Nathan Lane Recalls Robin Williams’ Advice About Coming Out After ‘The Birdcage’: “He Would Protect Me Whenever He Could”

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Although it took Nathan Lane nearly a decade to publicly embrace his truth, he had some great allies behind the scenes. As the actor was honored with the Career Achievement Award at the Critics Choice Association’s inaugural Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television this month, he recalled how his late friend and The Birdcage co-star Robin Williams would “protect me whenever he could” at a time when Lane wasn’t ready to come out as gay publicly. “I had marched in Pride Parades in the late seventies, but nobody had ever expressed interest in my sexuality,” said Lane in his speech, according to People.

He explained that he came out to his family at age 21 and was even out to his “friends and colleagues in the business” before he was first asked about his sexuality by a theater journalist “way back in 1989.” Noting that when he “began playing gay roles, it started to come up more and more,” Lane recounted the topic coming up again during an interview with Oprah Winfrey in promotion of 1996’s The Birdcage. “I certainly wish I had been braver at the time,” he said. “Like when Oprah Winfrey on her show asked me why I was so good at all that girly stuff in The Birdcage.

If I could go back in time, the answer I wish I had given is: The reason I’m good at all that stuff is because I’m a wonderful actor, but if you’re asking me if I’m gay, the answer is yes and proud of it.” Although he was “terrified and overwhelmed” by the experience, Lane was comforted by some wisdom Williams had given him before the TV appearance. “I had expressed my fears beforehand to the late, great Robin Williams, who kindly said to me, ‘Don’t worry, Nathan.