In celebration of the "Best in Show" movie's 25th anniversary, the actress discusses her love of senior dogs and the "pure surrender" of laughter.
If your annual Thanksgiving tradition involves sitting down to enjoy the National Dog Show, you may not know that this favorite event ended up on TV thanks in part to the cult classic movie Best in Show, which is consequently celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. For one of the film’s stars, actress and comedian Jane Lynch, this commemoration is a perfect opportunity to highlight two passions of hers: dogs and laughter.
Lynch has built a career making people laugh—from her iconic turn as dog handler Christy Cummings in Best of Show to her Emmy-winning role as coach Sue Sylvester on Glee—but at 65, she says her real source of wellbeing is much simpler: dogs. For the past 15 years, she and her wife have adopted senior rescues, something she says is “nurturing” for her.
Ahead of the National Dog Show—which airs on Thursday, November 28 on NBC from noon to 2 p.m. in each time zone—Lynch is also partnering with Purina, the Show’s official sponsor, to give dog lovers across the country a chance to win their own Busy Bee toy—something Best in Show fans will recognize as a hilarious nod to a storyline in the movie. More details on the contest can be found here.
Lynch recently spoke with The Healthy and reflected on why the heart and humor of Best in Show still resonate after all these years. She also told us why laughter is “pure surrender,” what she finds so special about dogs, and the joy she finds in rituals like her non-negotiable morning coffee run and preparing for her 10th annual Christmas tour with fellow actress Kate Flannery.
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The Healthy: Jane, the National Dog Show is such a joyful event. Tell us a little bit about being around animals and how it contributes to people’s mental health and happiness.
Jane Lynch: My wife and I have been adopting senior dogs for the last 15 years, and we just love animals. We also have two rescue horses, and I think that having these animals, especially as they get older and caring for them toward the end of their life, is so nurturing for us. We have a whole community of dog walkers in this neighborhood. We all get up in the morning and walk our dogs, and I know the dogs’ names better than I know the people’s names. For my health and wellness, moving to this small rural town, having our animals and the community has really been a big plus.
The Healthy: Best in Show has been making people laugh for 25 years now. How do you think humor—both in film and in life—can act as a form of therapy or emotional release? It’s something you’ve done throughout your career.
Jane Lynch: There’s this Indian guru who said that you can’t think a negative thought when you’re laughing. It just can’t happen. In fact, your mind goes empty when you’re laughing about something. It’s a real pure surrender to the moment when you’re laughing. It’s vulnerable. It’s something you can’t control. Sometimes it’s when you’re really, truly in one of the most innocent states, emotionally and mentally. And so I think that that can do nothing but be healing and put all sorts of positive vibes and endorphins rushing through your body. I think laughter is really very important. I love to laugh. I love to make people laugh. I love the absurdities of life.
The Healthy: Absolutely.
Jane Lynch: That’s why I think Best in Show still holds up, because it’s universal and it’s timeless, and how people get obsessed with something and they get into a community of like-minded others. It can also point to areas in our life where we might be a little upset and might be a little trying to get the one-upmanship on the other one, and we kind of sit back and go, “Oh my God, those people are crazy.” And then you realize, So am I.
The Healthy: You’ve spent so much time celebrating dogs through your work. What is something you’ve learned about the human-animal bond and how it impacts our wellbeing?
Jane Lynch: I was just at a coffee shop this morning and there was this kind of buff guy in his workout clothes and he had the cutest little dog. It just didn’t make sense. You’d think he would probably have some big macho dog, but he had this cute little sweet dog and I saw him catch eyes with his dog and his face just softened. And he looked into her eyes and you gave her a little scratch. It’s really lovely to see stuff like [that].
The Healthy: You’ve always seemed so full of vitality. What are some habits or routines that help you stay physically and mentally sharp—whether it’s workouts, nutrition, or anything that’s part of your daily life?
Jane Lynch: I don’t eat processed food, which has made a big change in how I feel, my mood, and I’ve lost weight. I wish I’d done it earlier, but you do it when you do it. I get up early, and I go to bed when the sun goes down. I’m asleep by nine o’clock, and I’m out with the dog and my neighbors by 6:30.
The Healthy: The entertainment industry can be stressful and demanding—what have you learned about longevity and balance that has helped you maintain a healthy mindset over time?
Jane Lynch: I stopped worrying about what’s next about 25 years ago, and it was kind of beaten out of me because you can’t do anything about it. It’s not in my hands. I can’t force something to come to me. I can’t force a job; I can’t campaign for a job. It doesn’t work that way.
The Healthy: What is one self-care ritual or wellness practice that you refuse to skip?
Jane Lynch: It might not sound healthy, but I go to my favorite coffee place every morning, and it gets me out of bed.
The Healthy: Lastly, what projects are you looking forward to right now? You’ve got so many: a tour coming up this Christmas, Only Murders in the Building… What should we have on our radar?
Jane Lynch: I have this musical Christmas show that I’ve been doing for 10 years, and I do it with Kate Flannery, who was in The Office. And we have a beautiful five-piece band. They’re just great. We’ve been going all over the country for 10 years, and we have an album. It’s called Swingin’ Little Christmas. It’s my highlight of the year. And I love doing The Weakest Link, which is now on Fox.
For daily wellness updates, subscribe to The Healthy newsletter and follow The Healthy on Facebook and Instagram. Keep reading:
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
