Show People with Paul Wontorek: Nathan Lane of ANGELS IN AMERICA
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- čas přidán 26. 04. 2018
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Broadway legend Nathan Lane discusses ANGELS IN AMERICA, his divalicious dog Mabel, what's up with that DEATH OF A SALESMAN revival with Laurie Metcalf and more.
Here are some must-read highlights:
ON HOMOSEXUALITY
“Oh, I’m totally gay. Totally gay. Right down to my shoes. I came out to my mother when I was 21. That didn’t go well. Certainly, my friends and family knew. After The Birdcage, I suddenly found myself being asked at a press junket if I was gay. To a certain degree, I felt like, ‘Doesn’t everybody know? Do I really have to make an announcement?’ I also wanted it to be about the work and the movie. I finally get a leading part in a film, and I wanted that to be acknowledged more than a coming out. And so I made a decision to say, 'I'd rather not discuss my personal life.' After the press junket, Us Magazine asked me if I was gay, and I said, famously, ‘I’m 40, single and I work a lot in the musical theater, you do the math. What do you need? Flash cards?’”
ON HIS DIVALICIOUS DOG MABEL
“Whenever she would see a black town car, she thought it was for her. Me and my husband would often take a town car to Long Island. We have a house there. Every time she saw one, she would drag me to it as if she was late for a premiere.”
ON DEATH OF A SALESMAN
“I’ll do anything with Laurie Metcalf. I love her so much. It’s nice that Hollywood has finally recognized that she’s a brilliant actress, something we knew in the theater for a long time. Death of a Salesman is an ongoing discussion. It probably wouldn’t happen right away. It is something that Joe Mantello-this has been going back to the days of Love! Valour! Compassion!. He said to me, 'One day, we’re going to do Death of a Salesman.' We all did November, the David Mamet play together. He brought up me and Laurie in Salesman, and I said, ‘Well, that would be extraordinary.’ At that point, I was feeling I wasn’t old enough yet. Now, I unfortunately am the right age. We’ll see. I would love to do that, especially with Joe. He’s really one of the greatest directors.”
ON ANGELS IN AMERICA ‘MARATHON DAYS’
“It’s the best way to do it. It’s a communal experience. It does bring out the best in people. They know that they are going to be spending a lot of time together in this world. Obviously, it’s the more tiring version for the actors, but it’s the most fulfilling, and you really feel that from the audiences. In fact, when you start the marathon day, you sense, ‘Oh, they’re so excited about where we’re going to take them,’ and so I love those days.”
ON ROY COHN
“I wanted to show his deterioration in a way that I hadn’t seen happen before. To watch someone die, who’s fighting with every breath he has to stay alive and not be disbarred-he was brought up on charges several times and always got away with it. I love playing this part. Tony Kushner has taken this contradictory, screwed up human being and created this fascinating character. With any of these so-called ‘monsters,’-and I’ve played a few in my career-you can’t just play evil. He thinks of himself as being on the right side and believes totally in what he’s doing and why he’s doing it. It’s thrilling to play someone who’s that sure of himself. It’s AIDS that stops him in his tracks, and I think ultimately, AIDS is what humanizes him. It’s easy to find the people who hated him, but I wanted to talk to people who were fond of him. He was a very loyal friend. If he loved you, he would do anything for you. He couldn’t have gotten where he got to if he hadn’t been able to charm and seduce and be funny. He's filled with contradictions. In the hands of a genius like Tony Kushner, it’s a fascinating and thrilling gift to be given as an actor.”
ON MARRYING DEVLIN ELLIOTT
“Devlin and I had been living together for over 10 years. Neither one of us were the types that said, ‘Oh, we have to get married.’ We then were talking about it, and he said, ‘Yes, I’d like to do this.’ And I said, ‘Yes, I’d like to do that too.’ We went to City Hall with our wonderful friends, comedian Mike Birbiglia and his wife Jen. We had been witnesses for them. I thought, ‘Oh, this is lovely. We’ll do this, have lunch and be on our way.’ We got in there, and I started to say those words that you’ve heard in 1,000 movies and plays. I just totally fell apart. I could barely speak. I got so emotional. It really didn’t hit me until then. It’s a very subtle change that happens when you’re able to refer to him as your husband. It’s the best thing I ever did.” - Zábava
I think what I love most about Nathan as an actor is how he plays people on a wide spectrum. He’s never played just one type of gay man or one type of straight man. And there should absolutely be a Nathan Lane Theatre.
nathan is the reason i love broadway! he’s the first voice i heard in the producers, and that show was the start for me. i’ll always love him!!
oh wow Paul you did such a great job I wouldn't have been able to talk and would have been a bumbling mess!
Did not expect to start crying during a Nathan lane interview!! He was amazing in Angels, I was so blown away by him & the entire cast
I am in love with this man. I want to see Angels SOOO BAD, Nathan is TRULY an inspiration.
Update: I may or may not have cried over the course of this interview.
Yessss!! The best!
Holy cow, I had no idea Mike Birbiglia was a witness at his wedding. I adore them both! This was such a lovely interview.
Nathan Lane is my King!
It's mine too ^^.
What a wonderful interview! He’s a treasure ❤️
Omg, the Gaiety. .the stage door was next to the Harlequin door..first day in New York. .have an audition. .guess who ran up the wrong steps. .me..told the story at audition. .and got the part..and it was a scary time back then..thanks for the memories
I love you so much, Nathan! You must do Willy Loman with Laurie Metcalf! That would be extraordinary.
Fantastic actor, he's so awesome in every genre he plays.
Love you Nathan.
Is so Underrated in Hollywood (movie or tv show), shame Hollywood, shame !
I don’t really understand why they have breaks in this show if they’re not gonna run ads in them 🤔
He's a delightful man and a great actor.
Historic interview Paul!
Best episode ever!
Nathan Lane is my favorite broadway star!
This man is gifted
He is just the best
He has got to get a Tony Nomination him and Andrew Garfield are so good
okay, it got better
Nathan Lane is my king my spice the goth in my life my angel
Lion King Pepper Saltsmen Gomeze Adams Angels in America
I think a lot of kids in today's generation DO have struggles in coming out and accepting themselves, obviously not as much as people in Nathan Lane and Paul's generation, but for a lot of us, it's incredibly scary, and I believe it's important not to undermine that.
“Or a hamster”
to be honest I always thought Timon and Pumba were Gay who agrees!
Slobber slobber....ew, ew...
This wasted so much time before it got down to content