Nathan Lane: Rob Williams Protected Me From Comg Out as Gay - Variety

Contents:

• NATHAN LANE: ROB WILLIAMS ‘PROTECTED ME’ FROM COMG OUT AS GAY ON ‘OPRAH’ 1996 BEE ‘HE WAS A SAT’
• NATHAN LANE WAS DATG HIS HBAND BEFORE HE PUBLICLY CAME OUT AS GAY
• NATHAN LANE RELLS TENSE MOMENT DECLG TO COME OUT TO OPRAHTHE GAY ACTOR SCRIB A MID-90S MEMORY ON A PODST.BY JORDAN HOFFMANFEBARY 8, 2020BY BCE GLIKAS/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETO SOME THE 1990S FEEL LIKE YTERDAY, BUT STORI ABOUT SOCIAL CHANGE OFTEN SUCCCTLY MARK THE PASSAGE OF TIME. NATHAN LANE APPEARED ON THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’S PODST IT HAPPENED HOLLYWOOD TO DISCS THE STGGL OF G OUT AS A GAY ENTERTAER, AND SHARED A PARTICULARLY EMOTNAL EXPERIENCE PROMOTG HIS BREAKOUT ROLE THE BIRDGE ON THE OPRAH WEY SHOW 1996.DURG THE BROADST, OPRAH WEY ASKED LEADG QUTNS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, BUT LANE DID NOT WANT TO MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT. “I'M NOT READY TO DISCS WHETHER I'M GAY OR NOT WH OPRAH. I N BARELY AL WH MEETG OPRAH, LET ALONE TELLG HER I'M GAY,” LANE RELLS DISCSG WH PUBLICISTS PRR TO THE SHOW.THE EPISO LED WH LANE’S -STAR ROB WILLIAMS, WHO PLAYED WILLIAMS’S PARTNER MIKE NICHOLS’ BLOCKBTER EDY BASED ON THE FRENCH FILM LA CAGE X FOLL. LANE, PREVLY MOSTLY KNOWN TO BROADWAY DIENC, JOED THEM ABOUT 15 MUT . ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, OPRAH ASKS IF LANE HAS WORRI ABOUT “BEG TYPEST” WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO QUTNS OF “IS HE? ISN’T HE?”AT THE TIME, LANE WAS OUT TO EVERYONE HIS PRIVATE AND PROFSNAL LIFE, BUT WILLIAMS, MOST LIKELY SENSG THAT HIS IEND NEED SAVG, JUMPED TO PROTECT HIM WH HIS TYPILLY MANIC CHAT SHOW MEANOR. WH HDSIGHT AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF LANE’S HATNS, ’S RATHER TOUCHG TO WATCH. (THE BELOW VIO IS CUED TO THE MOMENT.)ON THR’S PODST, LANE ALSO DISCS BEG THE ONLY GAY PERSON ON THE SET OF THE BIRDGE AND HOW HE DISAGREED WH DIRECTOR NICHOLS AND WRER ELAE MAY’S E OF THE WORD “FAG.”LANE ME OUT PUBLICLY 1999 WH A STORY THE ADVOTE THE SAME YEAR HE APPEARED WH ROSIE O’DONNELL AT THE TONY AWARDS WEARG SOME FACIAL HAIR TO DO A LTLE SCHTICK ABOUT BEARDS.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYJORDAN HOFFMAN
• NATHAN LANE LOV CHANNELG AN “ODD LTLE MAN” ON THE GILD AGETHE TONY–WNG ACTOR ON THE SOCIETY GATEKEEPER HE PLAYS ON HBO’S NEW PERD DRAMA, HIS BROADWAY STARS, AND THE BIRDGE SEQUEL HE’S YEARNG TO MAKE. BY JULIE MILLERMARCH 11, 2022BY ALISON COHEN ROSA/HBO MAX.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAS THE LORFUL WARD MCALLISTER, NATHAN LANE CHARMS THE SOCIETY WOMEN OF THE GILD AGE WH SUCH EASE THAT YOU MIGHT MISTAKENLY ASSUME LTLE EFFORT WENT TO THE ROLE. BUT THAT FT MAND BELI THE TONY WNER’S REFUL PREPARATN FOR HIS PART ON JULIAN FELLOW’S AMERIN PERD DRAMA. IN ADDN TO SUMMONG A SAVANNAH ACCENT, LANE REARCHED THE REAL-LIFE MCALLISTER—A DISTANT RELATIVE, THROUGH MARRIAGE, OF 19TH-CENTURY SOCIETY QUEEN CAROLE ASTOR, WHO UNSOLICEDLY APPOTED HIMSELF SOCIETY’S ARBER.DURG A RECENT PHONE LL, LANE EXPLAS THAT MCALLISTER AND MRS. ASTOR “CID AMERIN SOCIETY NEED SOME GUIDANCE. THEY WANTED TO CREATE THEIR OWN ARISTOCRACY AMERI BASED ON BIRTH, BACKGROUND, AND BREEDG. WHICH IS ALSO THE WAY YOU W THE AMERIN KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW.”MCALLISTER, A SNOB AND SOCIAL CLIMBER OF THE HIGHT ORR, AND “AN ODD LTLE MAN,” ACRDG TO LANE, IS CREDED WH G THE ELIST TERM “THE FOUR HUNDRED,” CLARG THAT ONLY 400 PEOPLE WERE QUALIFIED TO BE PART OF NEW YORK SOCIETY. “IF YOU GO OUTSI THAT NUMBER, YOU STRIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE EHER NOT AT EASE A BALLROOM OR ELSE MAKE OTHER PEOPLE NOT AT EASE,” MCALLISTER WAS ONCE QUOTED AS SAYG.EXPLAS LANE, “HE WAS OBSSED WH FOOD AND W AND PARTY GIVG, AND FACT WENT TO EUROPE FOR A UPLE OF YEARS TO STUDY HOW THE NOBILY LIVED, AND THEN BROUGHT ALL THIS RMATN BACK WH HIM. HE’S SOMEBODY WHO TURNED SOCIAL CLIMBG TO AN ART FORM. HE MARRIED THIS WOMAN, WHO WAS A WEALTHY HEIRS…AND SORT OF A SHUT-. HE HAD THREE CHILDREN, TWO SONS AND A DGHTER. SO HE WOULD HOST THE PARTI WH HIS DGHTER. IT WAS SO CREDIBLY SHALLOW, BUT THAT WAS HIS LIFE—SOCIETY, ETIQUETTE, W, FOOD, AND GOG TO BALLS.”