002.It starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a couple who married instantly on their first date despite being complete opposites... |
Sheryl | Episode: "Play Lady Play" |
| 1999–2000 | Judging Amy Judging Amy Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly... |
ASA Perkins | 3 Episodes: "Pilot", "Drawing the Line" & "Waterworld" |
| 2000 | JAG JAG (TV series) JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions... |
Episode: "The Witches of Gulfport" | |
| 2000 | Gilmore Girls Gilmore Girls Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW... |
Nurse | Episode: "Forgiveness and Stuff" |
| 2000–2001 | Reporter | 2 Episodes: "In The Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part 1" & "Two Cathedrals" | |
| 2001 | Dawson's Creek Dawson's Creek Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons... |
Mrs. Witter | Episode: "The Te of Pacey" |
| 2001 | Cursed Cursed (TV show) Cursed, later renamed The Weber Show, was an American sitcom that ran on NBC from 2000–2001. It starred Steven Weber, Amy Pietz, Wendell Pierce, and Chris Elliot.... |
Carla | Episode: "...And Then Jack Had Two Dates" |
| 2001 | Popular Popular (TV series) Popular is an American teenage comedy-drama on The WB Television Network in the United States, created by Ryan Murphy and Gina Matthews, starring Leslie Bibb and Carly Pope as two teenage girls that reside on polar opposite sides of the popularity spectrum at their high school, but are forced to... |
Susie Klein | Episode: "I Know What You Did Last Spring Break" |
| 2001 | Episode: "The First Hit's Free, Baby" | ||
| 2001 | Arli$$ Arliss -Criticism:This show, which ran for seven seasons, is a prime example of how HBO differs from traditional networks due to its nature as a network its viewers specifically pay to be able to watch. Arliss was cited by so many viewers as the sole reason that they paid for the network that its... |
Episode: "Giving Something Back" | |
| 2001 | Boston Public Boston Public Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place... |
Jane Morrell | Episode: "Chapter Twenty-Four" |
| 2001 | Family Law Family Law (TV series) Family Law is a television drama starring Kathleen Quinlan as divorced lawyer Lynn Holt, who attempted to start her own law firm after her lawyer husband took all their old clients... |
Cheryl Bowman | Episode: "No Options" |
| 2001 | Mrs. Anne T. Lokensgard | Episode: "Lord of the Flies" | |
| 2001 | Dr. Foreman | Episode: "Ovary Action" | |
| 2001–2002 | Family Guy Family Guy Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian... |
Dotty Campbell, the nudist | Voice actor, 4 Episodes |
| 2001–2002 | 7th Heaven 7th Heaven 7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007... |
Nurse | 4 Episodes |
| 2002 | Titus Titus (TV series) Titus is an American dark comedy sitcom that debuted on Fox in 2000. The series was created by its star, Christopher Titus, Jack Kenny, and Brian Hargrove... |
Prosecutor | Episode: "The Trial" |
| 2002 | Felicity | Professor Carnes | 2 Episodes: "Ben Don't Leave" & "The Paper Chase" |
| 2002 | MDs | Aileen Poole, RN Registered nurse A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease... , PhD |
Series regular |
| 2003 | Watching Ellie Watching Ellie Watching Ellie is an American sitcom that starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus and was created by her husband, Brad Hall. It aired on NBC from February 2002 to May 2003, though only sixteen episodes were broadcast before it was canceled due to low ratings.... |
Roman | Episode: "TV" |
| 2003 | Flo McMurtry | Episode: "The Storm" | |
| 2003 | Spider-Man: The New Animated Series Spider-Man: The New Animated Series Spider-Man: The New Animated Series is an animated series featuring the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man, which ran for one season, 13 episodes, starting on July 11, 2003... |
Oscorp Executive | Voice actor, Episode: "Heroes and Villains" |
| 2003 | According to Jim According to Jim According to Jim is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children. It originally ran on ABC from October 3, 2001 to June 2, 2009.-Synopsis:Jim is an abrasive but lovable suburban father... |
Janice | Episode: "The Lemonade Stand" |
| 2004 | NYPD Blue NYPD Blue NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan... |
Susanna Howe | Episode: "You Da Bomb" |
| 2004 | Monk Monk (TV series) Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July... |
Dr. Julie Waterford | Episode: "Mr. Monk Gets Married" |
| 2004 | Las Vegas Las Vegas (TV series) Las Vegas was an American television series broadcast by NBC from September 22, 2003 to February 15, 2008. The show focuses on a team of people working at the ficticional Montecito Resort & Casino dealing with issues that arise within the working environment, ranging from valet parking and... |
Helen Putasca | Episode: "You Can't Take It With You" |
| 2004 | Arrested Development | Cindi Lightballoon | 3 Episodes: "Altar Egos", "Shock and Aww" & "Justice is Blind" |
| 2004 | Friends Friends Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television... |
Ellen the realtor | Episode: "The One Where Estelle Dies" |
| 2004 | Veronica Mars Veronica Mars Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros... |
Mrs. Donaldson | Episode: "Return of the Kane" |
