Getty Images/Jason Merritt
.
52-year-old Jane Lynch has certainly been having a ‘moment’ these past few years — it’s pretty inspiring to watch someone bloom so late in life! However, it’s not as though Jane’s story is one of overnight success. On the contrary, she’s been a working actress for over 20 years! Let’s take a look back at where she’s been, and how it all got her to where she is today…
.
Jane Lynch was born in Illinois in 1960. She continued to live in Illinois though her undergrad years, but moved to New York after graduation to pursue an MFA in theater from Cornell University.
.
.
After Cornell, Jane moved to Chicago and joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, a Tony award-winning theatre company. She then went on to become one of two women picked to join the esteemed Second City comedy troupe at the time of her audition. Joan Rivers, Stephen Colbert, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, and Tina Fey are also Second City alumni. Following her stint with Second City, she joined the Annoyance Theater group, which also boasts Amy Sedaris and Jason Sudeikis as alumni.
.
Getty Images/Stephen Lovekin
.
Jane got her start in movies with a part in the film Vice Versa, way back in 1988. A few years later, she took on another bit part in the Harrison Ford starrer The Fugitive. Jane moved to TV, where she took on a variety of roles over the course of a decade. Her shows included The West Wing, 7th Heaven, Desperate Housewives, Friends, Dawson’s Creek, The L Word, Arrested Development, Criminal Minds, Felicity, and more.
.
.
In 2000, Jane made a splash as Christy Cummings, a dog handler, in the film Best In Show.
.
.
After Best In Show, Jane continued her steady TV work until a 2005 appearance in The 40-Year-Old Virgin captured the attention of critics. The role she played in the film had originally been written for a man, but Steve Carell’s wife urged him to give it to Jane instead.
.
Getty Images/Kevin Winter
.
Since 2005, Jane’s appeared in a number of big films including Role Models, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and Julie & Julia.
.
Getty Images/Frazer Harrison
.
In 2009, Jane was offered the role of Sue Sylvester in the soon-to-be hit TV show Glee. She’s since won an Emmy and been nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance as Sue. Now, Jane Lynch has almost become synonymous with Sue Sylvester — there’s even a wax sculpture at Madame Tussaud’s to prove it!
.
.
It’s hard to believe that Jane Lynch has been famous for as long as she has been, given we feel as though we’ve only ever known her as crazy — yet somehow lovable — Sue Sylvester. She’s had an incredibly impressive journey, however, and we love to see women continuing to be offered great roles well past the age that Hollywood considers to be their prime!
.
We want to know what your favorite Sue Sylvester quote is — leave your picks in the comments below!
