Jane Lynch talks about hosting the Emmys

By Stacey Harrison


Whatever opinions people may have about the field of Emmy Award nominees (Hugh Laurie, again?), just about everyone is happy that Jane Lynch is hosting the ceremony, which airs live on FOX Sunday at 8pm.

Lynch, who is also nominated for supporting actress in a comedy, spoke with reporters recently to talk about what surprises she has in store for the telecast (don’t be surprised to see some of her Glee costars show up), and how her Glee alter ego Sue Sylvester might handle the gig:

On her biggest worry as host: “What I’m concerned about is I do well and don’t make a fool of myself. I mean I trust my writers and everybody working on the show knows what they’re doing. I’ve worked with this crew on the Emmys last year, the Do Something Awards. Every time I’ve done an awards show, it’s the exact same crew. They know what they’re doing so I really feel like I’m good hands. What concerns me, I want it to be interesting and funny and also serve the purpose of the show, which is to honor television and people in it, and make sure we keep the eye on that. But the little bites that we get to do something fun and funny, I feel responsible for those that those need to be entertaining.”

On making a splash vs. just trying not to screw up: “I think you want to make a splash. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that, ‘I want it to be the best award show ever.’ But we want it to be special. It’s such a coveted spot, and it’s like the biggest evening in television they call it. So you want to do it justice. I know I do. I’m humbled by it, and from being in this business long enough I think if you look at the big picture and you shoot past the doing and go to the results, I hope this is fabulous that you’re not going to do very well. So I’m just staying in the moment and knocking out what I need to knock out and doing my best for each moment of it, and you take it a piece at a time. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say I hope it’s really a splash.”

On being a nominee as well as host: ” I think my nerves will mostly be focused towards doing the show. It’s almost a relief not to have to think about having been nominated. I’m although very, very honored to be nominated and especially honored to be in the group that I’m in. I think they’re just amazing actresses and there’s such good television. And the network has some really good television too. It’s not just HBO and Showtime, the shows that I usually watch, but I’m watching the network television a lot these days.”

On what Glee character she relates with most: “In the beginning with Tina, although I never stuttered, but she was always in the background and then every once and a while she’ll step out and show what she’s got, and I was kind of like that. I kind of hid, and then I would sneak out and go, ‘Look at me. Look at me.’ Of course my trajectory did not at all parallel what Kurt is going through, but I knew what it was like to be, you know have a really big, dark secret that even your best friend didn’t know about. And that’s so debilitating in high school and makes you feel so separate and alone. And Chris, as the young man and also the character, Kurt, has been so courageous in kind of stepping into his life and saying, ‘This is who I am Lima, Ohio, and take it or leave it.’ And they say, ‘We’ll take it,’ which is kind of nice.”

On what viewers won’t see her do during the Emmys: “I probably won’t wear a tracksuit.  I probably won’t do an elaborate dance number — what else won’t happen?  I hope you won’t be bored.”

On whether she watched award shows growing up: “I did watch it, and it filled me with anxiety. I had this kind of empathetic response, actually it was probably projection, but I was embarrassed for people. I feared people’s — you know when someone gets up there and doesn’t know what to say or isn’t articulate or something. I would just suffer for them. Sometimes there would be such horrible musical numbers. I remember on year just a terrible music number with Snow White and I was like hiding under my couch. I was so embarrassed. They’re easier to bear when you’re there. They really are. They’re easier to deal with because it’s just a bunch of people sitting around, usually at a table; in the Emmys it’s like in a theater, but when you watch it on the television box it seems like this huge, glamorous thing. And it is that huge, glamorous thing, but there’s something about the TV lights that make it just this amazingly enchanted thing. But when you’re there, you know, just kind of sitting in the middle of it, it doesn’t have that feeling. It doesn’t have that buzz. It’s just kind of, ‘Oh, you’re here doing this.’ I mean you’re excited because you’re getting to see all these stars, maybe you’re nominated, but it’s easier for me to bear to be in it.”

On what she would change about her career path: “The only thing I would’ve changed is the anxiety that I used to have and the suffering and the fear that I wouldn’t ever work again. I wish I could’ve erased that, but other than that I said, ‘Yes,’ to everything, even things maybe I should’ve said no to. And I’ve loved living the life as an actor.”

On what advice Sue Sylvester would have for the Emmy host: “Well, somehow find a way to give all of the awards to yourself.”

Photo: Credit: Williams & Hirakawa/FOX