Nathan Lane: From Birdcage to Broadway

0:00On April 8th, Nathan Lane's opening up about hitting the big time with the birdcage turning 30 this year. He was just a character actor back then, never expecting to step into a leading role like that flamboyant drag club owner. The movie shot him to fame, but it left him feeling out of place in the spotlight. He recalled a tough moment on Oprah, where she playfully grilled him about playing gay so convincingly. Robin Williams jumped in to deflect, showing that generous spirit. Lane says now he'd own it straight up, telling her he's a great actor first, and yes, he's gay. Fame's dark side hit quick too, with some guy yelling slurs at him on the street weeks later. It's stung bad, but he saw it as the flip side of Stardom. He finally came out publicly in the advocate in 1999, and folks were like, we knew anyway, no big drama. Robin Williams played a huge part in his big break. Williams was set for the role first, then pushed for Lane when Steve Martin dropped out. Passing on a bigger star. Lane remembers Williams showing up on his shoot day off just to cheer him on during a cut musical number.

1:04These days, Lane's killing it everywhere from the gilded age and Broadway's death of a salesman with Laurie Metcalf to flicks like Bow is afraid. Reflecting on it all, he honors that wild ride from Bird Cage to now. This has been Entertainment and Celebrity News today, powered by AI.