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Early life

Lynch was born and raised in Dolton, Illinois. She received her bachelor's degree in theater from Illinois State University and her MFA from Cornell University, also in theater.

Career

Lynch's extensive theater background involved touring with The Second City comedy troupe and playing Carol Brady in The Real Live Brady Bunch. She also wrote and starred in the award-winning play Oh Sister, My Sister. Originally produced in 1998, the play kicked off the Lesbians in Theater program at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center in 2004.

Her breakthrough film role was as Christy Cummings, the masculine-lesbian personal dog handler to trophy wife Sheri Ann Cabot (Jennifer Coolidge) in director Christopher Guest's 2000 mockumentary Best in Show (2000). She also appeared in Guest's A Mighty Wind (2003) as porn actress-turned-folk singer Laurie Bohner and in For Your Consideration (2006) as an entertainment reporter.

Lynch is also a seasoned television performer. She starred with John Hannah and William Fichtner in 2002's MDs, and has made guest appearances in numerous television series, including Judging Amy, The West Wing, 7th Heaven, Felicity, Arrested Development, Two and a Half Men, Boston Legal, The L Word, Criminal Minds, Help Me Help You and The New Adventures of Old Christine, among others.

In 2005, Lynch was named as one of POWER UP's "10 Amazing Gay Women in Showbiz".

She is currently filming Julie and Julia, playing the role of Dorothy McWilliams, Julia Child's sister.