Jonathan Lynn: Biography

Jonathan Lynn is better known as a stage, screen, and television director than as an actor. Following his education at Pembroke, Lynn joined the Cambridge Circus satirical revue in the mid-'60s. This led the comic actor to appear on-stage in London and New York. He also occasionally showed up on British television. Lynn became a theater director on the West End and for the Royal Shakespeare Company in the early '70s. He also sometimes worked on Broadway. In 1974, he penned his first screenplay, The Internecine Project. He directed his first feature-length film, Clue, in 1985. Featuring an all-star cast, this mystery-spoof was most memorable for having three separate endings. In the mid-'80s, Lynn earned acclaim for creating the popular British television comedy series Yes, Minister and Yes, Prime Minister (1980 and 1984 respectively). The feature films Lynn directed were primarily comedies and of average or slightly better quality, though he did have a major hit with My Cousin Vinny (1994). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide