“I love to act; it’s my calling if there’s such a thing.” – Jane Lynch

It might seem like Jane Lynch has been on television for years, but the Glee star made only infrequent appearances in film and television in mostly small roles (outside of her exceptional performances in Christopher Guest’s films) until her big break on Glee. That long road to success is a theme that Lynch frequently returns to in her interview with NBC reporter Kate Snow on her new series The Drink.

Lynch admits that she is still amazed that she gets paid to do what she loves. She says, “It is the most amazing killer job. I love to act; it’s my calling if there’s such a thing.”

Still, Lynch’s career as an actor didn’t really take off until she was over 40 — noting, “I was 40 by the time I started making money at this … and I was happy before that” — an age when many actresses are usually cast in fewer roles, not more. Reflecting on her career, Lynch does see where there have been obstacles. She explains, “I can’t say that being a woman has been an obstacle. Being gay has been an obstacle. Being six feet tall has been an obstacle.”

In fact, Lynch uses herself as an example of an unlikely rise to the top — and doing it without a timetable. She points out, “If you’ve got some goal that you think you need to be somewhere by the time you’re some age, that’s so stupid. Don’t do it. I never had that goal.”