Jonathan Lynn

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Jonathan Adam Lynn (born 3 April 1943) is an English film director, screenwriter, and actor. He directed the comedy films Clue, Nuns on the Run, My Cousin Vinny, and The Whole Nine Yards. He also co-created and co-wrote the television series Yes Minister.

Early lifeEdit

Lynn was born in Bath, Somerset, the son of physician Robin Lynn and sculptor Ruth Helen (née Eban), whose first cousin on her mother's side was the neurologist Oliver Sacks. Another cousin, Caroline Sacks, married Nicholas Samuel, 5th Viscount Bearsted.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>A Sense of Purpose: Recollections, Suzy Eban, Plunkett Lake Press, 2015</ref><ref>Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 106th edition, vol. 1, Burke's Peerage, Ltd, p. 218</ref><ref name=filmref /> Lynn was educated at Kingswood School, Bath, between 1954 and 1961, after which he studied law at Pembroke College, Cambridge. (His maternal uncle, Israeli statesman Abba Eban, had also studied at Cambridge in the 1930s.) There he participated in the Cambridge University Footlights Club revue Cambridge Circus (appearing with the revue in 1964 on Broadway and on The Ed Sullivan Show).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=imdb />

CareerEdit

ActingEdit

Lynn's first West End appearance was in a stage production of Green Julia, for which he was nominated for the 1965 Plays and Players Award as Most Promising New Actor.<ref name=bioj>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1967, he played Motel the tailor in the original West End production of Fiddler on the Roof (production recorded by CBS Records).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> From the late 1960s, Lynn was appearing in and writing television sitcoms, including the television comedy series Twice a Fortnight with Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Tony Buffery.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Lynn played the Irish medical student Danny Hooley in the second series of the television comedy Doctor in the House in 1970. He wrote some episodes for Doctor at Large, Doctor in Charge, Doctor at Sea and Doctor on the Go.<ref name=filmref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> As a TV actor, his most memorable roles included Beryl's boyfriend Robert in early series of The Liver Birds,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> the role of Harold in Jack Rosenthal's 1976 television film Bar Mitzvah Boy,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the role of Ted Margolis in Rosenthal's The Knowledge (1979).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He had a bit-part as a window cleaner in the BBC television series The Good Life. His film appearances have included roles in Prudence and the Pill (1968), The House That Dripped Blood (1971), Romance with a Double Bass (1974), and Three Men and a Little Lady (1990).

Lynn is a guest instructor at HB Studio.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

ScreenwritingEdit

Lynn's first (co-written) screenplay was for The Internecine Project, which was released in 1974.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For television he wrote episodes for the Doctor TV series and On the Buses and wrote for Harry Worth and George Layton before eventually, in partnership with Antony Jay, writing Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His later writing credits include the first two films he directed, Clue (1985) and Nuns on the Run (1990).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He is also known for his co-writing, co-producing, and co-directing of the revived Yes, Prime Minister series produced by the BBC on Gold in 2013.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

BooksEdit

Lynn co-authored the books The Complete Yes Minister, as well as The Complete Yes Prime Minister, which spent 106 weeks on the Sunday Times top 10 fiction list. Both were ranked number one on the Sunday Times list, including in December 1986 when the books were ranked number one and number two respectively.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He also wrote the 1993 novel Mayday.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2011 Lynn wrote a non-fiction work entitled Comedy Rules. The Independent newspaper called the book "a charming memoir, full of amusing and insightful anecdotes about the many entertainers Lynn has worked with" and described it as a combination of autobiography and how-to manual for comedy. The paper wrote further: "By dovetailing different types of book, Lynn cleverly avoids the pitfalls of both genres. Because it's ostensibly a sort of how-to book, there are no boring childhood reminiscences. Because it's also a kind of autobiography, his no-nonsense dos and don'ts are springboards for entertaining yarns, rather than academic discourse."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

PlaysEdit

Lynn won praise for his direction of the 2010 London stage version of Yes, Prime Minister, which he co-wrote as well.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In 2016 Lynn's play The Patriotic Traitor was published. Its subject is the relationship of Philippe Pétain to Charles de Gaulle. In the words of the blurb, ‘Two giants of the twentieth century who loved each other like father and son until they found themselves on opposing sides in World War II. In 1945 de Gaulle had his oldest friend tried for treason. Their complex relationship – noble, comic and absurd – changed history.’ <ref>Lynn, Jonathan, The Patriotic Traitor, London, Faber and Faber, 2016. ISBN 9780571331024.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news The discussion between Lynn and Philip Dodd, the presenter, begins at 16.00 after the start.
A podcast is also available for downloading within the United Kingdom, but not necessarily elsewhere, as in some cases the BBC blocks its podcasts from being downloaded outside the United Kingdom.</ref>

Lynn also co-wrote the stage play of "Clue", together with Hunter Foster, Eric Price and Sandy Rustin.

