Nathan Lane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nathan Lane
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Lane after Angels in America (2018)
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| Born |
Joseph Lane
February 3, 1956 Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1975–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Devlin Elliott
(m. 2015) |
| Awards | Full list |
Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is a famous American actor. He has been performing on stage and in movies and TV shows since 1975. Nathan Lane is known for both funny and serious roles. He has won many awards, including three Tony Awards for his work in theater, and an Emmy Award for his TV roles. In 2006, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He was also added to the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2008.
Lane started his professional acting career in 1978 in a play called A Midsummer Night's Dream. He later appeared on Broadway in 1982 in Present Laughter. This led to a long and successful career on stage. He also became good friends with playwright Terrence McNally, and they worked together on many projects.
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Nathan Lane's Early Life
Nathan Lane was born Joseph Lane in Jersey City, New Jersey, on February 3, 1956. His father, Daniel Joseph Lane, was a truck driver who passed away when Nathan was eleven years old. His mother, Nora Veronica, was a housewife and secretary who passed away in 2000. Nathan has two older brothers, Daniel Jr. and Robert. His grandparents were immigrants from Ireland. He was named Joseph after his uncle. Nathan went to Catholic schools in Jersey City. He attended St. Peter's Preparatory School, where he was voted Best Actor in 1974.
Nathan Lane's Acting Career
Starting Out (1978–1993)
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Joseph Lane was offered a drama scholarship to Saint Joseph's University. However, he found that the scholarship would not cover all his costs. He decided to work for a year instead. He once said, "College is for people who don't know what they want to do."
Since there was already an actor named Joseph Lane, he changed his name to Nathan. He chose the name from the character Nathan Detroit in the musical Guys and Dolls. He moved to New York City to pursue acting. After some hard work, his career began to grow. He had some success in stand-up comedy and then in Off-Broadway plays. His first Broadway show was in 1982. It was a play called Present Laughter.
He appeared in other Broadway shows like Merlin (1983) and Wind in the Willows. He also performed in many Off-Broadway productions. His work with composer Stephen Sondheim began in 1989. He also appeared on TV shows like Miami Vice.
In 1992, Nathan Lane starred in a popular revival of Guys and Dolls. He played Nathan Detroit, the character he named himself after. This role earned him his first Tony Award nomination. He also won an Obie Award in 1992 for his consistent excellent performances. He worked closely with his friend, playwright Terrence McNally, on many plays and films.
The early 1990s were a busy time for Lane on Broadway. In 1993, he starred in Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor. In 1996, he starred in the hit musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. For this role, he won his first Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
Becoming a Star (1994–2009)
In 1994, Nathan Lane became the voice of Timon, the meerkat, in Disney's animated movie The Lion King. He continued to voice Timon in the sequels The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1½. He also voiced Timon in the TV series Timon & Pumbaa. In 1995, he played the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz in Concert.
In 1996, Lane appeared in the movie The Birdcage. He was nominated for a Golden Globe award for this role. The movie was a big success. In 1997, he starred in the comedy Mouse Hunt. In 1999, he voiced Snowbell in the family film Stuart Little.
He is well-known for his voice acting in Disney animated series like Teacher's Pet and Timon & Pumbaa. He won Daytime Emmy Awards for these voice roles. He also hosted Saturday Night Live in 1997 and the Tony Awards multiple times. From 1998 to 1999, he starred in the TV show Encore! Encore!. He also received Emmy nominations for his guest roles on Frasier and Mad About You.
In 2001, Lane starred as Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers. He acted alongside Matthew Broderick. Critics praised his performance. This role earned him his second Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
He reprised his role as Snowbell in Stuart Little 2 (2002). He also appeared in the film Nicholas Nickleby (2002). In 2004, Lane revised the script and starred in a revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical The Frogs. He also played Max Bialystock in The Producers in London, winning an Olivier Award. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the film version of The Producers (2005).
