Finding Bliss in the Unexpected by Lauren Leaver

In her memoir Happy Accidents, Jane Lynch illustrates a series of unexpected instances that created her journey to success. Throughout her book, she reveals both the happy and sad moments that changed her life. Lynch calls these moments “accidents,” because she admits that there were times in the beginning when she struggled with anxiety and depression. While she is seen as a famous and successful actress, her memoir examines the story of her life before she made it to Hollywood.

In one part of the book, she discusses a time period during high school in which she was desperate for an escape from reality while growing up in suburban Chicago. As a result, Lynch talks about how she decided to join her high school choir in to use performing as a creative outlet. However, the actress also reveals that she turned to alcohol for a significant portion of her life. Lynch completed a theatrical arts degree at Illinois State University and MFA from Cornell, but still struggled with alcohol addiction and finding her identity. 

Lynch also emphasizes that while knew that she wanted to be an actress, she had difficulty maintaing a steady job, since jobs in acting were sparse at the time. As a result, she obtained a series of different acting jobs, ranging from Shakespeare plays in New York to comedy shows such as The Real Live Brady Bunch in Chicago.    

Jane Lynch (top middle) on the set of The Real Live Brady Bunch in 1992. Photo Credit: Huffington Post Staff Photo

However, Lynch’s story takes a positive spin when she turns thirty-one years old and decides to get her life back together. Lynch moves to Los Angeles, embraces her sexuality, quits drinking and starts landing roles in television movies such as Julie & Julia and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. She emphasizes that it was during this time when one of the happiest accidents of all happened. A new series that she had been hired for had gotten cancelled, causing her to audition for the role of Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee. To everyone’s surprise, the series took off, making Lynch a famous actress and fulfilling one of her lifelong dreams.

Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester in the television series Glee. Photo Credit: Fox Broadcasting Company Staff Photo

            Overall, I thought Lynch’s memoir was engaging, entertaining and informative. I also found her story found her story inspiring, because she emphasizes that there is no perfect path to success. I didn't know that Lynch struggled with depression and alcoholism, but I found the way she wrote about her experiences to be appropriate and enduring. Having previously seen her as a comedian, I was expecting her memoir to be written in a similar style to that of Tina Fey’s book Bossypants. However, her writing style was fairly straightforward with surprisingly little sarcasm. Therefore, this memoir will be a useful public relations tool because maintains her positive image as a successful female in Hollywood who is not afraid to tell her story and relate to her publics. 

Jane Lynch at her first book signing in 2011. Photo Credit: Huffington Post Staff Photo 

After reading this memoir, I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan. I especially recommend it to females who are interested in learning about how people obtain successful careers. Overall, I found Lynch’s wisdom to be especially beneficial and inspiring, because she demonstrates that no matter what your background is, you can still achieve your dreams if you work hard and take advantage of all the opportunities and “happy accidents” that come along the way.