Nathan Lane | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lane afterAngels in America (2018) | |
| Born | Joseph Lane (1956-02-03)February 3, 1956 (age 70) Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Awards | Full list |
Nathan Lane (bornJoseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor who has beenon stage and screen in both comedic and dramatic roles.
Lane made his professional theatre debut in 1978 in an off-Broadway production ofA Midsummer Night's Dream. During that time he also briefly appeared as one half of the comedy team of Stack and Lane, until he was cast in the 1982 Broadway revival ofNoël Coward'sPresent Laughter directed by and starringGeorge C. Scott. That led to an extensive career onstage, where he had a long friendship and fruitful collaboration with the playwrightTerrence McNally which started in 1989 with theManhattan Theater Club production ofThe Lisbon Traviata.
A six-timeTony Award nominee, he has won three times, forBest Actor in a Musical for Pseudolus inStephen Sondheim'sA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996) and Max Bialystock inMel Brooks'The Producers (2001), andBest Featured Actor in a Play forRoy Cohn inTony Kushner'sAngels in America (2018). He was also Tony-nominated forGuys and Dolls (1992),The Nance (2013), andThe Front Page (2016). Among his 25 Broadway credits areThe Man Who Came To Dinner (2000),The Odd Couple (2005),Butley (2006),Waiting for Godot (2009),The Addams Family (2010),It's Only a Play (2014),Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus (2019), andPictures from Home (2023). Lane has acted in films such asIronweed (1987),Frankie and Johnny (1991),The Lion King (1994),The Birdcage (1996),Mouse Hunt (1997),Nicholas Nickleby (2002),The Producers (2005), andBeau Is Afraid (2023). He received thePrimetime Emmy Award for his role in theHulu mystery comedy seriesOnly Murders in the Building in 2022. He has been Emmy-nominated eight times for his guest roles inFrasier,Mad About You,Modern Family,The Good Wife andOnly Murders in the Building. He has also won twoDaytime Emmy Awards. He portrayedF. Lee Bailey in theFX miniseriesThe People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016) andDominick Dunne in theNetflix anthology seriesMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024). He has also starred inPenny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020),The Gilded Age (2022–present), andMid-Century Modern (2025).
Lane has receivednumerous accolades including threeTony Awards, sevenDrama Desk Awards, aLaurence Olivier Award, threeEmmy Awards, and aScreen Actors Guild Award. Lane received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 2006 and was inducted into theAmerican Theater Hall of Fame in 2008.[1][2] In 2010,The New York Times hailed Lane as being "the greatest stage entertainer of the decade".[3]
Lane was bornJoseph Lane inJersey City, New Jersey on February 3, 1956.[4] His father Daniel Joseph Lane was a truck driver and an aspiring tenor who died in 1967 from alcoholism when Nathan was eleven.[5] His mother Nora Veronica (née Finnerty) was a housewife and secretary who suffered frombipolar disorder and died in 2000.[6][7][8] Nathan has two older brothers, Daniel Jr. and Robert.[9] Their parents wereCatholics and all of their grandparents wereIrish immigrants.[5][10] He was named Joseph after his uncle, aJesuit priest.[11] Nathan attended Catholic schools in Jersey City, including Jesuit-runSt. Peter's Preparatory School, where he was voted Best Actor in 1974, and in 2011 received the Prep Hall of Fame Professional Achievement Award.[12]
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Accepted toSaint Joseph's University inPhiladelphia on a drama scholarship, Joseph Lane was accompanied on what was supposed to be his first day there by his older brother Dan. Discovering that the scholarship would not cover enough of his expenses, he decided to leave, and work for a year to earn some money. His brother said, "I remember him saying to me, 'College is for people who don't know what they want to do.'"[9]
Because there already was a Joseph Lane registered withActors' Equity, he changed his name to Nathan after the characterNathan Detroit from the musicalGuys and Dolls.[13] He moved to New York City in 1975 where after a long struggle, his career began to take off, first with some brief success in the world of stand-up comedy with partner Patrick Stack[14][15] and later withOff-Broadway productions atSecond Stage Theatre, theRoundabout Theatre, and theManhattan Theatre Club. In 1978, he appeared in a production ofA Midsummer Night's Dream alongsideJohn Goodman at theEquity Library Theatre.[16] He made hisBroadway debut in a 1982 revival ofNoël Coward'sPresent Laughter as Roland Maule (Drama Desk nomination) withGeorge C. Scott,Kate Burton,Dana Ivey,Bette Henritze,Elizabeth Hubbard,Jim Piddock, andChristine Lahti.[17]
