Nathan Lane is an American actor known for his performances on stage and screen.
He is mostly recognised for his theatre roles on and off Broadway including his Tony Award-winning performances as Pseudolus in the 1996 revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996), as Max Bialystock in the original production of The Producers (2001), and as Roy Cohn in the revival of Tony Kushner's Angels in America. Lane's Broadway theatre performances also include Present Laughter (1982), Merlin (1984), Wind in the Willows (1985), Guys and Dolls (1992), Some Americans Abroad (1990), Laughter on the 23rd Floor (1994), Love! Valour! Compassion! (1995), The Man Who Came to Dinner (2000), The Frogs (2004), The Odd Couple (2005), Butley (2006), Waiting For Godot (2009), The Addams Family (2010), The Nance (2013), It's Only a Play and The Iceman Cometh (2014), The Front Page (2016), Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus (2019), Pictures from Home (2023), and Death of a Salesman (2026).
Lane is known for his leading performances in the comedy films The Birdcage (1996), Mouse Hunt (1997), and The Producers (2005). He has also voiced Timon in the Disney animated film The Lion King (1994) and its sequels and Snowbell the cat in Stuart Little (1999). He is also known for his supporting performances in films such as Ironweed (1987), Frankie and Johnny (1991), Jeffrey (1995), Nicholas Nickleby (2002), Swing Vote (2008), Mirror Mirror (2012), The English Teacher (2013), Carrie Pilby (2016), Beau Is Afraid (2023), and Dicks: The Musical (2023).
Lane also is well known for his guest starring appearances in various television shows including Miami Vice, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Frasier, Mad About You, Curb Your Enthusiasm, 30 Rock, Absolutely Fabulous, Modern Family, The Good Wife, and The Blacklist. Lane also appeared as F. Lee Bailey in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016) and as Detective Lewis Michener in the Showtime series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020). He has recurring roles on Only Murders in the Building for Hulu starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, for which he received his first Primetime Emmy and the HBO series The Gilded Age written by Julian Fellowes.
Film Year Title Role Notes 1987 Ironweed Harold Allen 1990 The Lemon Sisters Charlie Sorrell Joe Versus the Volcano Baw, Waponi Advance Man 1991 He Said, She Said Wally Thurman Frankie and Johnny Tim1993 Life with Mikey Ed ChapmanAddams Family Values Desk Sergeant 1994 The Lion King Timon Voice A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. 1995 Jeffrey Father Dan 1996 The Birdcage Albert Goldman 1997 Mouse Hunt Ernest "Ernie" Smuntz 1998 The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Timon Voice, direct-to-video 1999 Stuart Little Snowbell Little Voice At First Sight Phil Get Bruce! Himself Documentary2000 Isn't She Great Irving Mansfield Love's Labour's Lost CostardTitan A.E. Preed Voice Trixie Kirk Stans 2002 Stuart Little 2 Snowbell Little VoiceAustin Powers in Goldmember Mysterious Disco Man CameoNicholas Nickleby Vincent Crummles2004 Teacher's Pet Spot/Scott VoiceWin a Date with Tad Hamilton! Richard Levy the DrivenThe Lion King 1½ Timon Voice, direct-to-video 2005 The Producers Max Bialystock 2007 Trumbo HimselfDocumentary 2008 Swing Vote Art Crumb 2009 Astro Boy Hammegg Voice 2010 The Nutcracker Uncle Albert 2012 Mirror Mirror Brighton 2013 The English Teacher Mr. Kapinas2016 Carrie Pilby Dr. Petrov No Pay, Nudity Herschel Thalkin2017 The Vanishing of Sidney Hall Harold National Theatre Live: Angels in America Roy Cohn Theatrical release 2023 Beau Is Afraid Roger Stanwyck Dicks: The Musical Harris Once Upon a Studio Timon Voice, short