ProducingEdit

Lynn also produced six episodes of the new Yes, Prime Minister television series, was executive producer of He's Such a Girl, Vanity Fair, and was a producer for Trial and Error.<ref name=imdb /> It also received an exclusive production agreement with Columbia Pictures Television in 1992.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

AwardsEdit

Lynn's work on the Minister series earned him three BAFTAs, two Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, and two Pye Television Writers Awards, and he won the ACE Award for Best Written Comedy Series. The Campaign for Freedom of Information also recognized Lynn with a special award for his work on the show.<ref name=imdb>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Lynn was a recipient of a Diamond Jubilee Award for Political Satire in 2010.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He received an NAACP Image Award for the 2003 film The Fighting Temptations.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

FilmographyEdit

FilmEdit

Year Title Director Writer Producer
1974 The Internecine Project Template:Yes
1985 Clue Template:Yes Template:Yes
1990 Nuns on the Run Template:Yes Template:Yes
1992 My Cousin Vinny Template:Yes
The Distinguished Gentleman Template:Yes
1994 Greedy Template:Yes
1996 Sgt. Bilko Template:Yes
1997 Trial and Error Template:Yes Template:Yes
2000 The Whole Nine Yards Template:Yes
2003 The Fighting Temptations Template:Yes
2010 Wild Target Template:Yes

Executive producer

Acting roles

Year Title Role Notes
1968 Prudence and the Pill Chemist's Assistant
1971 The House That Dripped Blood Mr. Petheridge Template:Small Segment "The Cloak"
1975 Romance with a Double Bass Leader of the Orchestra Short film
1975 Who Sold You This, Then? Video short
1976 The Cold Call
1977 The Fortune Teller Short film
1980 Breaking Glass Radio DJ
1985 Into the Night Tailor
1990 3 Men and a Little Lady Vicar Hewitt
1994 Greedy Douglas
1999 One Man Band Tailor's Assistant Short film
2009 He's Such a Girl Priest
2010 Wild Target Parrot Template:Small

Additional credits

Year Title Role Notes
1975 Decisions, Decisions Writer Video short
1976 The Cold Call
1977 How Am I Doing?
The Unorganized Manager, Part One: Damnation
The Unorganized Manager, Part Two: Salvation
The Fortune Teller Short film
1979 I'd Like a Word with You Video short
2003 Beyoncé Feat. Walter Williams Sr.: He Still Loves Me Director Music video

TelevisionEdit

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1971 Doctor at Large Template:Yes Episode: "Pull the Other One!"
1972–73 On the Buses Template:Yes 6 episodes
Doctor in Charge Template:Yes 11 episodes
1972 Nearest and Dearest Template:Yes Episode: "Worker's Playtime"
1973 Romany Jones Template:Yes Episode: "Look After the Pennies"
All Star Comedy Carnival Template:Yes Doctor in Charge
1974 My Name is Harry Worth Template:Yes 3 episodes
Doctor at Sea Template:Yes 5 episodes
1975 Doctor on the Go Template:Yes 5 episodes
1975–76 My Brother's Keeper Template:Yes 13 episodes
1980–84 Yes Minister Template:Yes 22 episodes
1982 The Funny Side of Christmas Template:Yes Yes Minister
1983 Arms and the Man Template:Yes TV film
1985 Twee handen op een buik Template:Yes TV film
1986–88 Yes, Prime Minister Template:Yes 16 episodes
1987 Mr. President Template:Yes Episode: "Freedom of Speech"
1988 American Playhouse Template:Yes Episode: "Suspicion"
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Template:Yes Unsold pilot
1990 Ferris Bueller Template:Yes Episode: "Pilot"
Life After Life Template:Yes TV film
2013 Yes, Prime Minister Template:Yes Template:Yes Template:Yes 6 episodes

Acting roles

Year Title Role Notes
1966 Thirteen Against Fate Moise Episode: "The Lodger"
1967 Twice a Fortnight Various 11 episodes
1968 The Jazz Age Harry Plant Episode: "Black Exchange"
1969 Hadleigh Harold Episode: "The Ring"
Softly, Softly Tony Episode: "Wild Goose"
The Merchant of Venice Tubal TV short
1970 ITV Playhouse John Simons Episode: "Rumour"
Doctor in the House Danny Hooley 9 episodes
1972 The Liver Birds Johnny Episode: "The Driving Test"
ITV Sunday Night Drama Bill Episode: "Don't Deed the Fish"
Colditz Bergman Episode: "The Spirit of Freedom"
Turnbull's Finest Half Hour Roddy Cheever-Jones 5 episodes
1973 Doctor in Charge Danny Hooley Episode: "Should Auld Acquaintance
Be Forgot?"
1974 The Liver Birds Robert 7 episodes
Whodunnit? Bob Deacon Episode: "It's Quicker by Train"
1974–75 The Dick Emery Show Various 4 episodes
1975 The Good Life Window Cleaner Episode: "Pig's Lib"
1975–76 My Brother's Keeper Pete Booth 13 episodes
1976 Play for Today Harold Episode: "Bar Mitzvah Boy"
Pleasure at Her Majesty's Various TV film
1978 BBC2 Play of the Week Gaston TV film: "She Fell Among Thieves"
Play for Today Cyril Benson Episode: "Dinner at the Sporting Club"
1979 The Knowledge Ted Margolies TV film
1982 Outside Edge Kevin TV film
1984 Diana Twining Miniseries, 3 episodes
1988 American Playhouse Beaky Thwaite Episode: "Suspicion"

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

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Further readingEdit

External linksEdit

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