His second Broadway appearance was in the 1983 musicalMerlin, starringChita Rivera and magicianDoug Henning. This was followed byWind in the Willows asMr. Toad,Some Americans Abroad atLincoln Center, and the national tour ofNeil Simon'sBroadway Bound.[18]
Off-Broadway productions in which he appeared, includedLove (the musical version ofMurray Schisgal'sLuv),[19]Measure for Measure directed byJoseph Papp in Central Park, for which he received theSt. Clair Bayfield Award,[20]The Common Pursuit,The Film Society,In a Pig's Valise,She Stoops to Conquer,[21]The Merry Wives of Windsor andA Midsummer Night's Dream. He appeared at the Williamstown Theatre Festival inThe School for Scandal and John Guare'sMoon Over Miami.[22] His association withStephen Sondheim began in 1989 with a workshop reading ofAssassins, where he playedSamuel Byck, the would-be murderer ofRichard Nixon. Lane also appeared in the television showsMiami Vice andThe Days and Nights of Molly Dodd as Bing Shalimar.
In 1991, Lane appeared withGeorge C. Scott again in a revival of Paul Osborne'sOn Borrowed Time at theCircle in the Square Theatre on Broadway.[23] In 1992, he starred in the hit revival ofGuys and Dolls, playing Nathan Detroit, the character who lent him his name, oppositePeter Gallagher andFaith Prince.[24] For this performance, he received his firstTony nomination,[25] as well as Drama Desk[26] andOuter Critics Circle Awards.[27] In 1992, he won anObie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance.[28] His professional association with his close friend the playwrightTerrence McNally, whom he met in 1987,[29] includes roles inThe Lisbon Traviata (Drama Desk andLucille Lortel Awards, and Outer Critics Circle nomination),[30][31]Bad Habits,Lips Together, Teeth Apart,Love! Valour! Compassion! (Obie, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards),[30][32][33]Dedication or the Stuff of Dreams, which opened in 2005 (Drama Desk nomination),[34][35]The Last Mile on PBS'Great Performances, and the film version ofFrankie and Johnny.
The early 1990s began a stretch of successful Broadway shows for Lane. In 1993, he portrayedSid Caesar-like Max Prince inNeil Simon'sLaughter on the 23rd Floor, inspired by Simon's early career writing sketches forYour Show of Shows.[36] In 1996, he starred in the hit revival ofStephen Sondheim'sA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. For his performance he won theTony Award for Best Actor in a Musical as well as the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.[18] In 1998, he appeared Off-Broadway inJon Robin Baitz's revised 1984 comedy,Mizlansky/Zilinsky or 'Schmucks'.[37][38]
In 1994, Lane voicedTimon, the meerkat, inDisney's blockbuster animated filmThe Lion King and reprised the role in its sequelThe Lion King II: Simba's Pride and midquelThe Lion King 1½.[39] In 1995, Lane was the voice of the meerkat in the early episodes ofTimon & Pumbaa. In 1995, he played the Cowardly Lion inThe Wizard of Oz in Concert at Lincoln Center to benefit theChildren's Defense Fund.The performance was originally broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT).[40]
In 1996 Lane appeared in the filmThe Birdcage, for which he received his firstGolden Globe nomination.[41] The film, an American remake of the classic French farceLa Cage aux Folles, was directed byMike Nichols with a screenplay byElaine May, and starredRobin Williams, Lane, andGene Hackman, and went on to be a big success. The Stephen Sondheim song "Little Dream"[42] inThe Birdcage was supposedly written especially for him. In 1999, he appeared withVictor Garber in the workshop of the Sondheim musicalWise Guys (later retitledRoad Show).[43] His collaboration with Sondheim would continue when Lane revised the original book for and starred in the Broadway debut of the composer'sThe Frogs at Lincoln Center in 2004.[44]
Lane appeared in the 1997 dark comedyMouse Hunt, one of the first films to come out of the newly formed DreamWorks Studios, in which he co-starred with British comedianLee Evans and Christopher Walken. In 1999, he appeared in theEncores! concert revival ofDo Re Mi atCity Center.[45][46] That same year he also voiced the role of Snowbell in the family filmStuart Little, opposite hisLife With Mikey co-starMichael J. Fox.