film 2024 Spellbound Luno, the Oracle of the Moon Voice TBA Cut Off Damien Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 1981 Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls Stage Manager Television film 1982 One of the Boys Jonathan Burns 13 episodes 1983 Great Performances Mouse Episode: "Alice in Wonderland" 1985 Miami Vice Morty Price Episode: "Buddies" 1989–91 The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Bing Shalimar 3 episodes 1995 Frasier Phil Episode: "Fool Me Once, Shame on You, Fool Me Twice..." Timon & Pumbaa Timon Voice; 10 episodes 1996 The Boys Next Door Norman Bulansky Television film 1997 Saturday Night Live Himself (host) Episode: "Nathan Lane/Metallica" Merry Christmas, George Bailey Clarence Television film 1998 Mad About You Nathan Twilley Episode: "Good Old Reliable Nathan" 1998–99 Encore! Encore! Joseph Pinoni 13 episodes 1999–2000 George and Martha George Voice; 26 episodes 2000 The Man Who Came to Dinner Sheridan Whiteside PBS live television broadcast 2000–02 Teacher's Pet Spot Helperman Scott Leadready II Voice; 34 episodes 2001 Laughter on the 23rd Floor Max Prince Television film 2002 Sex and the City Bobby Fine Episode: "I Love a Charade" 2003 Charlie Lawrence Charlie Lawrence 7 episodes 2004 Curb Your Enthusiasm Nathan Lane Episode: "Opening Night" Absolutely Fabulous Kunz Episode: "White Box" 2007 30 Rock Eddie Donaghy Episode: "The Fighting Irish" 2008 A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa Officer Frank Meany Television film 2010–19 Modern Family Pepper Saltzman 10 episodes 2012–14 The Good Wife Clarke Hayden 15 episodes 2014The Money Gordon McCarren Pilot Don Rickles: One Night Only Himself (guest) Spike television special 2016 The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story F. Lee Bailey 8 episodes Difficult People Himself Episode: "Kessler Epstein Foundation" Maya & Marty Connor Grayfield Episode: "Steve Martin & Tina Fey" 2018 The Blacklist Abraham Stern Episode: "Abraham Stern (No. 100)" 2020 Penny Dreadful: City of Angels Lewis Michener Main role, 10 episodes 2021–25 Only Murders in the Building Teddy Dimas Recurring role 2022–25 The Gilded Age Ward McAllister Recurring role 2024 Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story Dominick Dunne Main role, 5 episodes Elsbeth Philip Cross Episode: "Subscription to Murder" 2025 Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special Broadway producer / Himself Television special Mid-Century Modern Bunny Schneiderman Main role; also executive producer Digman! Yorbo Voice; episode: “The Arky Trials”
Theatre YearProductionRoleVenue Production Type Ref. 1978 A Midsummer Night's Dream Francis Flute Equity Library Theatre Off-Broadway 1982 Present Laughter Roland Maule Circle in the Square Theatre Broadway 1983–1984 Merlin Prince Fergus Mark Hellinger Theatre Broadway 1984 Love Harry Berlin Audrey Wood Theater Off-Broadway She Stoops to Conquer Tony Lumpkin Triplex Theatre Off-Broadway 1985 Measure for Measure Pompey Delacorte Theatre Off-Broadway Wind in the Willows Toad Nederlander Theatre Broadway 1986 The Common Pursuit Nick Finchling Promenade Theatre Off Broadway 1987 Claptrap Harvey Wheatcraft New York City Center Off-Broadway Broadway Bound Stanley Various National tour 1988 The Film Society Jonathan Balton McGinn-Cazale Theatre Off-Broadway 1989 In a Pig's Valise James Taxi McGinn-Cazale Theatre Off-Broadway 1989–1990 The Lisbon Traviata Mendy Promenade Theatre Off-Broadway 1989 Assassins Samuel Byck Studio 54 New York Reading 1990 Bad Habits Jason Pepper / Hugh Gumbs New York City Center Off–Broadway Some Americans Abroad Henry McNeil Vivian Beaumont Theatre Broadway 1991 Lips Together, Teeth Apart Sam Truman New York City Center Off-Broadway On Borrowed