“THEY DIDN’T HAVE NETFLIX THEN,” REASONS THE ACTOR, “SO WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOG TO DO?”THE GILD AGE’S FIRST SEASON PTUR MCALLISTER AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS SOCIAL POWER. DURG THE RECENT EPISO “HEADS HAVE ROLLED FOR LS,” LANE PRIS OVER AN ELABORATE LUNCHEON HOSTED BY CARRIE COON’S BARELY-VEILED VANRBILT HIS HONOR. EVEN HER CHARACTER, BERTHA, WHO MERCILSLY HUNTS FOR HIGH-SOCIETY VATNS, ETS OVER THE LUNCHEON. SHE RECS A BUTLER VERSED ENGLISH SERVICE TO APPEASE MCALLISTER’S PREFERENC, WHICH HE REFULLY OUTLED HIS 1890 MEMOIR.THE PUBLITN OF SAID BOOK WAS MCALLISTER’S FATAL SOCIETY ERROR, ACRDG TO LANE.“HE MTED TWO MORTAL SS. HE WROTE A MEMOIR, SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT, WHICH HE TALKED ABOUT HIS TRAVELS THROUGH EUROPE, WHAT WAS GOG ON AMERI, AND, PARTICULAR, NEW YORK SOCIETY. HE DIDN’T NAME NAM BUT HE TOLD A LOT OF STORI, AND WAS OBV WHO THE PEOPLE WERE THAT HE WAS REFERENCG. THEY TOOK GREAT OFFENSE AT THIS, AND SHUNNED HIM. HE ALSO GAVE A LIST OF NAM TO  THE NEW YORK TIM—WHICH IS WHERE HE ED THIS PHRASE THE FOUR HUNDRED, WHICH IS WHAT WOULD MAKE UP SOCIETY’S ELE. THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THE LIST WERE UPSET BEE THEY WERE BEG MA OUT TO BE CELEBRI, AND THEY HATED THAT. AND THEN THE PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T MAKE THE LIST WERE UPSET.”HIS ATH PROVED A SAD UNTERPOT TO HIS LIFE’S PURPOSE: “EVERYBODY KD OF TURNED ON HIM, AND HE DIED ALONE A RTRANT. MRS. ASTOR HAD A PREV DNER ENGAGEMENT AND DID NOT GO TO HIS FUNERAL.”PRODUCTN ON THE GILD AGE CID WH BROADWAY’S PANMIC SHUTDOWN. THAT MEANT THEATER’S MOST TALENTED STARS—CLUDG LANE, AUDRA MCDONALD, DENéE BENTON, KELLI O’HARA, AND CHRISTE BARANSKI—WERE AVAILABLE FOR HIRE ON THE HBO SERI, WHICH SHOT PRIMARILY NEW YORK AND RHO ISLAND.BY ALISON COHEN ROSA/HBO MAX.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEY“THROW A ROCK AND YOU’LL H A TONY AWARD WNER,” SAYS LANE, SCRIBG THE SET. “IT’S LIKE BEG PART OF THE GREATT REPERTORY PANY OF NEW YORK THEATER ACTORS EVER ASSEMBLED. THERE’S TONS OF OLD IENDS OR PEOPLE YOU’VE LOVED AND ADMIRED OM AFAR.”HE SPENT THE MOST TIME WH O’HARA, THE KG AND I TONY WNER LANE HAS SUALLY KNOWN FOR YEARS, WHO PLAYS AURORA FANE. “SHE AND I BOND BEE WE HAD SO MANY SCEN TOGETHER. WE WERE ALWAYS SOMEWHERE NEWPORT. THEN WE WENT UP TO TROY. WHEREVER THERE WAS A MANSN, THEY FOUND , AND WE WOULD BE THERE.”SADLY, LANE ONLY SHARED ONE SCENE WH BARANSKI, HIS STAR OM THE BELOVED 1996 EDY THE BIRDGE—AND THE TWO DIDN’T HAVE A CHANCE TO EXCHANGE DIALOGUE.“SHE’S THE ONE I’VE KNOWN THE LONGT A WAY,” SAYS LANE, EXPLAG THAT BARANSKI HAD MENTNED THE GILD AGE TO HIM EARLY ON, BEFORE HE JOED THE PRODUCTN. “I WOULD LOVE TO GET TO DO SOME SCEN WH HER THE NEXT SEASON.”THE BIRDGE HAS BEEN ON LANE’S MD RECENTLY FOR OTHER REASONS. DURG THE PANMIC, WHEN HE WASN’T FILMG THE GILD AGE, LANE BEGAN LISTENG TO PODSTS—PARTICULARLY BEYOND THE BOX SET, THE BRISH SERI WHERE TWO FILM OBSSIV “PCH RIDICULO SEQUELS TO CLASSIC STANDALONE MOVI.” THERE WAS AN EPISO VOTED TO THE BIRDGE, AND LANE THOUGHT THAT ONE OF THE PCH WAS WORTH PURSUG.