Nathan Lane mini-bio: Born Joseph Lane to Irish American Catholic parents; he was named after his paternal uncle, a Jesuit priest. His father, Daniel Lane, was a truck driver and an aspiring tenor who died from alcoholism when Lane was 11; his mother, Nora, was a manic-depressive housewife. Lane attended Catholic schools in Jersey City, including Jesuit-run St. Peter's Preparatory High School where he was elected Best Actor in 1974. Since there was already a Joseph Lane in Actors Equity, he changed his name to Nathan after the character Nathan Detroit from the musical Guys and Dolls, a role he performed several times, including in the Broadway revival with Peter Gallagher and Faith Prince.
He moved to New York City where, after a long struggle, his career began on Broadway, most notably in the first production of Terrence McNally's Lips Together, Teeth Apart. He was known for originating roles in most of McNally's plays, scoring a professional triumph in Love! Valour! Compassion!. He has appeared in nearly fifty films, including Love's Labours Lost, Nicholas Nickleby, Mouse Hunt, Stuart Little, Jeffrey, The Lion King, The Birdcage, Joe Versus The Volcano, and Addams Family Values. He also played Bobby Fine in the episode I love a charade of Sex and the City.
gmkipamaihawaiiposted 378 days ago