Time Mr. Brink Circle in the Square Theatre Broadway 1992–1993 Guys and Dolls Nathan Detroit Martin Beck Theatre Broadway 1993–1994 Laughter on the 23rd Floor Max Prince Richard Rogers Theatre Broadway 1994 Love! Valour! Compassion! Buzz Hauser New York City Center Off-Broadway Walter Kerr Theatre Broadway 1995 The Wizard of Oz The Cowardly Lion Lincoln Center Concert 1996–1997 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Pseudolus St. James Theatre Broadway 1998 Mizlansky/Zilinsky or "Schmucks" Davis Mizlansky New York City Center Off-Broadway 1999 The Odd Couple Oscar Madison Skirball Cultural Center Los Angeles 1999 Odd Couple LA Theatre Works Cast Do Re Mi Hubert Cram New York City Center Off-Broadway 2000 The Producers Max Bialystock Nola Rehearsal Studios New York producers workshop cast The Frogs Dionysus Library of Congress Washington DC the frogs concert The Man Who Came to Dinner Sheridan Whiteside American Airlines Theatre Broadway 2001 The Producers Max Bialystock Cadillac Palace Theatre Chicago 2001–2002 St. James Theatre Broadway 2003 The Play What I Wrote Mystery Guest Star Lyceum Theatre Broadway Trumbo: Red White and Blacklisted Dalton Trumbo Westside Theatre Off-Broadway Butley Ben Butley Huntington Theatre Company Boston 2003–2004 The Producers Max Bialystock St. James Theatre Broadway Lane and Broderick Return to Producers Dec. 30 for 112 Perfs; Tix On Sale Nov. 16 2004 The Frogs Dionysus Vivian Beaumont Theatre Broadway 2004–2005 The Producers Max Bialystock Theatre Royal, Drury Lane West End 2005 Dedication or the Stuff of Dreams Lou Nuncle 59E59 Theaters/Theater A Off-Broadway 2005–2006 The Odd Couple Oscar Madison Brooks Atkinson Theatre Broadway 2006–2007 Butley Ben Butley Booth Theatre Broadway 2007–2008 November Charles Smith Ethel Barrymore Theatre Broadway 2009 Waiting for Godot Estragon Studio 54 Broadway 2009–2010 The Addams Family Gomez Addams Oriental Theatre Chicago 2010–2011 Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Broadway 2012 The Iceman Cometh Theodore "Hickey" Hickman Goodman Theater Chicago 2013 The Nance Chauncey Miles Lyceum Theatre Broadway 2014 Guys and Dolls Nathan Detroit Carnegie Hall Concert 2014–2015 It's Only a Play Jimmy Wicker Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre Broadway 2015 The Iceman Cometh Theodore "Hickey" Hickman Brooklyn Academy of Music New York 2016 White Rabbit, Red Rabbit Himself Westside Theatre Off-Broadway 2016–2017 The Front Page Walter Burns Broadhurst Theatre Broadway 2017 Angels in America Roy Cohn Lyttelton Theatre West End 2018 Neil Simon Theatre Broadway 2019 Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus Gary Booth Theatre Broadway 2023 Pictures from Home Irving Studio 54 Broadway Gutenberg! The Musical! Producer (one night only) James Earl Jones Theatre BroadwayVideo: Nathan Lane Reprises THE PRODUCERS Role in Cameo in GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL The Frogs Host / Narrator Lincoln Center Concert Nathan Lane and More Set For Concert Version of THE FROGS at Lincoln Center 2026 Death of a Salesman Willy Loman Winter Garden Theatre Broadway
Video games Year Film Role Notes 1995 Animated Storybook: The Lion King Timon Voice
Other credits Presented Mike Birbiglia's (2008) Off-Broadway show Sleepwalk With Me. Provided the voice of Tom Morrow, the Audio-Animatronic host of Disneyland's Innoventions attraction. Children's book Naughty Mabel, written with husband Devlin Elliott, published by Simon and Schuster, released in October 2015. A second book, Naughty Mabel Sees It All was released in October 2016. Wrote the introduction to Neil Simon's Memoirs, published by Simon and Schuster.
See also List of awards and nominations received by Nathan Lane
References
External links