New Jane interview
Glee’s resident bitch, 49, on not exactly choosing her path in life, how being a bit nasty comes quite naturally for her (we’re scared), and growing into being a big Hollywood star…
How do you get away with being such a bitch as coach Sue Sylvester in US hit comedy drama Glee?
Jane Lynch: When I put on that tracksuit I have a license to say anything I want.
Does it come easily?
JL: There’s definitely a common thread in all my characters – authoritarian, sarcastic, don’t-give-people-the-benefit-of-the-doubt kind of characters. I think it’s probably very good therapy, because I’m a much nicer person at home as I get it all out at work. That kind of contemptuous behaviour is just below the surface for me, so it’s nice I don’t have to dig deep for it.
How nervous are you about having to sing in the show?
JL: It’s kind of a dream come true, because I love to sing. I got to record some singing in the film A Mighty Wind, so I had done it before. But it’s not as easy as you think. You have to be right on it with the pitch and the timing, and I always thought I was very good at those things, but apparently I’m not.
And what about the prospect of dancing?
JL: Gosh, dancing is the biggest challenge. Everything else I just kind of flow into and it’s fun. Dancing is the thing I have to work at 10 times harder than everybody else.
Is there no end to Sue’s talents?
JL: She’s been around the block. It’s been rumoured she once posed for Penthouse…
What’s it like working with so many teenagers?
JL: I am the old person on the set. Within two minutes of being on Glee, I became the ‘seasoned veteran’. I don’t know how that happened, because I was the young upstart just yesterday…
Has being in a hit TV show like Glee changed your star power?
JL: When I was home for Christmas in Chicago, my family were beside themselves, and when I see how excited they are, it kind of kicks in for me. In a way, I’ve peaked in the last year and I’m really grateful for it. It’s one of those things where you think, ‘Well, I can die now if I had to.’
What are the ‘Glee-ks’ (Glee fans) like?
JL: It’s all very nice and it’s respectful, and what’s wrong with an interaction that starts with ‘I love you’?
What were you like in school?
JL: I was 6ft tall when I was 16. Every day, the last hour of school I did choir and we would tour round the state of Illinois with shows.
Have you ever considered getting a normal job?
JL: I’ve had days here and there where I would get discouraged because I wasn’t a big star, but I’ve made a living ever since I was 27. Not a great living, but enough for me. I think actually being able to pay my rent and eat and perform is enough, and I did that for many years. Then I had some good years in there too, where I made pretty good money. But I’m at a different point in my career now – I can kind of sit back and let things come to me, whereas when I was younger I had to be a lot more aggressive.
Why didn’t you come out to your parents that you were gay until you were 31?
JL: I didn’t want to be gay. I wanted to be… I wanted an easy life. And you know what? I am gay and I still have an easy life.
Most actresses over 40 complain there are no good parts out there, but you just seem to be getting better and better characters…
JL: The reality is it’s harder for women after 40, but I started working at 40. I’m a character actress and my particular brand is more mature, so I had to wait until my age caught up with the tricks in my little arsenal.
You’re in the new Shrek movie. Do you get to be green?
JL: I’m playing an ogre called Gretchen – it’s going to be a bit like It’s A Wonderful Life. I did voiceovers for several years – for radio and television in the mid-90s – and I really enjoy that work. There’s nothing better than voicing a character. You don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing, you’ve got the script in front of you, and it doesn’t involve your body, it’s all about your voice, and it’s really fast work.
We all remember you trying to seduce Steve Carrell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Is it fun to play a cougar?
JL: I am always amazed by people who have this unwavering belief in how cool and hot they are and how much people must want and desire them, despite all the evidence to the contrary. I find that tragic and hilarious when people are looking at you with horror and pity and all you see are adoring glances. The characters I play have this sexual confidence that makes me laugh.
You’re always in tracksuits in Glee – do you put much effort into getting glammed up off set?
JL: I found a dress for the Golden Globes almost immediately. I went to a designer and he had this dress on a mannequin that I ended up choosing. It took me, like, a moment.
What makes you laugh?
JL: I laugh almost every day at the word fupa – I don’t know if you know what it means. It’s a reference to the fat right about the groin area. I laugh at myself a lot. I find myself endlessly entertaining. I’m clumsy and I trip, and I move too fast, and I run into walls. That makes me chortle. I love fart jokes too.
There’s more…
• It was the Glee cast’s first day back filming after a break. They had all been gossiping about an awards ceremony they had been to the night before.
