Robin Williams helped to “protect” him when he was deliberating whether to publicly come out as gay in the 1990s.The star stage and screen actor starred alongside Williams in the 1996 film The Birdcage, where they played a gay couple. At the time, he chose to keep his sexuality private, before officially coming out in 1999.And now Lane has used an acceptance speech at the Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television event to discuss the support he received from his friend and co-star.“I had expressed my fears beforehand to the late, great Robin Williams,” he said.
“He kindly said to me, ‘Don’t worry, Nathan, you don’t have to discuss it if you’re not ready’.”“And he went on to protect me whenever he could, throughout the awkward moments,” he added.Lane has spoken before about confiding in Williams, particularly around the time of The Birdcage.Speaking about an interview with Oprah Winfrey at that time, Lane said: “I don’t think Oprah was trying to out me. I said to Robin beforehand, ‘I’m not prepared.
I’m so scared of going out there and talking to Oprah. I’m not prepared to discuss that I’m gay on national television.
I’m not ready.’”Lane explained that the interview ended up veering in that direction, though Williams came to his aid and managed to change the subject.“She was like, ‘How come you’re so good at that girlie stuff? Are you worried about being typecast?’” the actor said. “And then Robin sort of swoops in and diverts Oprah, goes off on a tangent and protects me because he was a saint.”Lane went on to describe Williams as “just the greatest person”, calling him “a beautiful, sensitive soul and so kind and generous to me.”In other Williams news, Joe Rogan recently accused him of “material theft”, or stealing jokes from other comedians.“I think (Robin) wanted to kill more than he wanted to be ethical at any cost,” Rogan said.
“Part of that manic sort of style is this constant need to have a bit about anything that you’re talking about ever. Killing was more
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