It's official: Award-winning actress Jane Lynch will host the 2011 Primetime Emmys

Jane Lynch, pictured here at the 2010 Primetime Emmys, won Outstanding Suppoting Actress in a Comedy Series.

“We’re delighted to have Jane Lynch host the Primetime Emmys this year,” said John Shaffner, Chairman and CEO, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “When our host has comedic, dramatic and musical talents — as Jane proved in last year’s opening number — we know it’s going to be fun for us and for the audience at home!”

“Jane was my first — and only — choice as the host for this year’s Primetime Emmys, and I am glad she said ‘yes,’ ” said executive producer Mark Burnett (Survivor). “She has incredible comedic timing and is a charismatic, talented actress whose energy leaps off the screen and stage.”

“I am tickled pink to be hosting the Primetime Emmys on Fox,” said Lynch. “I’m looking forward to singing, dancing and sporting my finest tracksuit.”

I’m particularly pleased with this news because I’m not only a fan, I’ve actually met her! Yes, that's me grinning like an idiot. I couldn't believe I was standing there with Jane Lynch! We were both at Book Expo America this year; I’m kicking off Book One of my Ammanon series, she’s promoting her new book, Happy Accidents, to be released in September.

Lynch is best known for her breakout role as Sue Sylvester on the multiple-category Primetime Emmy-winning Glee, but I liked her best as TV’s quintessential shrink. Almost every place she cropped up, she played the unflappable psychologist. Oh, the outrageous confessions of her patients; and oh, those memorable acerbic one-liners! To Charlie Sheen who’d suddenly developed an eating disorder: “Put that candy down or you’ll have more chins than a Chinese telephone directory.”

Nominations for the 63rd Primetime Emmy® Awards will be announced at 5:40 a.m. PT on Thursday, July 14. The show will air live from NOKIA Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 18, on Fox.

Yes! I Did Meet Jane Lynch!

Thursday, May 26, my last day at the BEA (Book Expo America) was long and hectic. The next day I flew home. Also long and hectic. So please forgive the lapse in time.

That morning (Thurs) there were four of us VerveStar authors at the booth. I managed to embarrass them all by shrieking “There she is!” when tall and picture-perfect Jane Lynch strode along the aisle toward the Uptown Stage.

She flashed a big smile. “Yes, here I am!”

Somehow I, a notorious klutz, scrambled over all the materials stacked around and under the table and emerged intact with my camera. She came right over to me, swung an arm around my waist and we turned to face a series of flashes. Husband and I are both big fans of hers. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I murmured something about how much I enjoyed everything she ever starred in. She gave me a gracious nod and was off to her speaking engagement.

By then I was aware that a crowd had formed, all of them busy sending pics to their entire contact list.

Around noon, Nick and Miranda arrived from a press meeting to announce that our press releases were now racing over the wires. We then proceeded to set up the cappuccino machine. Sort of. The machine seemed more bent on emulating Old Faithful than producing a trendy brew. After Housekeeping’s third visit to our booth, Miranda got it under control. By the time crowds started gathering for Jane Fonda’s turn on the Uptown Stage, it was turning out delicious shots of foamy hazelnut cappuccino. It proved to be a great way to attract a meet ‘n greet. (At right: VerveStar publicist Miranda Spigener, infamous coffee machine, author Jahnavi Foster)

At 3:00 The BEA was officially over. Time to strike the set. We were down to three by then: Nick, Miranda and me. We worked feverishly away, barely finishing in time to make it to Battery Park for Murdoch’s presentation.

Franklin Murdoch, I must explain, is the 90-year-old author of The Best is Yet to Come. He flew in from LA, aided by his great-grandaughter (above in background). When he wasn’t at the booth, he was at a nursing home in Battery Park owned by the same company as the one in LA. It was in one of their meeting rooms that VerveStar arranged his press meeting. Too blind to see his audience, he nevertheless held us enthralled. But ya know? That’s a whole nuther post. Stay tuned.

I’ll close at a nice quiet Japanese restaurant where we finally called it a day. Whilst sipping miso soup, Nick checked on my press release. It had gone out on Reuters, AP, and others I can’t recall off hand. Subscribers to these news services choose the items they wish to feature. By that time (7:30 PM) 268 had picked me.

On that happy note, we struggled back to our respective motels with a cabbie who didn’t know New Jersey. But that’s yet another story.

I might actually see JANE LYNCH at the BEA!

When publicist Miranda Spigener texted me that Jane Lynch would be at the Book Expo America in NYC I got very excited. She’ll be appearing on the Uptown Stage at the Javits, right across from the VerveStar booth! How perfect is that?

No, I haven’t been following Jane on Glee. I liked her best when she was typecast all over TV Land as a psychologist. She was so perfect in that role: always unflappable no matter how outrageous the confessions of her patients, and always ready with an acerbic one-liner.

Her credits are way more varied than that, of course. In one show I found her singing with a country music group. Only now have I learned she’s a regular voice on Phineas and Ferb, of all things, and even did a gig on Shrek. And I LOVE her commercials. A limo cat? Seriously.

No doubt she’s enjoying Glee much more than shrinking for the stars, most notably Two and a Half Men. For one thing, it’s catapulted her into well-deserved celebrity. For another, well…why keep trying to analyze Charlie Sheen?

You rock, Jane!