“THE STORY WAS A SMART WAY OF HONORG HIM [ROB WILLIAMS] AND THEN MOVG ON,” SAYS LANE, WHO HELPED GET THE IA OPTNED BY MGM. “IT ALT WH MY CHARACTER AND [HANK AZARIA’S CHARACTER], AGADOR. IT OPENED WH THE FUNERAL OF ROB’S CHARACTER, AND THEN MY CHARACTER WAS MOURNG, AND WOULDN’T LEAVE THE HOE, AND WOULDN’T PERFORM. AGADOR WAS NNG THE CLUB AND ENURAGG ME TO TRY TO DO SOMETHG. THEN AGADOR GETS A LL OM A WOMAN THAT HE DATED WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG MAN GUATEMALA. WHEN HE REALIZED HE WAS GAY, HE WENT TO AMERI, HE LEFT HER, AND HE DIDN’T REALIZE SHE WAS PREGNANT. SHE HADN’T TOLD HIM. SHE TELLS HIM HE HAS A DGHTER, AND SHE’S ABOUT TO GET MARRIED, AND THE DGHTER WANTS TO WALK DOWN THE AISLE WH HER REAL FATHER. AND SO HE FATS, AND THEN HE TELLS ME WHAT’S HAPPENED. AND I SAY, ‘OH, DARLG, THERE’S NOTHG MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHILDREN. YOU MT GO.’”LANE DRAWS A EP BREATH AND NTU WH THE PCH.“SO BE THIS ROAD TRIP TO GET TO GUATEMALA, WHICH HAS MANY DIFFICULTI. AND SO [AGADOR’S] PRETENDG TO BE STRAIGHT WHEN HE’S GUATEMALA, AND I WAS PRETENDG TO BE HIS MANSERVANT, WHO’S GONE ALONG TO HELP HIM AND GIVE HIM MORAL SUPPORT. AND THEN HIJKS ENSUE. BUT WAS A VERY FUNNY IA AND A FUN PAIRG OF THOSE TWO CHARACTERS.”THEN LANE RAN TO TWO ROADBLOCKS. FIRST, LANE SAYS, HANK AZARIA DID NOT FEEL FORTABLE REPRISG THE GUATEMALAN CHARACTER, PECIALLY AFTER HE AGREED TO STOP VOICG APU ON THE SIMPSONS OVER HIS NTROVERSIAL PORTRAYAL OF THE INDIAN CHARACTER, AS LANE PREVLY SUGGTED TO THE DAILY BEAST. (AZARIA HAS SCE EXPRSED HIS REMORSE FOR PLAYG THAT ROLE: “PART OF ME FEELS LIKE I NEED TO GO AROUND TO EVERY SGLE INDIAN PERSON THIS UNTRY AND PERSONALLY APOLOGIZE, AND SOMETIM I DO WHEN UP.”)MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEY“HANK SAID, ‘I LOVED PLAYG THE CHARACTER, I WOULD LOVE TO DO AGA, BUT TODAY’S WORLD, WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO PLAY AGADOR,’ WHICH WAS VERY DISAPPOTG,” EXPLAS LANE. “I UNRSTOOD WHERE HE WAS G OM, BUT ’S SUCH A BELOVED PERFORMANCE. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT HE WOULD GET SOME SPECIAL DISPENSATN OM GUATEMALA.”LANE SAYS HE OPENED UP TO THE IA OF AGADOR BEG PLAYED BY ANOTHER ACTOR—“IT’S 25 YEARS LATER, PERHAPS HE LOOKS A LTLE DIFFERENT NOW.” BUT WHEN MGM TOOK THE SEQUEL IA TO STREAMERS, “THERE WAS NO TERT WHATSOEVER. AND ONE WAS JT SORT OF SAYG, ‘WELL, IF WE WERE GOG TO DO , WE WOULD JT REBOOT THE ORIGAL WH A NEW ST.’”“IT WAS DISAPPOTG, BEE THE IA WAS, I THOUGHT, REALLY SMART AND FUNNY,” SAYS LANE. “I DID EVERYTHG I ULD.”NOT THAT LANE HAS MUCH DOWN TIME THE DAYS. HE IS REPRISG HIS GUT ROLE ON HULU’S ONLY MURRS THE BUILDG, AS LI-CHA OWNER TURNED PODST SPONSOR TURNED MURR SPECT, TEDDY DIMAS, LIVG THE SAME BUILDG AS MART SHORT AND STEVE MART’S CHARACTERS. (“IT WAS A NO-BRAER,” SAYS LANE. “I’VE KNOWN BOTH MARTY AND STEVE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. THAT’S A VERY HAPPY SET, AND SUCH A CHARMG AND SMART SHOW.”) HE’S ALSO ALREADY GEARG UP FOR A SEND SEASON OF THE GILD AGE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BEG FILMG APRIL AND PRUMABLY FEATURE MCALLISTER’S NTUED REIGN OVER NEW YORK’S HIGH SOCIETY. THOUGH THE POSSIBILI ARE ENDLS, LANE DO HAVE ONE PREDICTN ABOUT SEASON TWO: “THERE WILL BE MORE DNER PARTI. I’M BETTG ON THAT.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— JERRY LEWIS’S COSTARS SPEAK OUT: “HE GRABBED ME. HE BEGAN TO FONDLE ME. I WAS DUMBSTCK”— INSI CHARLIZE THERON AND TOM HARDY’S MAD MAX WAR— INVENTG ANNA IS A “DANGERO” DISTORTN, SAYS RACHEL WILLIAMS— HOW THE GUN ALEC BALDW’S HANDS TURNED THE RT SET DEADLY— LOVE IS BLD SEASON TWO IS PEAK RED FLAG TELEVISN— PACHKO FIRST LOOK: AN EPIC TALE, AND A HISTORY-MAKG SHOW— VANY FAIR’S HOLLYWOOD ISSUE 2022: SEE THE FULL PORTFOL FEATURG NILE KIDMAN, KRISTEN STEWART, AND MORE— THE UGLY TTH OF HOW MOVIE SR ARE MA— KIRSTEN DUNST ON HER FIRST OSR NOMATN FOR THE POWER OF THE DOG— FROM THE ARCHIVE: WH FRIENDS LIKE THE— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”JULIE MILLER
• NATHAN LANE: STRAIGHT ACTORS N PLAY GAY ROL
• 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’

