Emmy Nominee Jane Lynch On Making ‘Weakest Link’ Gig Her Own; Bonding With Steve Martin On ‘Only Murders In The Building’
Jane Lynch earned her 14th Primetime Emmy Award nomination this morning for her work on NBC’s The Weakest Link under the “Outstanding Game Show Host” category.
The series revival is an adaptation of the British TV series of the same name hosted by Anne Robinson— a personality whose approach Lynch admired—premiered in 2020 with Lynch at the helm. The second half of Season 3 aired earlier this year.
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In conversation with Deadline earlier today, Lynch tipped her hat to The Weakest Link writers for their important role in helping her be the host with the most.
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“I have very good writers and it’s a very good game. It’s set up really well,” she said when asked what elements help her be the host of The Weakest Link. “So for me, all I have to do is show up and be part of the team. That’s all there is; we’re such a well-oiled machine. [The writers] know that line between being snarky and having a twinkle in your eye. When it comes down to it, it’s about the game. So, at least I know that it’s not about me and my jokes. People tune in for the game, the fact that I can be funny from time to time is extra.”
Lynch shared that part of the motivation behind her decision to take this specific gig was her admiration for Robinson, the original U.K. host famous for her biting replies and funny catchphrases. When dismissing contestants, Robinson would famously say sternly, “You ARE the weakest link, goodbye!” Lynch admits that she never wanted to be a version of Robinson, opting instead to make the show her own.
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“Anne Robinson was the original in Britain and she was as serious as a heart attack, and I loved watching her. The contestants were legitimately afraid of her,” Lynch said. “And there was something so tense and wonderful about watching that show. I knew that I wasn’t going to be Anne Robinson but I knew I would have my own version. I just loved watching her reign over those contestants. None of our contestants is that afraid. [Laughs].”
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Up next, Lynch is taking the lead in Season 4 of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. As was revealed in the Season 3 finale, her character Sazz Pataki is the latest murder victim at the Arconia. While that is sad, it also means Season 4 will be Sazz-heavy as the show explores her life and later partnership with Charles-Hayden (Steve Martin). For years, Sazz was Charles-Hayden’s stunt double during his heyday as the star of the detective series Brazzos, which was recently rebooted in Only Murders in the Building.
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While she was mostly mum as to what fans will see of Sazz’s life when Season 4 premieres on August 27, she did tease that fans of Brazzos will be “tickled” with what’s ahead.
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“I found out in the middle of last season,” Lynch said regarding when she learned of her character’s demise. “John Hoffman, our showrunner, came up to me and he was looking at me with this look in his eye and kind of a smirk. I was actually happy because I knew that it meant that my storyline would dominate the next season. So I did half of the episodes and I was very happy to be back in the fold.”
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She added regarding what would be covered about Sazz’s life, “[Hoffman] had it all figured out. He had to reverse-engineer it but he knew what he wanted to do and what he wanted to show about the relationship between Charles and Sazz. One of the joys of doing this past season has been working with Steve and developing this really sweet relationship. You could always tell we have a nice relationship but it goes it goes pretty deep and it’s pretty delicious. It was a joy to play with Mr. Martin and was just so much fun.”
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