He is known for his voice work in two Disney animated series,Teacher's Pet andTimon & Pumbaa, as well asGeorge and Martha onHBO. He receivedDaytime Emmy Awards for his voice performances inTeacher's Pet andTimon & Pumbaa, as well as a nomination forGeorge and Martha. He hostedSaturday Night Live in 1997,[47] and theTony Awards (once as host for the 50th anniversary telecast, and three times as co-host, withGlenn Close andGregory Hines;Rosie O'Donnell; andMatthew Broderick respectively).[48][49][50][51] From 1998 to 1999 he starred in theNBC sitcomEncore! Encore! alongsideJoan Plowright andGlenne Headly.The New York Times gave a very positive review to the show's debut, writing it possessed the "most accomplished, high-powered cast on television."[52] Although the series got positive reviews it was canceled. He still won thePeople's Choice Award that year for Favorite New Actor in a Comedy. Lane received Emmy Award nominations for his guest appearances onFrasier andMad About You in 1995 and 1998, respectively.
Lane starred in the Roundabout revival ofThe Man Who Came to Dinner as Sheridan Whiteside, withJean Smart andHarriet Sansom Harris in 2000.[53] Charles Isherwood ofVariety liked his performance, "Nathan Lane, an actor who makes virtually every role he plays seem like a role he was born to play, is the splendidly seething, delightfully acerbic center of Jerry Zaks' splashy production of the 1939 comedy".[54] The production was taped and shown onPBS. That same year he starred inKenneth Branagh's film adaptation ofWilliam Shakespeare'sLove's Labour's Lost (2000). He acted in the comedyIsn't She Great (2000) oppositeBette Midler, the crime dramaTrixie (2000), and voiced a character in the animated science fiction filmTitan A.E. (2000).