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.

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. Nathan Lane appeared on The Hollywood Reporter’s podst It Happened Hollywood to discs the stggl of g out as a gay entertaer, and shared a particularly emotnal experience promotg his breakout role The Birdge on The Oprah Wey Show the broadst, Oprah Wey asked leadg qutns about his sexualy, but Lane did not want to make a public statement.

“I'm not ready to discs whether I'm gay or not wh Oprah. I n barely al wh meetg Oprah, let alone tellg her I'm gay, ” Lane rells discsg wh publicists prr to the episo led wh Lane’s -star Rob Williams, who played Williams’s partner Mike Nichols’ blockbter edy based on the French film La Cage x Foll. )On THR’s podst, Lane also discs beg the only gay person on the set of The Birdge and how he disagreed wh director Nichols and wrer Elae May’s e of the word “fag.

Nathan Lane is openg up about the difficult path to g out as gay, somethg he did the late 1990s after achievg worldwi fame the blockbter h The Birdge.

NATHAN LANE RELLS TENSE MOMENT DECLG TO COME OUT TO OPRAHTHE GAY ACTOR SCRIB A MID-90S MEMORY ON A PODST.BY JORDAN HOFFMANFEBARY 8, 2020BY BCE GLIKAS/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETO SOME THE 1990S FEEL LIKE YTERDAY, BUT STORI ABOUT SOCIAL CHANGE OFTEN SUCCCTLY MARK THE PASSAGE OF TIME. NATHAN LANE APPEARED ON THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’S PODST IT HAPPENED HOLLYWOOD TO DISCS THE STGGL OF G OUT AS A GAY ENTERTAER, AND SHARED A PARTICULARLY EMOTNAL EXPERIENCE PROMOTG HIS BREAKOUT ROLE THE BIRDGE ON THE OPRAH WEY SHOW 1996.DURG THE BROADST, OPRAH WEY ASKED LEADG QUTNS ABOUT HIS SEXUALY, BUT LANE DID NOT WANT TO MAKE A PUBLIC STATEMENT. “I'M NOT READY TO DISCS WHETHER I'M GAY OR NOT WH OPRAH. I N BARELY AL WH MEETG OPRAH, LET ALONE TELLG HER I'M GAY,” LANE RELLS DISCSG WH PUBLICISTS PRR TO THE SHOW.THE EPISO LED WH LANE’S -STAR ROB WILLIAMS, WHO PLAYED WILLIAMS’S PARTNER MIKE NICHOLS’ BLOCKBTER EDY BASED ON THE FRENCH FILM LA CAGE X FOLL. LANE, PREVLY MOSTLY KNOWN TO BROADWAY DIENC, JOED THEM ABOUT 15 MUT . ALMOST IMMEDIATELY, OPRAH ASKS IF LANE HAS WORRI ABOUT “BEG TYPEST” WHICH MIGHT LEAD TO QUTNS OF “IS HE? ISN’T HE?”AT THE TIME, LANE WAS OUT TO EVERYONE HIS PRIVATE AND PROFSNAL LIFE, BUT WILLIAMS, MOST LIKELY SENSG THAT HIS IEND NEED SAVG, JUMPED TO PROTECT HIM WH HIS TYPILLY MANIC CHAT SHOW MEANOR. WH HDSIGHT AND THE KNOWLEDGE OF LANE’S HATNS, ’S RATHER TOUCHG TO WATCH. (THE BELOW VIO IS CUED TO THE MOMENT.)ON THR’S PODST, LANE ALSO DISCS BEG THE ONLY GAY PERSON ON THE SET OF THE BIRDGE AND HOW HE DISAGREED WH DIRECTOR NICHOLS AND WRER ELAE MAY’S E OF THE WORD “FAG.”LANE ME OUT PUBLICLY 1999 WH A STORY THE ADVOTE THE SAME YEAR HE APPEARED WH ROSIE O’DONNELL AT THE TONY AWARDS WEARG SOME FACIAL HAIR TO DO A LTLE SCHTICK ABOUT BEARDS.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYJORDAN HOFFMAN

Says Lane: “We had to discs this beforehand and I said, ‘I’m not ready to discs whether I’m gay or not wh Oprah. I n barely al wh meetg Oprah, let alone tellg her I’m gay.

