Nathan Lane says he wasn’t ready to publicly come out of the closet when The Birdcage opened in 1996, and co-star Robin Williams helped him dodge the issue during an appearance on The Oprah W…
, “but I said to Robin beforehand, ‘I’m not prepared. I’m so scared of going out there and talking to Oprah. I’m not prepared to discuss that I’m gay on national television. I’m not ready.
“He said, ‘Oh, it’s alright, don’t worry about it. We don’t have to talk about it. We won’t talk about it.’” As was common at the time, Winfrey did not directly ask the question but instead used coded language. Said Lane, “She was like, ‘How come you’re so good at that girlie stuff? Are you worried about being typecast?’”
At that point, Lane continued, Williams, who died by suicide in 2014, “sort of swoops in and diverts Oprah, goes off on a tangent and protects me because he was a saint.”
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nathan Lane says Robin Williams was a 'saint' for protecting him on 'Oprah'“I said to Robin beforehand, ‘I’m not prepared. I’m so scared of going out there and talking to Oprah. I’m not prepared to discuss that I’m gay on national television.'
Read more »
Nathan Lane shares how Robin Williams protected him from being outed on OprahAfter starring in the 1996 queer classic, The Birdcage, star Nathan Lane says his on-screen partner Robin Williams helped him avoid the pressures of coming out as gay following the film’s release, even when the heat was coming from Oprah.
Read more »
Nathan Lane on return to Broadway roots with ‘Pictures from Home’In this week’s Sunday Sitdown, Tony Award-winner Nathan Lane joins Willie Geist to discuss his return to the stage in the play “Pictures from Home.” Lane talks about his theater journey and transitioning from Broadway to Hollywood for Disney’s “The Lion King.”
Read more »
Nathan Lane Recalled How Robin Williams Supported Him When He Wasn't Ready To Publicly Come Out'Robin was just the greatest person. Such a beautiful, sensitive soul and so kind and generous to me.'
Read more »
Nathan Lane: Robin Williams ‘Protected Me’ From Coming Out as Gay on ‘Oprah’ in 1996 Because ‘He Was a Saint’Nathan Lane revealed on “Sunday Today” that Robin Williams once protected him from coming out as gay against his will on national television. The year was 1996 and Lane and Williams wer…
Read more »
Supervisor Nathan Fletcher to seek treatment for post traumatic stress, ends state senate campaign“For many years, I have been suffering from devastating post traumatic stress associated with combat piled on top of intense childhood trauma that has been exacerbated by alcohol abuse.'
Read more »