In 2001, he starred asMax Bialystock in the blockbuster musical version ofMel Brooks'sThe Producers. He acted alongsideMatthew Broderick. Chris Jones ofVariety wrote "Lane's greatest contribution, though, is this performer's innate sense of pace. He's constantly propelling the show forward and giving all this nonsense a necessary sense of urgency."[55]Ben Brantley ofThe New York Times praised Lane's performance describing it as his "most delicious performance". He complimented Lane's and Broderick's chemistry adding "Mr. Lane and Mr. Broderick, have the most dynamic stage chemistry sinceNatasha Richardson metLiam Neeson inAnna Christie.[56] The role earned him his secondTony Award for Best Actor in a Musical as well as Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.[57]
The next year he reprised his role as Snowbell inStuart Little 2 (2002). He then appeared as Vincent Crummles in a film adaptation ofNicholas Nickleby (2002) and the cast received the Ensemble Acting award from the National Board of Review. In 2003 he starred Off-Broadway inTrumbo: Red, White, and Blacklisted.[58] In 2004, Lane revised the libretto and portrayedDionysus in the revival ofStephen Sondheim's musicalThe Frogs which opened at theVivian Beaumont Theater atLincoln Center onBroadway. That same year he replacedRichard Dreyfuss inThe Producers in the West End. Dreyfuss was let go just a week before the show's first preview at London'sTheatre Royal Drury Lane.[59] Lane went on to win theOlivier Award as Best Actor in a Musical.[60] His performance in thefilm version, opposite Broadway co-starMatthew Broderick asLeo Bloom, earned him his second nomination for theGolden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.[61]
In 2005, Lane rejoined Broderick for a successful limited run ofThe Odd Couple.[62] In 2006, he took on a primarily dramatic role in a revival ofSimon Gray'sButley, having played the role to great success at TheHuntington Theater Company in Boston in 2003.[63][64] He and Broderick received adjacent stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame in a joint ceremony on January 9, 2006,[65] and were immortalized in wax as Max and Leo atMadame Tussauds Museum in New York City on January 16, 2009.[66] In 2008, he played the President of the United States in theDavid Mamet political satire,November, directed byJoe Mantello.[67] This was followed by the critically acclaimed 2009 revival ofWaiting for Godot (Outer Critics Circle nomination)[68] in which he playedEstragon oppositeBill Irwin'sVladimir.[69] He was a 2008American Theatre Hall of Fame inductee.[70] In the 2000s Lane also made guest appearances onSex and the City,Curb Your Enthusiasm,Absolutely Fabulous, and30 Rock.
In 2009, Lane starred in the musical version ofThe Addams Family asGomez in Chicago, a role he reprised on Broadway the following year, receiving Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations.[71] That year he also received a Drama League Award for Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater. Committed to starring in a revival of theEugene O'Neill playThe Iceman Cometh at Chicago'sGoodman Theatre in 2012, Lane assumed the role of Hickey, withBrian Dennehy playing the role of Larry Slade in a production directed by the Goodman's Artistic Director,Robert Falls.[14] Receiving rave reviews,[72][73] it won sixJeff Awards, including Best Ensemble, director, and Production,[74] and is the most successful play to date in the theater's history.[75]
From 2010 to 2019, Lane portrayed Pepper Saltzman in theABC sitcomModern Family for which he received threePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series nominations. From 2012 to 2014 he played Clarke Hayden in the legal seriesThe Good Wife receiving a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. In the spring of 2013, Lane returned to Broadway inThe Nance, aLincoln Center production of a new play byDouglas Carter Beane that was directed byJack O'Brien. David Rooney ofThe Hollywood Reporter praised his performance writing, "Lane is masterful, finding new depths in a well-worn sad clown persona" adding, "[The production] at the very least it provides a tremendous vehicle for Lane".[76] He went on to receive Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations and won the Outer Critics Circle Award and the 2013 Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance.[77][78] The play aired on PBSLive from Lincoln Center in 2014.[79]
In autumn 2014, he appeared in an all-star ensemble of Terrence McNally's revised and updatedIt's Only a Play, withF. Murray Abraham,Matthew Broderick,Stockard Channing,Rupert Grint,Megan Mullally, andMicah Stock.[80] The show became one of the biggest hits of the season.[81] In February 2015 he reprised the role of Hickey in the Robert Falls production ofThe Iceman Cometh to great acclaim at theBrooklyn Academy of Music.New York Post film critic Elizabeth Vincentelli wrote of his performance, "Lane, one of his generation's most brilliant comic actors...[hits] the sweet spot between pretend perkiness and self-loathing".[82][83] He later returned to the Broadway run ofIt's Only a Play.[84] In 2015, he received the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Monte Cristo Award for his body of work. In March 2016, he opened the playWhite Rabbit, Red Rabbit Off-Broadway.
