Nathan Lane is a prominent American actor who has been performing on stage and screen since 1975, showcasing his talent in both comedic and dramatic roles.
His accolades include three Tony Awards, seven Drama Desk Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, three Emmy Awards, two nominations for Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Early Life
Nathan Lane, originally named Joseph Lane, was born on February 3, 1956, in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father, Daniel, who worked as a truck driver and had aspirations of becoming a singer, succumbed to alcoholism when Nathan was just 11 years old.
His mother, Nora, who passed away in 2000, battled bipolar disorder and held a position as a secretary. Raised in a Catholic family alongside his older brothers, Robert and Daniel Jr., Nathan attended St. Peter’s Preparatory School.
During his senior year in 1974, he was recognized as Best Actor, and in 2011, he received the Prep Hall of Fame Professional Achievement Award from the school.
Nathan Lane Career
Although Nathan Lane was awarded a drama scholarship to Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, he opted to pursue work instead upon realizing that the scholarship would not sufficiently cover his college expenses.
Another actor, Joseph Lane, had already registered with Actors’ Equity, which led Lane to adopt the first name Nathan, inspired by the character Nathan Detroit from “Guys and Dolls.”
After relocating to New York City, he initially engaged in stand-up comedy before transitioning to Off-Broadway performances. Lane made his film debut in the 1987 movie “Ironweed,” followed by roles in “Joe Versus the Volcano” (1990), “He Said, She Said” (1991), “Frankie and Johnny” (1991), “Life with Mikey” (1993), and “Addams Family Values” (1993).
In 1992, Lane took on the role of Nathan Detroit in a Broadway revival of “Guys and Dolls,” which marked his first nomination for a Tony Award. Additionally, he was honored with an Obie Award that year for Sustained Excellence of Performance.
Nathan Lane has also been featured in various works by Terrence McNally, such as “The Lisbon Traviata,” “Love! Valour! Compassion!,” and “Lips Together, Teeth Apart.”
In 2001, he performed in the Broadway production of “The Producers” alongside Matthew Broderick, and the pair later reprised their roles in the 2005 film adaptation.
Lane and Broderick collaborated once more in Broadway shows, including “The Odd Couple” in 2005 and Terrence McNally’s “It’s Only a Play” in 2014.
In 2010, Nathan portrayed Gomez in the musical “The Addams Family,” earning nominations from the Outer Critics Circle and the Drama Desk for his outstanding performance.
Nathan Lane secured a recurring part as Pepper Saltzman on ABC’s “Modern Family.” In 2020, he portrayed Lewis Michener in the Showtime series “Penny Dreadful: City of Angels,” and it was revealed that he would take on the role of Willy Loman in a revival of “Death of a Salesman” set for 2021.
Additionally, in early 2021, Lane became a member of the cast for the Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building,” featuring Steve Martin and Martin Short.
Personal Life
Nathan Lane recounted that when he revealed his sexual orientation to his mother, her reaction was, “I’d rather you were dead,” directed at the 21-year-old Nathan.
He publicly came out in 1999 following the tragic murder of Matthew Shepard and has been an active member of the board for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
On November 17, 2015, Lane married writer and theatre producer Devlin Elliott, after being together for 18 years.
Net Worth
Nathan Lane is a prominent American actor and author with a net worth estimated at $25 million. He is widely recognized for his performances as Albert in “The Birdcage” (1996), Max Bialystock in both the 2001 Broadway production and the 2005 film adaptation of “The Producers,” Nathan Detroit in the musical “Guys and Dolls” (1992), Ernie Smuntz in “MouseHunt” (1997), and Pseudolus in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” (1996).
