Exclusive Interview w/ 'Glee’s Jane Lynch

The comedic star talks about ‘Glee’s final season, a co-star’s possible spin-off, and the importance of eating breakfast every day

Since her debut in 2009, Sue Sylvester, the brassy cheerleading squad coach known for wearing her iconic red tracksuit and constantly screaming insults through a bull horn, is considered to be one of the most favorite television characters of this decade. Even the Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly have praised Jane Lynch’s performance on the show, stating that “[she] makes Glee worth watching” and that Sue Sylvester is “the greatest Broadway–musical villain to ever co-star in a TV series.”  

But acclamation goes beyond verbal praise for the 53-year-old actress; she has won various awards including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for playing such a dynamic role. But one of the most prestigious awards that any entertainer could ever receive in their lifetime would be a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That dream came true for Lynch on September 2013 and came as a surprise for her.

Jane jokingly talks about the day that she first heard she would be getting a star on Hollywood Blvd.

She said, “I have to tell you it was certainly not on my bucket list. I was thrilled and honored. I’ve been by lately to visit it, so I can make sure it’s still there.”

Over the years Glee has become very successful at defining pop culture with their own rendition of popular hit songs from various artists like the Beatles, Journey, Madonna and Michael Jackson. However, Glee did face devastating news that shocked both fans and the entertainment world alike when the show lost one of its cast members, quarterback Finn Hudson, played by Cory Monteith. It was reported that the 31-year-old actor died from an apparent drug overdose in a Vancouver hotel room on July 13, 2013. Three months later it was announced by Glee co-creator and executive producer, Ryan Murphy, that season six would be the show’s final season.      

When asked what she thinks about Glee coming to end, Jane responded, “It is fine with me. If the show ends on its sixth season then I totally support that.” 

Though Glee will be over this year, this has not stopped Jane from pursuing other endeavors. Last May she was in the Broadway production of Annie as the evil Miss Hannigan and is currently hosting NBC’s Hollywood Game Night.

“I love doing theater work,” Jane lamented, “I don’t have any concrete plans [after Glee]. But I’m excited to do a whole bunch of stuff. I love to sing maybe have a concert night here and there.”         

This answer comes as a bit of a surprise since Jane’s memorable performances go beyond television but the big screen as well. Her movie credits include: The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and several animated films like Wreck-It Ralph and Escape from Planet Earth. With such an impressive list of movie appearances, Jane should have no trouble returning to films after her days of playing Sue Sylvester are over.

Around Glee’s fifth season last year, the show had moved from William McKinley High School in Ohio to New York City and will stay there for the duration of its run. Such a move made people speculate that one of Glee’s cast members, Lea Michele, would have her own spin-off. When asked if she thinks the rumors are true about the alleged spin-off, Jane gave a coy response, “If I had [Lea] under contract I would do a show around her too (Laughs). She’s a great talent. And I’m sure a lot of people will be rooting for her success.”       

Though Jane has been very busy with other projects, she has found time to partner up with belVita breakfast biscuits to encourage people to make time to eat breakfast.   

“I was on board to work with belVita because I’m one of those people that never know what to have for breakfast. So I would end up skipping the most important meal of the day, which is a big mistake to do. I usually pair [the biscuits] with yogurt or a soy latte. It’s healthy because it’s whole grain and contains around three to five grams of fiber. It’s a no brainer to have in the morning.”

belVita is sold at most local grocery stores. For more nutritional information about belvita’s products go to their website: belvitabreakfast.com    

 

Written by: Bridget Campos