Jane Lynch's comments on Glee's Funeral Episode

From EW.com:

Last night’s episode of Glee, fittingly titled “Funeral,” featured the shocking death of Sue Sylvester’s beloved sister Jean, played by actress Robin Trocki.

EW managed to talk to star Jane Lynch yesterday at Fox’s upfronts and she admitted that the hour was a tough one to film. “People with down syndrome rarely last past 30,” says Lynch. “Robin is 55. So this really hit home. Her sister is there with her all the time, Sharon. They have a very tight relationship. So it was very bittersweet. The funeral was awful [to shoot] with the kid’s singing ‘Pure Imagination.’ It was really rough and I will miss her very much. I love working with Robin!”

Co-creator/executive producer Ryan Murphy made sure Lynch was comfortable with the plot twist before moving forward with it. Says Lynch, “He took me aside at a party and said ‘I want your blessing on this before we move forward.’ I said, ‘It sounds like a really great storyline.’ It’s the thing that will break Sue Sylvester’s heart and get to where she lives.”

Robin Trocki's Glee

From foxtoledo.com:

Her loving smile, warm heart and words of wisdom are shown on the FOX show GLEE.
And the same rings true in real life. Robin Trocki plays Jean Sylvester on the show. She also has Down Syndrome.

Recently she visited Lima with her sister to meet and greet some fans who can relate to her on a personal level. The actress came to Marimor Industries in Lima, OH to let everyone know she's on GLEE, but honestly, everyone already knew.

"I love this," Trocki said. "This is fun. I love this." Trocki was in Lima, Ohio - ground zero for the FOX TV hit show GLEE, a familiar, exciting place.

"To see what Robin has accomplished in her life is so inspiring, for all of us," said Esther Baldridge of Marimor Industries, a private, non-profit corporation which provides training and employment for people in Allen County with developmental disabilities. They took a break in their work day to welcome Robin and her sister, Sharon Miller. Many were even watching GLEE when she walked in the door. Trocki was in awe.

"For me this has been an incredible experience," Miller said. "When Robin was born, in the 1950s, and at that time there was no thought that anything like this could ever happen, the doctors told my parents that she would never be able to learn anything, never really be able to do anything. Robin has spent her life proving those doctors wrong." Now she's an actress.

Jean Sylvester on GLEE is one of the only people Sue Sylvester shows her soft side, and Trocki has much love for her costar. "Jane Lynch helps me with my lines," she said.

Miller, her real-life sister, couldn't be more proud. "She has pretty much done everything she has set out to do," Miller said. "She's really someone who has followed her dreams, and worked hard."

Becky gets a boyfriend on Glee

From the NDSC:

At the NDSC convention last year in Orlando, the National Media Award was presented to the television show, Glee, for its inclusion of actors with Down syndrome in meaningful roles. We watch with anticipation each week to see if Lauren Potter as cheerleader Becky Jackson, and Robin Trocki as Sue Sylvester's sister, Jean, will make an appearance. And each time they do, we cheer them on! In an upcoming episode, we'll have a new character to get excited about! Self advocate Luke Spinelli will appear as Becky's boyfriend, Jared. Luke and his mom, Karen, attended our Sacramento convention in 2008, where they learned about DSA of Los Angeles' casting liaison service. Hooray to Luke and Gail Williamson at DSALA and to the NDSC convention and the connections made there! FYI, Lauren Potter will be a speaker at the convention in San Antonio this summer! Registration is now open. Visit the NDSC website for more information.