| 2005 | Unscripted Unscripted Unscripted is an American comedy-drama series that aired on HBO in early 2005. Its title referred to the fact that the series was largely improvised by its performers... |
Jane | 2 Episodes: "Episode #1.6" & "Episode #1.7" |
| 2005 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Ranger | Episode: "Unbearable" |
| 2005 | Blind Justice | Dr. Taylor | 2 Episodes: "Four Feet Under" & "Rub a Tub Tub" |
| 2005 | Madame Rothchild | Voice actor, Episode: "Magic Takes a Holiday" | |
| 2005 | Weeds Weeds (TV series) Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a... |
The Candyman | Episode: "Fashion of the Christ" |
| 2005 | Illeanarama | Illeana Douglas Illeana Douglas Illeana Douglas is an American actress, director, screenwriter, and producer.-Background:Douglas is a granddaughter of the actor Melvyn Douglas and his first wife, artist Rosalind Hightower, and has said that her grandfather's performance in Being There, in particular, was influential on her own... project |
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| 2005–2006 | Rodney Rodney (TV series) Rodney is an American television sitcom that was shown on ABC from September 21, 2004, to June 6, 2006. Ric Swartzlander was the creator and executive producer of the comedy series... |
Amy O'Brien | 2 Episodes: "Rodney Moonlights" & "Rodney Gets a Leg Up" |
| 2006 | Desperate Housewives Desperate Housewives Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W... |
Maxine Bennett | Episode: "Silly People" |
| 2006 | Night Stalker Night Stalker (TV series) Night Stalker is a television series that ran for six weeks in the Fall of 2005 on ABC. The series starred Stuart Townsend as Carl Kolchak, an investigative reporter whose wife was murdered. Kolchak spends his time investigating other strange murders, believing they are linked in some way to his... |
Scientist | Episode: "Into Night", uncredited |
| 2006 | Lovespring International Lovespring International Lovespring International is an American comedy series created by Guy Shalem and Brad Isaacs which aired on Lifetime on Mondays at 11pm during the Summer of 2006 in the United States. Lovespring was canceled on December 1, 2006... |
Victoria Ratchford | Series regular |
| 2006 | Help Me Help You Help Me Help You Help Me Help You is an American television situation comedy that aired from September 26, 2006 to December 12, 2006. It was first broadcast at 9:30pm Tuesdays on ABC in the United States and on Global in Canada... |
Raquel Janes | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2006–2008 | Criminal Minds Criminal Minds Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime... |
Diana Reid | 5 Episodes: "The Fisher King: Part 1", "The Fisher King: Part 2", "Revelations", "The Instincts" & "Memoriam" |
| 2006–2008 | Boston Legal Boston Legal Boston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC... |
Joanna Monroe | 4 Episodes: "Can't We All Get A Lung?", "Dances with Wolves", "The Good Lawyer" & "The Verdict" |
| 2007 | Untitled Christine Taylor Christine Taylor Christine Taylor-Stiller is an American actress.- Early life :Taylor was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Joan, a homemaker, and Skip Taylor, an owner of a security company. She grew up in neighboring Wescosville, Pennsylvania... Project |
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| 2007 | Campus Ladies Campus Ladies Campus Ladies is an American sitcom that premiered on Oxygen on January 8, 2006. It stars Christen Sussin and Carrie Aizley as two 40-something women who decide to go enroll at the fictional University of the Midwest... |
Professor | Episode: "Psych 101" |
| 2007 | Ms. Hammond | 2 Episodes: "The Real Thing" & "Friends" | |
| 2007 | American Dad! American Dad! American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television... |
Various | Voice actor, 2 Episodes: "Surro-Gate" & "The Most Adequate Christmas Ever" |
| 2004–present | Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men Two and a Half Men is an American television sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 22, 2003. Starring Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones, the show was originally about a hedonistic jingle writer, Charlie Harper; his uptight brother, Alan; and Alan's growing son, Jake... |
Dr. Linda Freeman | Recurring minor role Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress – Comedy Series (2010) |
| 2007–present | Handy Manny Handy Manny Handy Manny is a Disney animated children's television program that premiered on September 16, 2006. The program was originally part of the Playhouse Disney daily block intended for preschoolers... |
Jackie Greenway | Recurring role/voice work |
| 2005–2009 | Joyce Wischnia | Recurring role | |
| 2008 | My Name Is Earl My Name Is Earl My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States... |
Sissy | Episode: "I Won't Die With a Little Help From My Friends" |
| 2008 | Psych Psych Psych is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks and broadcast on USA Network. It stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observational skills" and impressive detective instincts... |
Barbara Dunlap | Episode: "There Might Be Blood" |
| 2009 | Joan Jameson | Voice actor, Episode: "Gangland" | |