NATHAN LANE LOV CHANNELG AN “ODD LTLE MAN” ON THE GILD AGETHE TONY–WNG ACTOR ON THE SOCIETY GATEKEEPER HE PLAYS ON HBO’S NEW PERD DRAMA, HIS BROADWAY STARS, AND THE BIRDGE SEQUEL HE’S YEARNG TO MAKE. BY JULIE MILLERMARCH 11, 2022BY ALISON COHEN ROSA/HBO MAX.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEAS THE LORFUL WARD MCALLISTER, NATHAN LANE CHARMS THE SOCIETY WOMEN OF THE GILD AGE WH SUCH EASE THAT YOU MIGHT MISTAKENLY ASSUME LTLE EFFORT WENT TO THE ROLE. BUT THAT FT MAND BELI THE TONY WNER’S REFUL PREPARATN FOR HIS PART ON JULIAN FELLOW’S AMERIN PERD DRAMA. IN ADDN TO SUMMONG A SAVANNAH ACCENT, LANE REARCHED THE REAL-LIFE MCALLISTER—A DISTANT RELATIVE, THROUGH MARRIAGE, OF 19TH-CENTURY SOCIETY QUEEN CAROLE ASTOR, WHO UNSOLICEDLY APPOTED HIMSELF SOCIETY’S ARBER.DURG A RECENT PHONE LL, LANE EXPLAS THAT MCALLISTER AND MRS. ASTOR “CID AMERIN SOCIETY NEED SOME GUIDANCE. THEY WANTED TO CREATE THEIR OWN ARISTOCRACY AMERI BASED ON BIRTH, BACKGROUND, AND BREEDG. WHICH IS ALSO THE WAY YOU W THE AMERIN KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW.”MCALLISTER, A SNOB AND SOCIAL CLIMBER OF THE HIGHT ORR, AND “AN ODD LTLE MAN,” ACRDG TO LANE, IS CREDED WH G THE ELIST TERM “THE FOUR HUNDRED,” CLARG THAT ONLY 400 PEOPLE WERE QUALIFIED TO BE PART OF NEW YORK SOCIETY. “IF YOU GO OUTSI THAT NUMBER, YOU STRIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE EHER NOT AT EASE A BALLROOM OR ELSE MAKE OTHER PEOPLE NOT AT EASE,” MCALLISTER WAS ONCE QUOTED AS SAYG.EXPLAS LANE, “HE WAS OBSSED WH FOOD AND W AND PARTY GIVG, AND FACT WENT TO EUROPE FOR A UPLE OF YEARS TO STUDY HOW THE NOBILY LIVED, AND THEN BROUGHT ALL THIS RMATN BACK WH HIM. HE’S SOMEBODY WHO TURNED SOCIAL CLIMBG TO AN ART FORM. HE MARRIED THIS WOMAN, WHO WAS A WEALTHY HEIRS…AND SORT OF A SHUT-. HE HAD THREE CHILDREN, TWO SONS AND A DGHTER. SO HE WOULD HOST THE PARTI WH HIS DGHTER. IT WAS SO CREDIBLY SHALLOW, BUT THAT WAS HIS LIFE—SOCIETY, ETIQUETTE, W, FOOD, AND GOG TO BALLS.”“THEY DIDN’T HAVE NETFLIX THEN,” REASONS THE ACTOR, “SO WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOG TO DO?”THE GILD AGE’S FIRST SEASON PTUR MCALLISTER AT THE HEIGHT OF HIS SOCIAL POWER. DURG THE RECENT EPISO “HEADS HAVE ROLLED FOR LS,” LANE PRIS OVER AN ELABORATE LUNCHEON HOSTED BY CARRIE COON’S BARELY-VEILED VANRBILT HIS HONOR. EVEN HER CHARACTER, BERTHA, WHO MERCILSLY HUNTS FOR HIGH-SOCIETY VATNS, ETS OVER THE LUNCHEON. SHE RECS A BUTLER VERSED ENGLISH SERVICE TO APPEASE MCALLISTER’S PREFERENC, WHICH HE REFULLY OUTLED HIS 1890 MEMOIR.THE PUBLITN OF SAID BOOK WAS MCALLISTER’S FATAL SOCIETY ERROR, ACRDG TO LANE.