The Many Funny Faces of Jane Lynch

Best In Show, 2000
Lynch (left) was first catapaulted onto the national stage in Best In Show, a mockumentary about the surreal world behind dog show competitions. The part of Christy Cummings, a lesbian dog trainer, was specifically written for Lynch to deliver her style of deadpan. In a scene where Lynch's character talks about her family's household dynamic, she says, "[That] was what my mother did... She was there for the unconditional love. It worked for my family — you know, until my mom committed suicide in '81."

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