What's Up, Jane Lynch? Glee's Sadistic Sue Finds Love Off-Broadway

Glee fans might be in a bit of withdrawal since the World Series has put the popular TV show on a two-week hiatus. But have no fear, Gleeks! Not only did the just-released CD Glee: The Music, Volume 1 become an instant smash, but Jane Lynch, who plays the show’s deliciously evil cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, is performing off-Broadway in the fashion-conscious Love, Loss and What I Wore. We caught up with the delightfully down-to-earth Lynch about clothes, singing and playing the bitchiest person on television.

What appealed to you about Love, Loss and What I Wrote?
When I was doing Julie & Julia with [Love, Loss scribe] Nora Ephron, she was talking about how she can remember important events of her life by what she was eating. I said, “My mother remembers what she was wearing”. And she said, “Oh, you must do this play about that very thing.”

Do you have any special outfits that have punctuated your life?
I remember a pair of white bell-bottom pants I had when I was fifth grade. I felt so hip and cool in them. Then I was walking across the classroom and tripped and fell because they were too long.

Your mother sounds like a real fashion plate.
She’s a snappy dresser; she knows how to put stuff together. Anything on a hanger looks good on her. She can buy something at Loehmann’s or Marshalls and spend $30 and look fantastic. I spend thousands of dollars and still sometimes look like a homeless person.

You do not look like a homeless person!
I just don’t look good in stuff. I’m hard to fit—I have a skinny neck and a big ass. I wear like four different sizes.

You have worked so much—your IMDB page lists over a hundred film and TV projects.
I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve done lots that probably never really saw the light of day. I took everything that came my way and I celebrated it, even if I thought it was crappy. I was like, “Oh my God, I got a job!” I’m a little pickier now—but not too much.

Do you think Sue Sylvester, your character on Glee, is the bitchiest person on television?
Yes, I think she is! The thing about her is that she’s not irritated by her bitchiness—she loves her bitchiness. She thinks she’s awesome.

Who has influenced your work?
Sue Sylvester is informed by Glenn Close in Damages. I took my cue from her. I love Jennifer Saunders in Absolutely Fabulous, I think about her almost every minute of the day. Carol Burnett—I loved the huge choices that she made and how much fun she looked like she was having. I did a movie [Post Grad] with her last year, and I got to ask her all sorts of questions and indeed, she was having as much fun as it looked like she was having.

Is it fun being with a cast of musical theater people?
Oh, yeah! They’re so talented—it makes me feel like a hack. They’ve got the goods: dancing, singing, acting. Especially the kids, it’s really fun to watch them strut their stuff. It reminds me of the days when I was that young, but I was never that talented.

I really enjoyed watching you dance with Matt Morrison.
Oh, thank you! I thought I looked like a big old klutz.

What's coming up on Glee? Give us a sneak peek! 
Well, we’ll have a very special episode where you’re going to see a little more of the vulnerable side of Sue. And we’re going to see a little bit of the vulnerable side of Artie, who’s in the wheelchair, all in one episode called “Wheels.” Also, Kurt, the gay kid, has a terrific episode—one is going to be a really emotion-packed. And Madonna is not going to be on the show, but we’re going to have an episode with all of her music.

Will Sue ever get a song?
I don’t know. They told me that I can, so we’ll see. I do love to sing. I’m not great, but I love to do it loudly and confidently.

After this experience with Love, Loss and What I Wore, what do you think of Sue Sylvester’s passion for sweat suits?
I’ll be glad to get back into them. It’s a very simple choice: she just has to look into her closet and pick the color. It’s like putting on your pajamas every day.