“HE MTED TWO MORTAL SS. HE WROTE A MEMOIR, SOCIETY AS I HAVE FOUND IT, WHICH HE TALKED ABOUT HIS TRAVELS THROUGH EUROPE, WHAT WAS GOG ON AMERI, AND, PARTICULAR, NEW YORK SOCIETY. HE DIDN’T NAME NAM BUT HE TOLD A LOT OF STORI, AND WAS OBV WHO THE PEOPLE WERE THAT HE WAS REFERENCG. THEY TOOK GREAT OFFENSE AT THIS, AND SHUNNED HIM. HE ALSO GAVE A LIST OF NAM TO  THE NEW YORK TIM—WHICH IS WHERE HE ED THIS PHRASE THE FOUR HUNDRED, WHICH IS WHAT WOULD MAKE UP SOCIETY’S ELE. THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THE LIST WERE UPSET BEE THEY WERE BEG MA OUT TO BE CELEBRI, AND THEY HATED THAT. AND THEN THE PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T MAKE THE LIST WERE UPSET.”HIS ATH PROVED A SAD UNTERPOT TO HIS LIFE’S PURPOSE: “EVERYBODY KD OF TURNED ON HIM, AND HE DIED ALONE A RTRANT. MRS. ASTOR HAD A PREV DNER ENGAGEMENT AND DID NOT GO TO HIS FUNERAL.”PRODUCTN ON THE GILD AGE CID WH BROADWAY’S PANMIC SHUTDOWN. THAT MEANT THEATER’S MOST TALENTED STARS—CLUDG LANE, AUDRA MCDONALD, DENéE BENTON, KELLI O’HARA, AND CHRISTE BARANSKI—WERE AVAILABLE FOR HIRE ON THE HBO SERI, WHICH SHOT PRIMARILY NEW YORK AND RHO ISLAND.BY ALISON COHEN ROSA/HBO MAX.MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEY“THROW A ROCK AND YOU’LL H A TONY AWARD WNER,” SAYS LANE, SCRIBG THE SET. “IT’S LIKE BEG PART OF THE GREATT REPERTORY PANY OF NEW YORK THEATER ACTORS EVER ASSEMBLED. THERE’S TONS OF OLD IENDS OR PEOPLE YOU’VE LOVED AND ADMIRED OM AFAR.”HE SPENT THE MOST TIME WH O’HARA, THE KG AND I TONY WNER LANE HAS SUALLY KNOWN FOR YEARS, WHO PLAYS AURORA FANE. “SHE AND I BOND BEE WE HAD SO MANY SCEN TOGETHER. WE WERE ALWAYS SOMEWHERE NEWPORT. THEN WE WENT UP TO TROY. WHEREVER THERE WAS A MANSN, THEY FOUND , AND WE WOULD BE THERE.”SADLY, LANE ONLY SHARED ONE SCENE WH BARANSKI, HIS STAR OM THE BELOVED 1996 EDY THE BIRDGE—AND THE TWO DIDN’T HAVE A CHANCE TO EXCHANGE DIALOGUE.“SHE’S THE ONE I’VE KNOWN THE LONGT A WAY,” SAYS LANE, EXPLAG THAT BARANSKI HAD MENTNED THE GILD AGE TO HIM EARLY ON, BEFORE HE JOED THE PRODUCTN. “I WOULD LOVE TO GET TO DO SOME SCEN WH HER THE NEXT SEASON.”THE BIRDGE HAS BEEN ON LANE’S MD RECENTLY FOR OTHER REASONS. DURG THE PANMIC, WHEN HE WASN’T FILMG THE GILD AGE, LANE BEGAN LISTENG TO PODSTS—PARTICULARLY BEYOND THE BOX SET, THE BRISH SERI WHERE TWO FILM OBSSIV “PCH RIDICULO SEQUELS TO CLASSIC STANDALONE MOVI.” THERE WAS AN EPISO VOTED TO THE BIRDGE, AND LANE THOUGHT THAT ONE OF THE PCH WAS WORTH PURSUG.“THE STORY WAS A SMART WAY OF HONORG HIM [ROB WILLIAMS] AND THEN MOVG ON,” SAYS LANE, WHO HELPED GET THE IA OPTNED BY MGM. “IT ALT WH MY CHARACTER AND [HANK AZARIA’S CHARACTER], AGADOR. IT OPENED WH THE FUNERAL OF ROB’S CHARACTER, AND THEN MY CHARACTER WAS MOURNG, AND WOULDN’T LEAVE THE HOE, AND WOULDN’T PERFORM. AGADOR WAS NNG THE CLUB AND ENURAGG ME TO TRY TO DO SOMETHG. THEN AGADOR GETS A LL OM A WOMAN THAT HE DATED WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG MAN GUATEMALA. WHEN HE REALIZED HE WAS GAY, HE WENT TO AMERI, HE LEFT HER, AND HE DIDN’T REALIZE SHE WAS PREGNANT. SHE HADN’T TOLD HIM. SHE TELLS HIM HE HAS A DGHTER, AND SHE’S ABOUT TO GET MARRIED, AND THE DGHTER WANTS TO WALK DOWN THE AISLE WH HER REAL FATHER. AND SO HE FATS, AND THEN HE TELLS ME WHAT’S HAPPENED. AND I SAY, ‘OH, DARLG, THERE’S NOTHG MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHILDREN. YOU MT GO.’”LANE DRAWS A EP BREATH AND NTU WH THE PCH.