Nathan Lane: Straight actors n play gay rol

NATHAN LANE: ROB WILLIAMS ‘PROTECTED ME’ FROM COMG OUT AS GAY ON ‘OPRAH’ 1996 BEE ‘HE WAS A SAT’

* lane is gay *

Nathan Lane revealed on “Sunday Today” that Rob Williams once protected him om g out as gay agast his will on natnal televisn. The year was 1996 and Lane and Williams were on their prs tour for Mike Nichols’ “The Birdge, ” which they play a gay uple tryg to marry off their son to a nservative uple’s dghter. Lane was nervo about dog an terview on “The Oprah Wey Show” as “The Birdge” was one of his first major film rol, and he did not want to e out publicly as gay at the time.

“And I certaly wasn’t ready to go om table-to-table and tell them all I was gay. Of urse, Lane knew that playg a gay character the film would make discsg his sexualy real life “sort of unavoidable, ” but he still wasn’t ready to do so.

I’m not prepared to discs that I’m gay on natnal televisn. “Now you have to make a public statement about — I was terrified… It’s great that everyone now feels fortable but homophobia is alive and well and there are plenty of gay people who are still hidg. (AP) — Gay actors shouldn’t have a monopoly on gay rol, award-wng stage and screen actor Nathan Lane, who is gay and has played both straight and gay characters, was asked the qutn at a TV crics’ meetg Tuday.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Gay actors shouldn't have a monopoly on gay rol, award-wng stage and screen actor Nathan Lane said. Lane, who is gay and has played both straight and gay characters, was asked the qutn at a TV crics' meetg Tuday. He was there to discs PBS' prentatn of the Broadway play "The Nance," which he stars. "We jt had 'The Normal Heart' (wh) Mark Ruffalo, fantastic job. I thk who's right for the part and most talented" should be hired, Lane said. Ruffalo, who is straight, starred as a gay man the AIDS drama for HBO. "That way only madns li. ... I wouldn't have played Nathan Detro or Max Bialystock" if stg followed such rigid l, Lane said. He won a Tony Award for his Broadway portrayal of larceno producer Bialystock "The Producers" and was a nomee as gambler Detro "Guys and Dolls." Lane is an Emmy nomee this year for his gut role as weddg planner Pepper Saltzman ABC's s "Morn Fay." Hollywood has been cricized for stg whe actors as ethnic characters and, as gay characters have bee an creasg part of movi and TV, givg such rol to straight actors. "Will & Grace" me unr fire for stg straight actor Eric McCormack as a gay man. "The Nance," which earned Lane another Tony bid this year, is about a gay burlque performer 1930s New York. It airs Oct. 10 on PBS' "Live From Lln Center" as part of the seri 40th anniversary season. * lane is gay *

Ruffalo, who is straight, starred as a gay man the AIDS drama for HBO.

”Hollywood has been cricized for stg whe actors as ethnic characters and, as gay characters have bee an creasg part of movi and TV, givg such rol to straight actors. “Will & Grace” me unr fire for stg straight actor Eric McCormack as a gay man.

“The Nance, ” which earned Lane another Tony bid this year, is about a gay burlque performer 1930s New York.

NATHAN LANE WAS DATG HIS HBAND BEFORE HE PUBLICLY CAME OUT AS GAY

Later, the hband was also seen workg televisn shows like Sabra the Teenage Wch and Lane Was Qutned If He was GayThe gay actor me out the late 1990s after gag worldwi fame wh his work the h edy flick The Birdge. "The actor thought he'd already e out, but apparently, that wasn't the se the public 1999, the actor fally revealed to the world that he was gay by dog an exclive terview wh The his bemement, people felt annoyed after learng his sexual actor said there was no wng as they red ls, however, he was terrified bee of the experience.

After seeg pictur and vios of the band I've gotten this strong feelg that Layne was gay or bi.