Nathan Lane Lost Space Jam Role for Being ‘Too Gay’

Nathan Lane says he lost out on a role in Space Jam because of his sexuality.

Why did Nathan Lane lose out on a role in Space Jam?

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Lane spoke about his acting career in the 1990s and how he thought his performance in The Birdcage would lead to more movie roles.

“I always thought theater was a more interesting place to be because you learn more about acting that way. Movies were just to pay the bills so I could keep doing theater,” Lane said. “Then, The Birdcage came along. I thought perhaps because of the success of that, it’d lead to other films, but then it didn’t. It really didn’t. I said to my agent, ‘I thought more would happen after The Birdcage.’ He said, ‘Maybe if you weren’t so open about your lifestyle, it would have.'”

Lane left that agent and went to CAA, though he noted there still “weren’t a lot of opportunities.”

When asked if homophobia limited his opportunities as an actor, Lane spoke about losing out on a role in Space Jam for being “too gay.”

“I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors, but I can’t help but think that it played a part,” Lane explained. “I was told it did impact a movie that I didn’t really care about: Space Jam. I was up for the part that the guy from Seinfeld wound up playing.”

Lane is referring to Wayne Knight, who portrayed Newman in Seinfeld. In Space Jam, Knight played Stan Podolak, Michael Jordan’s assistant.

“I was up for that part,” Lane continued. “Apparently the director [Joe Pytka] saw me hosting the Tony Awards and thought that suggested I was too gay to play the part. So thank God, I didn’t have to do Space Jam [laughs]. But I don’t know. I’ll never know what people say. Homophobia is alive and well still.”

Lane will next be seen in Mid-Century Modern, a Hulu comedy series premiering on March 28.

(Credit: Vanity Fair)

Source: Comingsoon.net