Robbie Williams says he ed to intify as 'somewhat gay' but 'jt n't do the ck’

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

Nathan Lane creds Rob Williams for protectg him om g out as gay on natnal TV 1996. * was robin williams 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. Rob Williams is keen to nont one of the many gay men who sist they've slept wh him bee he n't rell that perd of his Williams is keen to nont one of the many gay men who sist they've slept wh him bee he n't rell that perd of his actor has always sisted he's 100% heterosexual, but many gay men are keen to 'out' explas: "There are many webs that'll go: 'Oh, he's gay - I know he's gay. '"Even our chef, who's gay, was at a gay ski lodge, and some guy me up to him and said: 'Rob Williams is gay.

ROB WILLIAMS: 'I'M NOT GAY'

"Williams sists he has never even nsired havg a homosexual enunter - even durg his dg-fuelled heyday, when bisexualy was all the rage. While this is certaly not the first time Williams played gay on screen, 's certaly the most disturbg.

In the movie The Birdge, Williams portrayed the gay dad alg wh a hetero son, as well as the owner of a drag baret and same-sex lover of s star drag queen performer.

He was the gay daddy drag Mrs. ” In the hilar film, straight Daniel Hillard enlists his gay brother Frank (played by openly gay Harvey Fierste), a makp artist, and Frank’s partner Jack to transform him to Mrs.

RT PEACE, ROB WILLIAMS, YOU WERE TLY A GAY IN

Later, Williams did an terview 1992, after beg nsired for a movie role as openly gay Supervisor Harvey Milk, and was asked whether he might be unfortable playg a gay character.

“I grew up San Francis; I grew up around gay people, ” he replied.

Robbie Williams has spoken about sexualy a new terview and how he ed to inty as “somewhat gay” durg his youth. The pop sger, currently at number one the UK wh new album ‘The Heavy Entertament Show’, grac the ver of gay liftyle magaze Attu this month. Durg the terview, Williams revealed that he qutned his sexual orientatn durg his early 20s: “I was raised a society where gay was the thg you levelled at somebody you wanted to hurt the most.