• Jane’s been sworn to secrecy over the song she is due to sing on Glee.
• She works two or three days a week, while the rest of the cast spend five days a week at work.
How do you get away with being such a bitch as coach Sue Sylvester in US hit comedy drama Glee?
Jane Lynch: When I put on that tracksuit I have a license to say anything I want.
Does it come easily?
JL: There’s definitely a common thread in all my characters – authoritarian, sarcastic, don’t-give-people-the-benefit-of-the-dou
How nervous are you about having to sing in the show?
JL: It’s kind of a dream come true, because I love to sing. I got to record some singing in the film A Mighty Wind, so I had done it before. But it’s not as easy as you think. You have to be right on it with the pitch and the timing, and I always thought I was very good at those things, but apparently I’m not.
And what about the prospect of dancing?
JL: Gosh, dancing is the biggest challenge. Everything else I just kind of flow into and it’s fun. Dancing is the thing I have to work at 10 times harder than everybody else.
Is there no end to Sue’s talents?
JL: She’s been around the block. It’s been rumoured she once posed for Penthouse…
What’s it like working with so many teenagers?
JL: I am the old person on the set. Within two minutes of being on Glee, I became the ‘seasoned veteran’. I don’t know how that happened, because I was the young upstart just yesterday…
Has being in a hit TV show like Glee changed your star power?
JL: When I was home for Christmas in Chicago, my family were beside themselves, and when I see how excited they are, it kind of kicks in for me. In a way, I’ve peaked in the last year and I’m really grateful for it. It’s one of those things where you think, ‘Well, I can die now if I had to.’
What are the ‘Glee-ks’ (Glee fans) like?
JL: It’s all very nice and it’s respectful, and what’s wrong with an interaction that starts with ‘I love you’?
What were you like in school?
JL: I was 6ft tall when I was 16. Every day, the last hour of school I did choir and we would tour round the state of Illinois with shows.
Have you ever considered getting a normal job?
JL: I’ve had days here and there where I would get discouraged because I wasn’t a big star, but I’ve made a living ever since I was 27. Not a great living, but enough for me. I think actually being able to pay my rent and eat and perform is enough, and I did that for many years. Then I had some good years in there too, where I made pretty good money. But I’m at a different point in my career now – I can kind of sit back and let things come to me, whereas when I was younger I had to be a lot more aggressive.
Why didn’t you come out to your parents that you were gay until you were 31?
JL: I didn’t want to be gay. I wanted to be… I wanted an easy life. And you know what? I am gay and I still have an easy life.
Most actresses over 40 complain there are no good parts out there, but you just seem to be getting better and better characters…
JL: The reality is it’s harder for women after 40, but I started working at 40. I’m a character actress and my particular brand is more mature, so I had to wait until my age caught up with the tricks in my little arsenal.
You’re in the new Shrek movie. Do you get to be green?
JL: I’m playing an ogre called Gretchen – it’s going to be a bit like It’s A Wonderful Life. I did voiceovers for several years – for radio and television in the mid-90s – and I really enjoy that work. There’s nothing better than voicing a character. You don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing, you’ve got the script in front of you, and it doesn’t involve your body, it’s all about your voice, and it’s really fast work.
We all remember you trying to seduce Steve Carrell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Is it fun to play a cougar?
JL: I am always amazed by people who have this unwavering belief in how cool and hot they are and how much people must want and desire them, despite all the evidence to the contrary. I find that tragic and hilarious when people are looking at you with horror and pity and all you see are adoring glances. The characters I play have this sexual confidence that makes me laugh.
You’re always in tracksuits in Glee – do you put much effort into getting glammed up off set?
JL: I found a dress for the Golden Globes almost immediately. I went to a designer and he had this dress on a mannequin that I ended up choosing. It took me, like, a moment.
What makes you laugh?
JL: I laugh almost every day at the word fupa – I don’t know if you know what it means. It’s a reference to the fat right about the groin area. I laugh at myself a lot. I find myself endlessly entertaining. I’m clumsy and I trip, and I move too fast, and I run into walls. That makes me chortle. I love fart jokes too.
There’s more…
• It was the Glee cast’s first day back filming after a break. They had all been gossiping about an awards ceremony they had been to the night before.
• Jane’s been sworn to secrecy over the song she is due to sing on Glee.
• She works two or three days a week, while the rest of the cast spend five days a week at work.
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