“SO BE THIS ROAD TRIP TO GET TO GUATEMALA, WHICH HAS MANY DIFFICULTI. AND SO [AGADOR’S] PRETENDG TO BE STRAIGHT WHEN HE’S GUATEMALA, AND I WAS PRETENDG TO BE HIS MANSERVANT, WHO’S GONE ALONG TO HELP HIM AND GIVE HIM MORAL SUPPORT. AND THEN HIJKS ENSUE. BUT WAS A VERY FUNNY IA AND A FUN PAIRG OF THOSE TWO CHARACTERS.”THEN LANE RAN TO TWO ROADBLOCKS. FIRST, LANE SAYS, HANK AZARIA DID NOT FEEL FORTABLE REPRISG THE GUATEMALAN CHARACTER, PECIALLY AFTER HE AGREED TO STOP VOICG APU ON THE SIMPSONS OVER HIS NTROVERSIAL PORTRAYAL OF THE INDIAN CHARACTER, AS LANE PREVLY SUGGTED TO THE DAILY BEAST. (AZARIA HAS SCE EXPRSED HIS REMORSE FOR PLAYG THAT ROLE: “PART OF ME FEELS LIKE I NEED TO GO AROUND TO EVERY SGLE INDIAN PERSON THIS UNTRY AND PERSONALLY APOLOGIZE, AND SOMETIM I DO WHEN UP.”)MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEY“HANK SAID, ‘I LOVED PLAYG THE CHARACTER, I WOULD LOVE TO DO AGA, BUT TODAY’S WORLD, WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO PLAY AGADOR,’ WHICH WAS VERY DISAPPOTG,” EXPLAS LANE. “I UNRSTOOD WHERE HE WAS G OM, BUT ’S SUCH A BELOVED PERFORMANCE. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT HE WOULD GET SOME SPECIAL DISPENSATN OM GUATEMALA.”LANE SAYS HE OPENED UP TO THE IA OF AGADOR BEG PLAYED BY ANOTHER ACTOR—“IT’S 25 YEARS LATER, PERHAPS HE LOOKS A LTLE DIFFERENT NOW.” BUT WHEN MGM TOOK THE SEQUEL IA TO STREAMERS, “THERE WAS NO TERT WHATSOEVER. AND ONE WAS JT SORT OF SAYG, ‘WELL, IF WE WERE GOG TO DO , WE WOULD JT REBOOT THE ORIGAL WH A NEW ST.’”“IT WAS DISAPPOTG, BEE THE IA WAS, I THOUGHT, REALLY SMART AND FUNNY,” SAYS LANE. “I DID EVERYTHG I ULD.”NOT THAT LANE HAS MUCH DOWN TIME THE DAYS. HE IS REPRISG HIS GUT ROLE ON HULU’S ONLY MURRS THE BUILDG, AS LI-CHA OWNER TURNED PODST SPONSOR TURNED MURR SPECT, TEDDY DIMAS, LIVG THE SAME BUILDG AS MART SHORT AND STEVE MART’S CHARACTERS. (“IT WAS A NO-BRAER,” SAYS LANE. “I’VE KNOWN BOTH MARTY AND STEVE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. THAT’S A VERY HAPPY SET, AND SUCH A CHARMG AND SMART SHOW.”) HE’S ALSO ALREADY GEARG UP FOR A SEND SEASON OF THE GILD AGE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BEG FILMG APRIL AND PRUMABLY FEATURE MCALLISTER’S NTUED REIGN OVER NEW YORK’S HIGH SOCIETY. THOUGH THE POSSIBILI ARE ENDLS, LANE DO HAVE ONE PREDICTN ABOUT SEASON TWO: “THERE WILL BE MORE DNER PARTI. I’M BETTG ON THAT.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— JERRY LEWIS’S COSTARS SPEAK OUT: “HE GRABBED ME. HE BEGAN TO FONDLE ME. I WAS DUMBSTCK”— INSI CHARLIZE THERON AND TOM HARDY’S MAD MAX WAR— INVENTG ANNA IS A “DANGERO” DISTORTN, SAYS RACHEL WILLIAMS— HOW THE GUN ALEC BALDW’S HANDS TURNED THE RT SET DEADLY— LOVE IS BLD SEASON TWO IS PEAK RED FLAG TELEVISN— PACHKO FIRST LOOK: AN EPIC TALE, AND A HISTORY-MAKG SHOW— VANY FAIR’S HOLLYWOOD ISSUE 2022: SEE THE FULL PORTFOL FEATURG NILE KIDMAN, KRISTEN STEWART, AND MORE— THE UGLY TTH OF HOW MOVIE SR ARE MA— KIRSTEN DUNST ON HER FIRST OSR NOMATN FOR THE POWER OF THE DOG— FROM THE ARCHIVE: WH FRIENDS LIKE THE— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”JULIE MILLER

