Angels in America’s Nathan Lane on the Fascinating Roy Cohn, His Coming Out Quip, Emotional Wedding & More from His Show People Interview

Nathan Lane is a Broadway legend. Loved for his hilarious roles in The Producers, The Birdcage and many more, the two-time Tony winner is currently giving one of the most masterful dramatic performances of his career. Taking on real-life lawyer and Donald Trump mentor Roy Cohn in the Broadway revival of Tony Kushner's landmark two-parter Angels in America, Lane displays the deterioration of a giant. The performance captures his versatility as one of the most celebrated entertainers of our time.. Here's what we learned from Lane about why Angels in America "marathon days" are the best ones, his divalicious dog Mabel, what's up with that Death of a Salesman revival with Laurie Metcalf and more on this week's Show People with Paul Wontorek.

1. SEXUAL FLUIDITY MAY BE A THING, BUT THERE'S NO EBB AND FLOW HERE
“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?’”

2. MABEL THE FRENCHIE IS EVEN MORE OF A DIVA THAN WE THOUGHT
“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.”

3. DEATH OF A SALESMAN WITH LAURIE METCALF HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOREVER
“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.”

Other must-read highlights:

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.”

ON ANGELS IN AMERICA
“It’s a tribute to the play that is takes place at such a specific place and time, but it’s so universal. If anyone was a prophet, aside from Prior Walter, it’s Tony Kushner. It’s amazing how prescient it is. So many of these issues that we’re talking about, we’re talking about now. Now, in the midst of this insane political time where democracy itself is under siege, it’s more resonant and essential than ever.”

ON NEW YORK IN THE LATE '70s
“I had a very delayed adolescence. I didn’t date anybody in high school, and I didn’t really go to college. I went right into show business. In the lates ‘70s, I moved to New York. It was a free for all. It was incredibly frightening. If you got a bruise, you suddenly thought, ‘Oh my God. Is this it?’ There were people that then said, ‘That’s it. No more sex.’ And then there were people who were defiant. They were terrifying times. The play is a real history lesson for younger generations. They should know this history.”

ON HOST PAUL WONTOREK’S HAIR
“It could be declared a national forest. It is a great head of hair.”

Watch the full episode of Show People with Paul Wontorek below!

Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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