| 2009 | Party Down Party Down Party Down is an American comedy television series created and primarily written by John Enbom, Rob Thomas, Dan Etheridge, and Paul Rudd that aired on the Starz network in the United States.-Conception:... |
Constance Carmell | Series regular |
| 2009 | Reno 911 | Counselor | Episode: "Wiegel's Couple's Therapy" |
| 2009–present | Glee Glee (TV series) Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues... |
Sue Sylvester Sue Sylvester Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian... |
Series regular Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2010) Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2010) People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedy Actress (2011) Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2010) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2010) Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2009) Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (2011) Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2011) Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series (2010-2011) Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2011) Nominated - People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Comedy Actress (2012) |
| 2010–2011 | Ms. Eck/Sue Sylvester Sue Sylvester Susan "Sue" Sylvester is a fictional character of the Fox musical comedy-drama series, Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Jane Lynch, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Sue was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian... |
Episode: "Love Rollercoaster Love Rollercoaster (The Cleveland Show) "Love Rollercoaster" is the eleventh episode of The Cleveland Show. It aired on January 10, 2010 on Fox. In this episode, Roberta learns a lesson about looks.The episode was written by Kirker Butler, and directed by Ron Rubio.-Plot:... "/"How Do You Solve a Problem Like Roberta? How Do You Solve a Problem Like Roberta? "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Roberta?" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American animated television sitcom The Cleveland Show. It aired on Fox in the United States on January 16, 2011... " |
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| 2010 | Neighbors from Hell Neighbors from Hell Neighbours from Hell is a strategy video game for Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox. In Europe, it was released for Windows on June 20, 2003, and the GameCube and Xbox on March 4, 2005... |
Alex | Episode: "Screw the EPA" |
| 2010 | iCarly ICarly iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan... |
Pam Puckett | Season Four, Episode 2 (Episode 72) "iSam's Mom" |
| 2010 | VH1 Do Something Awards | Herself | Host |
| 2010 | Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... |
Herself | Host |
| 2011 | Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which... |
Mrs. Johnson | Episodes: "Run, Canadace, Run", "Canderemy" and "Bad Hair Day" |
| 2011 | Web Therapy Web Therapy (TV series) Web Therapy is a web/television comedy series starring Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice, a therapist who has conceived of a new form of therapy: the titular "web therapy". It is based on the Internet series of the same name. In April 2010, Showtime announced plans to run the online episodes of Web... |
Claire Dudek | Episode: "Public Relations" |
| 2011 | The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie... |
Roz | 1 Episode: Replaceable You Replaceable You "Replaceable You" is the fourth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 2011. In the episode, Homer gets a new assistant named Roz who is secretly out to steal his job... |
Discography
Soundtracks- 2003: A Mighty WindA Mighty WindA Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary about a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands must reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. It was directed by Christopher Guest...
- 2008: Another Cinderella StoryAnother Cinderella StoryAnother Cinderella Story is a 2008 romantic comedy directed by Damon Santostefano and starring Selena Gomez and Drew Seeley. The film was released direct-to-DVD by Warner Premiere on September 16, 2008. It was released on DVD in the UK on October 27, 2008...
- 2010: Glee: The Music, The Power of MadonnaGlee: The Music, The Power of MadonnaGlee: The Music, The Power of Madonna is the first extended play by the cast of the musical television series Glee. It contains eight songs from the season one Glee episode, "The Power of Madonna", which was a tribute episode dedicated to American recording artist Madonna...
- 2010: Glee: The Music, Volume 3 ShowstoppersGlee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers-Sales and chart performance:The album debuted at number one on the American, Australian, Canadian, and Irish charts. It sold 136,000 copies in its first and 63,000 in its second week of release in the US, and saw the Glee cast beat the record previously set by The Beatles in 1966, for shortest...
- 2010: Ohio [Glee Cast Version] (Featuring Carol BurnettCarol BurnettCarol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, dancer and writer. Burnett started her career in New York. After becoming a hit on Broadway, she made her television debut...
) – Single