THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

The Fox series Glee brought the worldwide fame she deserved and she now uses that star power to begin a new endeavor on NBC. Hollywood Game Night combines everyday competitors with celebrity guest stars for a chance to take home $25,000.

While the lesbian team player has definitely gone Hollywood she took time out to speak with Windy City Times just before the show aired.

Windy City Times: Hi, Jane. It's good to talk to you again.

Jane Lynch: It is good to talk to you.

WCT: I know Sean Hayes is on the show. Did you know him from your Chicago days?

Jane Lynch: I actually don't know him from Chicago; I know him from L.A. We've been friends for a while and I have been a steady presence at his game nights.

WCT: Do you have a dream celebrity to be on Hollywood Game Night?

Jane Lynch: We had Amy Poehler, Fred Armisen, Rose Byrne, Martin Short, Matthew Perry and Lisa Kudrow on the same show. We had really great ones but I just did an episode of Katie Couric's talk show and she is dying to be on it so I would love to have her.

WCT: She is a good one. What is the difference between playing with celebrities and regular people?

Jane Lynch: What happens at Sean's house and every time there is a game night is that it is a great equalizer.

You forget who's the celebrity and you forget who's the civilian because you just want to win that point and it's everybody playing together.

WCT: What inspired this move to game shows, as opposed to another acting role?

Jane Lynch: It's funny—I don't know what inspired me to do it other than the fact that I actually asked to do it. I've known Sean a long time. I have a great time at his game nights and he was having dinner over at my house and he mentioned that his show got picked by NBC and I told him I could host it and before I knew it I was on board to do it.

I love Game Night and I'm a pretty competitive person at it. You want me on your team. You do not want to play against me and I think that Sean knew that I was very familiar with all the games and although we did create all of our own games for this but we used Sean's night as the template.

WCT: What is your favorite party game?

Jane Lynch: Well, Celebrity, is probably my favorite. We play around a celebrity as the final round in every game and it's always rousing.

I also love a game that is kind of our version of Name That Tune where we sing a pop song but using only the word "doo," so it would be like doo doo doo doo doo, which is Strangers In The Night and you have to guess the song.

WCT: Sounds fun—what other types of games do you play?

Jane Lynch: Well, these are typical game night games and if you haven't been to a game night, there are these very simple games that have pop-culture references.

We'll put up magazine covers and say they're all of Oprah Winfrey and we'll say put them in chronological order. We'll put snapshots of breakfast cereal and you have to name the cereal, like is that Captain Crunch? Is that Wheaties? We have these cross-sections of candy bars and you have to identify them. Is that a Butterfinger? Is that a Snickers? That sort of thing.

There's no tall story on this. There're no Shakespeare references. It's really all just pop culture. We go into movies. We go into entertainment. We have one game where you identify the covers of the People's Sexiest Man Alive covers and you have to put those in chronological order.

WCT: What has been the most memorable moment while filming?

Jane Lynch: Oh man, there are so many. I'll just start rattling them off. Jeff Shepard calling on the judges as if they exist. Martin Short falling off the couch every time the band starts to play as if it was a shock to him. Amy Poehler and Jason Sudeikis getting a little bit drunk. There are wonderful funny, crazy moments in every episode. Everybody's always jumping up and down, high five-ing, shaming each other, it's a lot of fun.

WCT: You are doing Annie on Broadway now which must be exciting.

Jane Lynch: Well, as you know, I'm from Chicago and I started out in the theatre there and I haven't been on stage probably in 20 years doing a play so it felt like getting back on a bike and it was joyful and continues to be joyful. I look forward to going to work every night.

I love the immediacy of being in a play with the audience connection and I love all the people I'm working with. It's just a real joy and it brought me back to the reason I got into this crazy business to begin with.

WCT: Do you have any advice for Cameron Diaz who will be playing Miss Hannigan in the new movie remake?

Jane Lynch: Oh, I didn't know that, so congratulations to her. No one offered me advice and I was very grateful for that and I even had Carol Burnett who did the movie send me a text but offering no advice. I think if I had any advice for Cameron Diaz it would be ignore any advice.

WCT: Any hints about Glee for the next season?

Jane Lynch: Glee? let's see I don't know anything that's going on and I'll bet you even the writers don't know either. I know I'm going back. I'm going to be in the next season which is good. I just found that out. So there will be more Sue Sylvester, but I can't tell you what that will be. I have no idea.

WCT: With so many personal changes in your life, what is keeping you so positive?

Jane Lynch: I just love my work. I'm doing many different jobs including Annie, Hollywood Game Night, and Glee coming up and I have a lot going on. That always makes me happy.

WCT: What is your opinion on the historic gay marriage ruling by the Supreme Court?

Jane Lynch: I'm thrilled about it. I think it's a huge step forward. I'm in New York now and the Gay Pride Weekend was this past weekend and it was just full of people of all stripes celebrating this decision and the overturn of Prop 8 as well so, yes, it's a great week to be gay.

WCT: We will see you in Chicago soon.

Jane Lynch: Sounds good.

Play along at home while watching Hollywood Game Night every Thursday on NBC.