Jane Lynch biography

"They give us a really good thumbnail sketch, and then we just take it from there," Lynch explained to The Advocate. "We improvise all the dialogue; there's no written dialogue."

With the success of Best in Show, Lynch soon landed a leading role on television,

playing a nurse in the 2002 medical drama MDs. The show only lasted for two months before being canceled. She also lent her voice to a recurring character on the animated comedy The Family Guy. Reuniting with Christopher Guest, Lynch appeared in the folk music comedy A Mighty Wind (2003) as a singer with a past in the adult film industry.

Big and Small Screen

While often tackling small parts, Lynch made the most out each role she took on. She made a number of memorable guest appearances on such shows as Arrested Development, Desperate Housewives, and Weeds. On the big screen, Lynch appeared as a raunchy store manager in The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) with Steve Carell, stealing nearly every scene she appeared in.

The following year, Lynch played the mother of a race car driver in the comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby starring Will Farrell. She also starred in her own sitcom, Lovespring International, which aired on the Lifetime television network. On the show, Lynch played the owner of a dating service. The series only lasted for 13 episodes.

Lynch had better luck with her recurring role on the popular dramatic series The L Word, which followed the lives of several gay women. On the show she played Joyce Wischnia, a tough lawyer who falls for her client (Cybill Shepherd) while handling her divorce. As a lesbian herself, Lynch especially admired how the series depicted life in the lesbian community. On the show, "we just tell stories about people. That's what I love about The L Word. No one's tortured over their sexuality; it's just accepted," she told The Advocate.

'Glee' Success

Around this time, Lynch also had another, very different recurring role, playing Charlie Sheen's therapist on the hit sitcom Two and a Half Men. She then starred in the critically admired, but ratings deprived comedy Party Down in 2009, a show about a group of aspiring creatives who work for a Los Angeles catering company. That same year, Lynch got her most famous role to date: She began her run as Sue Sylvester, a super-intense cheerleading coach, on Glee. This musical comedy explores the ups and downs of a high school glee club run by teacher Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison). Sylvester views Schuester as her archenemy, and continuously plots to ruin the club. Lynch relishes playing the role, saying that Sylvester "is so cold and ruthless." She utters some of the show's most memorable dialogue. "Jane's unparalleled at her one-liners," series creator Ryan Murphy told The New York Times.

Glee has developed quite a following among television audiences, winning over fans with its catchy musical numbers. Many of these performances are done by glee club members, including Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), a latest-generation Barbra Streisand wanna-be.