In 2005, Lane and Matthew Broderick reunited for a successful run of The Odd Couple. In 2006, Lane and Broderick received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2008, Lane played the President of the United States in the play November. In 2009, he starred in the acclaimed revival of Waiting for Godot. He was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2008. In the 2000s, Lane also made guest appearances on TV shows like ... and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and 30 Rock.
Continued Success (2010–2019)
In 2009, Lane starred as Gomez in the musical The Addams Family. He continued this role on Broadway in 2010. He also received a Drama League Award for his achievements in musical theater. In 2012, Lane starred in the play The Iceman Cometh in Chicago.
From 2010 to 2019, Lane played Pepper Saltzman in the TV show Modern Family. He received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for this role. From 2012 to 2014, he played Clarke Hayden in the legal series The Good Wife. In 2013, Lane returned to Broadway in The Nance. He received Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for his performance.
In 2014, he appeared in the play It's Only a Play with a star-studded cast. In 2015, he reprised his role in The Iceman Cometh. He also received the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Monte Cristo Award for his body of work.
Lane played F. Lee Bailey in the TV miniseries The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story in 2016. This series won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series. In 2016, he returned to Broadway in The Front Page. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for this role. He also guest starred on shows like Difficult People and The Blacklist.
Next, he played Roy Cohn in the revival of Angels in America in London and then on Broadway. He won the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Featured Actor in a Play for this role. In 2019, Lane starred in the play Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus.
Recent Work (2020–Present)
Lane played Lewis Michener in the TV series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, which premiered in 2020. He has a recurring role in the Hulu series Only Murders in the Building, alongside Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. For this role, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2022. This was his first Primetime Emmy Award after many nominations. He also plays Ward McAllister in the HBO series The Gilded Age, which has received award nominations.
In 2023, Lane returned to Broadway in Pictures from Home. This was his 25th Broadway show. He played the father in the play, which was based on a photo memoir. Also in 2023, Lane co-starred in the film Beau Is Afraid with Joaquin Phoenix. He also co-starred in the film Dicks: The Musical, which premiered to positive reviews. He was part of the voice cast for the animated film Spellbound. He also appeared in the TV miniseries Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story as Dominick Dunne. He is also starring in the new Hulu comedy Mid-Century Modern.
Personal Life
Nathan Lane married his partner, theater producer and writer Devlin Elliott, on November 17, 2015. They had been together for 18 years. They live in Manhattan and East Hampton, New York. Lane has been a strong supporter of the LGBT community and has worked with organizations like Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He has received several awards for his work promoting equality.
Lane supports the Democratic Party. He has hosted fundraisers for the party.
Acting Credits
Nathan Lane has had a long career in movies, TV, and theater. Some of his notable films include The Lion King (1994), The Birdcage (1996), Mouse Hunt (1997), and The Producers (2005). He has also had many guest roles on TV shows like Frasier, Modern Family, and The Good Wife. He received praise for his roles in The People v. O.J. Simpson (2016) and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020).
In theater, he has starred in musicals like Guys and Dolls (1992), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996), The Producers (2001), and The Addams Family (2010). He has also performed in many plays, including The Odd Couple (2005), Waiting for Godot (2009), The Nance (2013), Angels in America (2018), and Pictures From Home (2023).
Awards and Honors
Nathan Lane has been nominated for six Tony Awards for his work on Broadway. He has won three times for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996), The Producers (2001), and Angels in America (2018). He has also won many other theater awards, including seven Drama Desk Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award. In 2024, he received the Stephen Sondheim Award and the Harold S. Prince Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Lane has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards for The Birdcage and The Producers. He won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Performance by a Cast for The Birdcage. For his TV work, Lane has received eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations for guest roles. He won an Emmy for Only Murders in the Building. He also won two Daytime Emmy Awards for his voice work in Timon & Pumbaa and Teacher's Pet. He also won a People's Choice Award for Favorite New Actor in a Comedy.
Images for kids
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Lane had a long friendship with Terrence McNally
See also
In Spanish: Nathan Lane para niños
- LGBT culture in New York City
- List of LGBT people from New York City
