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Nathan Lane (born February 3, 1956) is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and his voice work in The Lion King and Stuart Little. In 2006, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2008, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
Usually gives broad, energetic performances in comedies.
Distinctive high-pitched voice.
Squint and smirk.
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Nathan Lane (born February 3, 1956) is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and his voice work in The Lion King and Stuart Little. In 2006, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2008, he was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
Usually gives broad, energetic performances in comedies.
Distinctive high-pitched voice.
Squint and smirk.
Played the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True (1995). Co-hosted the 1995 Tony Awards and hosted the 1996 Tony Awards Telecast.
Originally named Joseph Lane, he changed his name because he heard of another actor named Joseph Lane. He chose the name Nathan after the character of Nathan Detroit from the broadway musical "Guys and Dolls". Coincidentally, he later played that role in the hugely successful 1992 revival of "Guys and Dolls" on broadway.
Starred on broadway as Max Bialystock in "The Producers" and Pseudolus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". Zero Mostel played both characters in the earlier film versions. Lane won Tony Awards for both roles. When he accepted his second Tony award, he looked up and thanked Mostel's spirit for inhabiting him somehow.
May 28, 1991: Starred in the first production of Terrence McNally's play "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" with Swoosie Kurtz, Christine Baranski and Anthony Heald.
Attended St. Peter's Preparatory High School in Jersey City, New Jersey, class of 1974, where he was voted Best Actor.
His father was a New Jersey police officer.
His second broadway show was "Merlin", one of the most notoriously expensive flops in broadway history. The show was conceived as a vehicle for the magic of Doug Henning, with Henning in the title role; other stars of the production included Chita Rivera and a young Christian Slater.
Won two Tony Awards as best actor in a musical: in 1996 for playing Pseudolus in the revival of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", and in 2001 for playing Max Bialystock in "The Producers". He was also nominated in the same category in 1992 for playing Nathan Detroit in the revival of "Guys and Dolls".
(January 9, 2006) Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
Frequently works with Matthew Broderick. They appeared together in the films El rey león (1994), El rey león 2: El tesoro de Simba (1998), El rey león 3: Hakuna Matata (2004) and Los productores (2005). They also appeared together in the original broadway production of "The Producers", and in a revival of "The Odd Couple".
Was a guest at Sarah Jessica Parker's 40th birthday.
Was considered to play the role of George Costanza on Seinfeld (1989).
His Tony award-winning performances in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "The Producers" were both roles originally created by Zero Mostel.
Played Gomez Addams in a musical version of "The Addams Family".
His favorite animated film is Buscando a Nemo (2003).
Irish-American.
He was nominated for a 2013 New Jersey Hall of Fame for Arts and Entertainment.
Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London's West End: flew in at three days' notice to replace Richard Dreyfuss as "Max Bialystock" in the London production of "The Producers", initially until Jan 8 2005. He stars opposite his fellow Un ratoncito duro de roer (1997) star, British comedian Lee Evans. [October 2004]
Chicago, IL: Playing Theodore "Hickey" Hickman in the Goodman Theatre production of "The Iceman Cometh" [April 2012]
Starring in the revival of "The Odd Couple" on broadway with fellow former star of "The Producers", Matthew Broderick through April 2, 2006. [October 2005]
Opened in a broadway revival of Simon Gray's "Butley". His portrayal of the primarily dramatic title role is a change of pace from his usual comic and/or musical performances. [October 2006]
Currently on broadway in New York. [March 2008]
Will continue starring in extension of "Odd Couple" revival until June 4, 2006 [April 2006]
After replacing Richard Dreyfuss in the London production of "The Producers", a back injury forced him to leave the show 2 weeks before the end of his contract. [December 2004]
Appeared in a reading of Arthur Miller's newest play (and first comedy), "Resurrection Blues", in New York City. [August 2004]
Starring in the Addams Family on broadway. [March 2010]
I don't know what goes on in their heads out in Hollywood.
I fell in love with the whole ritual. The lights going down, the curtain going up, telling a story to a large group of people in the dark. It was one of those moments where you think, 'I can do that.' You're in control on stage. And I love telling the whole story in one fell swoop. With movies, you never think, 'I nailed it.' In theater you get to go back and do it again, which to me is much more satisfying.
There's not a day in my life I'm not proud of being gay but I just wasn't ready for that attention to be placed on it. I remember being on Oprah. Well, not on Oprah. Near Oprah. She started saying, 'Now, Nathan, you got all those girlie moves going down in The Birdcage, where's all that coming from? You're so good at all that girlie stuff!'
[About working in the broadway flop "Merlin"] "Doug Henning's greatest magic trick was making the audience disappear".
"You have to be loud...it's the theater." - asked by a reporter about his "loud" persona on stage.
[on being gay] "From the time I told my mother, I've been living openly. But really, I was born in 1956. I'm one of those old-fashioned homosexuals, not one of the newfangled ones who are born joining parades. My family referred to them as "fags", and that was it."
[Coming "Out" following the death of Matthew Shepard] "It was like somebody slapped me awake. At this point it's selfish not to do whatever you can....If I do this story and say I'm a gay person, it might make it easier for somebody else."
"I told my mother I was gay, and she s...and she...and then her face went white, and then she said, 'I would rather you were dead'. And I said, 'I knew you'd understand'. And then once I got her head out of the oven, everything was fine. She came from a generation where, yes, of course, she would have preferred if I was straight and had gotten married, but she, uh, you know, she was very accepting. What she enjoyed most is when I was in a musical. She would always say, um, 'I'm not saying this because I'm your mother; I'm saying it because it's true: you were the best one'" [To James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio (1994)].
[on William Duell] The audience adored him. The first time around he'd get a huge laugh. The second time he'd get a huge laugh. The third time, he'd just hold up his fingers - and it brought the house down.
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Tags: American (4), Male (4), Actor (4), Lgbt (3), Born 1956 (3), Gay (3), White (2), Voice Actor (2), Brunette (2), Irish (2), Beautiful Hair (1), Attractive (1), Beautiful Eyes (1), Makes The List (1), Caucasian (1), Successful (1), Charming (1), Grand (1), Magnificent (1)
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