Lane playedF. Lee Bailey inThe People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, the first season ofAmerican Crime Story, which premiered on theFX channel in February 2016. Daniel Feinberg ofThe Hollywood Reporter described his performance as "understatedly Machiavellian".[85] Emily St. Jones ofVox declared Lane as "hugely enjoyable" in the series.[86]It received 22 Emmy nominations and went on to win thePrimetime Emmy Award forOutstanding Limited Series.[87] In fall of 2016, he returned to Broadway to rave reviews in an all-star revival of Hecht and MacArthur'sThe Front Page, directed by Jack O'Brien and produced by Scott Rudin.[88] He played the ruthless editor Walter Burns oppositeJohn Slattery as Hildy Johnson andJohn Goodman as Sheriff Hartman,[88] for which he received a nomination for theTony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He also received nominations for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards.[89] During this time he also guest starred on series such asDifficult People (2016) andThe Blacklist (2018).
Next he playedRoy Cohn withAndrew Garfield as Prior Walter in the revival ofAngels in America, directed byMarianne Elliott at theLyttlelton Theatre of theNational Theatre of Great Britain. Lane reprised his acclaimed portrayal on Broadway at theNeil Simon Theatre, and won the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Play. In March 2019, Lane starred inTaylor Mac's absurdist black comedyGary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus at theBooth Theatre directed byGeorge C. Wolfe. The play received sevenTony Award nominations, includingBest Play.[90]
Lane played the role of Lewis Michener on Showtime'sPenny Dreadful: City of Angels which premiered April 26, 2020, and ran for one season. He has a recurring role in the Hulu seriesOnly Murders in the Building, starringSteve Martin,Martin Short, andSelena Gomez, for which he received aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. That was Lane's first Primetime Emmy Award after a record-breaking seven nominations in the guest actor categories, making him the most nominated Comedy Guest Actor in Emmy history, a record he still holds after receiving his eighth nomination in 2023 in the same category.[91] He also plays the recurring role ofWard McAllister in the HBO period series,The Gilded Age, written byJulian Fellowes, which received a 2024Screen Actors Guild Award nomination forOutstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series[92] and a 2024 Emmy nomination for Best Drama. In 2023, Lane returned to theBroadway stage, marking his 25thBroadway show, inPictures from Home, a play adapted from the photo memoir byLarry Sultan. Lane portrayed the father and former razor blade salesman to his son a photographer, played byDanny Burstein, who's remembering his visits with his family. Lane's wife in the play was portrayed byZoë Wanamaker. The production was directed byBartlett Sher and was helmed at theStudio 54 theatre.[93] The play received mixed reviews but praise for Lane's performance with Marilyn Stasio ofVariety writing, "Lane and Burstein are consummate pros, and there are considerable sparks of familial communication between the father and son they play with such warmth and understanding."[94]
Also in 2023, Lane co-starred inAri Aster's newA24 film,Beau Is Afraid alongsideJoaquin Phoenix,Amy Ryan, andPatti LuPone.[95] Max Ceo ofEsquire praised Aster for the casting of Lane writing, "There's a palpable sense that the director had seasoned character actors such as Nathan Lane in his mind while writing. He milks every dad-ish 'My dude' the script hands him".[96]
He co-starred in another A24 film,Dicks: The Musical, directed byLarry Charles and written by Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp, with the film based on theirUpright Citizens Brigade musical stage showFucking Identical Twins.[97] Jackson and Sharp play the twins with Lane andMegan Mullally as the parents.[98] It also featuresBowen Yang andMegan Thee Stallion. The film premiered at the2023 Toronto International Film Festival to positive reviews and won the Midnight Madness People's Choice Award. Kristy Puchko ofMashable wrote, "[Lane] who stole scenes earlier this year as a plucky papa in anotherA24 movieBeau is Afraid—gives his all, committing to bit after bit" adding "In a career of superb comedy, he's in top form here".[99] He was part of the voice cast forSpellbound, a new animated film fromSkydance forNetflix, withRachel Zegler,Nicole Kidman,Javier Bardem,Jenifer Lewis andJohn Lithgow, as well as theRyan Murphy miniseries,Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, asDominick Dunne.[100] He then starred in the newHulu multi-cam comedy,Mid-Century Modern, created byMax Mutchnick andDavid Kohan ofWill & Grace and also produced by Ryan Murphy, alongsideMatt Bomer,Nathan Lee Graham, andLinda Lavin in her final role.[101]
