Read the Aug. 22, 2007 interview in The Desert Sun.
With a wicked sense for comedy and a hint of social commentary, actress Jane Lynch knows her craft.
"I don't do stuff because I want to send a message, I just want an interesting role to play," Lynch declares.
Without trying, Lynch has raised the bar for lesbian roles, whether she is playing a purebred dog trainer in Best in Show, a reoccurring part on "The L Word," characters in Power Up-produced shorts "Promtroversy" and "Little Black Boot" or her role in the upcoming PFLAG-sponsored film about the daughter of lesbian mothers, "Tru Loved."
In director Anne Renton's comedic short, "Love is Love," Lynch portrays a zealous reverend, expounding on the absurdity of the heterosexual lifestyle. In the film, homosexuals constitute the majority in sexual orientation and straight couples are an oddity.
"It's kinda nice when you flip it over and look at it from a different point of view," Lynch told The Desert Sun of the film's take on irrational phobias.
Lynch knew Renton as a healer and masseuse, and was not at all surprised when her next step led to directing. Renton is presently shadowing a successful director who is mentoring her. "Anne's in her power; she's exactly where she should be," Lynch says of Renton's career path.
Renton provides the perfect example of what Lynch feels to be the advantage of short films. "With shorts, you can move up to the next level you aspire to," she explains. Despite minimal budgets (Lynch waived her salary), shorts can help push the cast and crew to the next big thing.
Lynch enjoys the opportunity that shorts provide to hone acting skills and to create a film efficiently. "It's almost guerrilla warfare," she proposes. "The film has to be specific and the story has to be airtight. Shorts provide a great opportunity to exercise those muscles."
Renton allowed Lynch flexibility in her scenes. "She didn't direct me very much; she was nice enough to let me do whatever I wanted," Lynch recalls.
The actress professes, "I love the atmosphere of people doing short films for the love it, not just for a lot of money."