When he was later asked by Us magaze, ‘Are you gay? But for a major motn picture that centers on a same-sex relatnship, Lane often found himself to be the only gay person on the set.

I said to Mike, ‘As the only gay person the scene, I feel a ltle unfortable sayg this and I don’t know why the character would be g that term. Asked if he thought homophobia played a part that, he rponds, “I’m sure was a ltle b of that.

NATHAN LANE: STRAIGHT ACTORS N PLAY GAY ROL

’ He was gay. Appearg on “Sunday Today, ” Lane reflected on the smash edy, which he and Rob Williams portrayed a Miami gay uple who fd themselv a bd when their son announc his plans to marry the dghter of a eply nservative polician.

Lane, who is gay, said he’d been open about his sexualy to iends and fay long before “The Birdge” h theaters 1996. 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. A reporter once asked Lane if he was gay; he replied, "I'm 40, sgle and work a lot the mil theater.

" When he told his mother he was gay, she replied, "I'd rather you were ad, " to which he replied, "I knew you'd unrstand.

NATHAN LANE: STRAIGHT ACTORS N PLAY GAY ROL

Lane, who me out publicly after the ath of Matthew Shepard, has been a long-time board member of and fundraiser for Broadway Car/Equy Fights AIDS, and has been honored by the Human Rights Campaign, Gay & Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn, and The Trevor Project for his work the LGBT muny. When he realized he was gay, he went to Ameri, he left her, and he didn’t realize she was pregnant.

(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.