Lane says that when he told his mother at age 21 that he wasgay, she said, "I'd rather you were dead." He replied, "I knew you'd understand." He joked that "once I got her head out of the oven, everything went fine."[6][102] Hecame out publicly in 1999 after the killing ofMatthew Shepard[6] and has been a long-time board member of and fundraiser forBroadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.[103] He has been honored with the Human Rights Campaign Equality Award,[104] the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Vito Russo Award,[105] The Trevor Project Hero Award,[106] and the Matthew Shepard Foundation Making A Difference Award for his work in theLGBT community in 2015.[107] On November 17, 2015, he married his partner of 18 years, theater producer and writer Devlin Elliott.[108][109] They live inManhattan andEast Hampton, New York.[110]
Lane has made several critical statements aboutRepublican Party figures.[111][112] He was an active supporter ofHillary Clinton andBarack Obama and has hosted fundraisers for theDemocratic Party.[113][114]
Lane has had an extensive career in film, television, and in theater. He has appeared in such films asThe Lion King (1994),The Birdcage (1996),Mouse Hunt (1997),Nicholas Nickleby (2002), and the film adaptation of the Broadway musicalThe Producers (2005). He is also known for numerous guest roles includingFrasier,Mad About You,30 Rock,Absolutely Fabulous,Curb Your Enthusiasm,The Blacklist and recurring roles onModern Family andThe Good Wife. He has received critical praise for his roles asF. Lee Bailey in the limited seriesThe People v. O.J. Simpson (2016) and in the 2020 Showtime seriesPenny Dreadful: City of Angels as Det. Lewis Michener. His roles in theatre range from musical comedies,Guys and Dolls (1992),A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996),The Producers (2001) andThe Addams Family (2010) to dramatic roles in the work of Terrence McNally, Jon Robin Baitz, and Simon Gray as well as revivals and new plays such asThe Odd Couple (2005),November (2008),Waiting for Godot (2009),The Nance (2013),It's Only a Play (2015),The Iceman Cometh (2015),The Front Page (2016),Angels in America (2018),Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus (2019), andPictures From Home (2023).
Lane has received sixTony Award nominations for his work onBroadway, winning three times forA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996),The Producers (2001), andAngels in America (2018). Also for his work in theatre he has received sevenDrama Desk Awards, sixOuter Critics Circle Awards, twoObies, theLucille Lortel Award, theDrama League Award for Outstanding Achievement in Musical Theater, the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance forThe Nance, theTheatre World John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater, theEugene O'Neill Monte Cristo Award, theNew Dramatists Career Achievement Award, the Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award, and theLaurence Olivier Award. In 2024 Lane received the Stephen Sondheim Award from theSignature Theatre Company and theHarold S. Prince Award for Lifetime Achievement from theDrama Desk Awards.[115][116]
Lane has received twoGolden Globe Award nominations forThe Birdcage andThe Producers, theNational Board of Review Award for Ensemble Acting forNicholas Nickleby, and twoScreen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor and for Best Performance by a Cast forThe Birdcage, winning the latter. For his work on television Lane has received eightPrimetime Emmy Award nominations for guest starring roles onFrasier,Mad About You,Modern Family, andThe Good Wife and won forOnly Murders in the Building. He received twoDaytime Emmy Awards for his voice work inTimon & Pumbaa andTeacher's Pet, as well as a nomination forGeorge and Martha for HBO. He has received thePeople's Choice Award for Favorite New Actor in a Comedy and anAmerican Comedy Award forThe Birdcage as well as a nomination forJeffrey.
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