Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian and singer. She is known for starring as Sue Sylvester in the musical comedy series Glee (2009–2015), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award. Lynch also gained recognition for her roles in Christopher Guest's mockumentary films, such as Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003) and For Your Consideration (2006).
Lynch had a recurring role in the sitcom Two and a Half Men (2004–2014), for which she received a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award, as well as recurring roles in the drama series The L Word (2005–2009), the police drama series Criminal Minds (2006–2020), the drama series The Good Fight (2017–2022), and the period comedy series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–present), for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award. From 2013 to 2020, Lynch hosted the game show Hollywood Game Night, which earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Lynch has had roles in numerous mainstream comedy films, such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Role Models (2008), Paul (2011), and The Three Stooges (2012). She has lent her voice to numerous animated films, including Space Chimps (2008), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009), Shrek Forever After (2010), Rio (2011), the Wreck-It Ralph film franchise (2012-2018), Escape from Planet Earth (2013), and UglyDolls (2019).
She is also known for her stage work including her role in Nora Ephron's off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore in 2009. She made her Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan in the revival of Annie in 2013. She returned to Broadway as Mrs. Brice in another revival, Funny Girl, in 2022.
In 2013, Lynch received the 2,505th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the television category, located at 6640 Hollywood Blvd. Among her numerous accolades, Lynch has received five Primetime Emmy Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.
Early life
Jane Marie Lynch was born on July 14, 1960, in Evergreen Park, Illinois, and raised in Dolton, Illinois, the daughter of a banker father, Frank Joseph Lynch, and a homemaker-secretary mother, Eileen Lynch (née Carney). Her father was of Irish descent, his parents having come from Sonnagh, near Charlestown and Culduff, Killasser, near Swinford both in County Mayo respectively, and her mother was of Irish and Swedish ancestry. She was raised in a Catholic family and attended Thornridge High School. She graduated from Illinois State University in 1982 with a theater degree, and earned a master of fine arts degree from Cornell University in 1984.
