Ten Things You Never Knew About Jane Lynch

We're fairly sure you've already been told this 37 times in the last fortnight, but if you haven't watched E4's Glee yet... why the hecker not?! Though if you have - it's bloomin' great, isn't it? - then you'll already be well versed in the comedic genius of Jane Lynch, who plays the show's villain and cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester. To help you find out more about the US TV star, here are ten fast facts to do with the comedy legend.

1. Lynch was born on July 14, 1960 in Dolton, Illinois. Her mother was a housewife and her father worked as a banker. She attended Thornridge High School and Illinois State University, where she studied theatre.

2. Name a classic US TV show from the past 20 years and chances are that Lynch has made a cameo in it. Her TV credits include *deep breath* Cybill, Friends, Desperate Housewives, 3rd Rock From The Sun, Frasier, The West Wing, Veronica Mars, The X-Files and Dawson's Creek.

3. Who does Lynch admire in the acting world? Her favourite screen stars are apparently Meryl Streep, Anne Heche, Catherine Keener and Dodgeball man Vince Vaughn.

4. If her role as Sue Sylvester in Glee is merely whetting your appetite for more of her comedy gold, then hold tight because you should be seeing more of Lynch in 2010. The actress is signed up to star in Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's much-anticipated roadtrip film Paul. We can't wait!

5. What was Lynch like at school? Was she friends with the geeks or the jocks? Actually, she was a bit of a both. "I was one of those happy travellers and really didn't stay in one group. I kind of got around without getting humiliated and was in a little bit of everything," she says. "I knew some of the popular kids, I knew the theatre dorks, choir kids and smoked cigarettes with the burnouts and the woodshop people. I got around."

6. At one point in her career, Lynch's agent used to tell casting teams and directors that the actress would "work for a steak and $1.50". "I'm not really doing that anymore," she jokes.

7. Lynch is nearly always the bridesmaid and never the bride on screen. Does she not fancy stepping up to a lead role? She says: "I think my day has passed. No, actually, I prefer doing the supporting roles, because then I can show up in any guise."

8. What are the chances of Lynch ever appearing on a reality show like Dancing With The Stars? Pretty slim, we reckon. "That stuff makes me so uncomfortable," she says. "Hopefully my career will never be at a point where I need to go on it."

9. Surely Lynch can't enjoy wearing the endless stream of tracksuits she is given to wear on Glee? Well, actually, she does. "I love it. It's like coming to work and putting on pyjamas," she says. "I love our wardrobe designer, she's fantastic and I love coming to work in a tracksuit."

10. Do you know how Lynch made friends with director Christopher Guest and landed her breakthrough roles in Best In Show and A Mighty Wind? Well, the comedy pair actually met while working on a Frosted Flakes commercial.