Nathan Lane Almost Turned Down His Role In “The Birdcage” | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

I didn't realize this, but when you did. The Bird Cage, that was a that was a big. boost step up. You had you were doing. well uh very well established Broadway, but you you did The Bird Cage, but uh. with Robin Williams, um Mike Nicholls. had to talk you into it. Is that true? Uh no. Um no. By the way, we do we do very bad. research here. And your name is. your name is. Jason Alexander.

Jason Alexander. You did. and I'm wearing the wig today. Um no uh I Yeah, I. I thought he had to talk you into it or. that you were No, it's okay. Forgive me. if you've heard this before, but. originally, you know, Mike, the great. Mike Nichols and Elaine May, um, had. wanted to do that, an American remake of. Lacha Fall for a very long time and then. finally gotten the rights. And it was. supposed to be. Steve Martin and Robin Williams and.

Robin was going to play the part I wound. up playing. Then Steve, there was. another obligation. It wasn't going to. work out. And then Robin decided um I've. just done drag and Mrs. Dout I'm sorry. I've been ignoring you people. No they're to be ignored. I'm talking but I'm. they are to be ignored. I can only make one new friend at the. time. So I don't know what you're doing with. the rest of the afternoon, but maybe.

lunch and I can deal with you and and. your childhoods. But um uh so Robin decided after Mrs. Stoutfire, maybe I shouldn't play the. drag part and and that that the acting. challenge would be playing the more. subdued character. and so it opened up that role and um and. he Mike came to see me in laughter on. the 23rd floor and I I had met him. briefly once and you know it's like. meeting God and then he came backstage.

which he had never done and he said uh. dear boy I'd like to talk to you about a. movie and I was like, "Oh, you want to. go see one? I hear Conan's hanging out at the. Angelica. He's in the lobby. Who is this. Conan?" And can I call you? And he did. And then so the next day it was this is. happening and it's Elaine is writing the. adaptation and Robin Williams is going. to play the other part. And I said, "So.

I would I would be the drag queen?" And. I he said yes. And I said, "Well, that's. that's a very good part." And he said, "Yes, it is." And I said, "Okay." And I. couldn't believe it was happening. This. is now this is You can cut me off at any. point. It's a long story. So, we also. kind of did a he wouldn't make it he. wouldn't refer to it as a screen test, but they wanted to see what I would look. like in drag and all of that. And and he. made it fun and I sang a song and, you.

know, many outfits by the great Anne. Roth, the costume designer. And then I was supposed to do a funny. thing happened on the way to the forum. and uh they were building this around me. and Scott Ruden called me the producer. of forum and he said he's not going to. make that movie. That's never going to. happen. He's it's never going to work. out you know it's and he went on and I I. I and and I had to um uh because of the. scheduling I had to turn it down. I had.

to say, you know what, I can't really. leave these people in the lurch. They've. been building and and the time frame now. that you're talking about. I I couldn't I can't do that to them. That's a crazy thing to say. No, Mike. Nichols. Yeah. I will not co-star in your film. So, I said, "Okay." You know, and I told. them and and then I would hear from I. would see Mike Nichols. I was this is I. was talking about this the other day. I. would see him from time to time. He. would like once um there was a period.

where maybe Robin wasn't going to do the. movie. This is how long this went on and. maybe you know he would say how do you. feel about Billy Crystal? I'm nobody. You know what I mean? And I would say I. love Billy Crystal. Why why are you asking me. you know and then you know one day he. came up to me we were at a benefit and. he said Robert Redford. I said is he. here? He said no Robert. He said, "Robert Redford as your husband." And I. said, "Well, if you can work that out, all my dreams will come true.".

And so, and then, so anyway, so anyway, finally, I think Robin, it was Yeah. He. was going to play the other part. And. then he calls me, he was in Ireland, and. he says, "Nathan." And I'm in my. dressing room at Laughter on the third. 23rd floor. And he says, "Uh, Nathan, um, I keep I'm meeting people, but I. think you're the person." And I said, I. said, "Mr. Mike Nichols, I I have no. power here. Perhaps if you called Scott.

Ruden, something could be arranged.". He said, "Yes, he's like an evil serpent." Yes. I don't I don't mean to make him sound. like that cuz he was he was. No, but I know what you mean. He had a a. a well an aura, an iconic status. Oh, yeah. And and so yes, I could see him he's not. someone who's he's someone who can just. say yes, dear boy.

Yeah. And it has a power to it. Oh yes. And so the next day Scott Ruden. said, um, you really want to do this. movie? I said, well, why wouldn't I want. to do this movie? Um and uh he said uh. it means we have to postpone a year. And. I said I know. I said I know. I turned. it down. Um he said okay. And then it. wound up of course helping us with Forum. because by the time Forum opened the. movie had come out and I was not just.

this New York actor who was you know had. had lucked out and getting this uh the. lead in this musical but it was oh it's. the guy from that film that's doing. well. Right. So it was Jason Alexander. Jason. Alexander. And so it so it one thing helped the. other and you know so I'm grateful to. Scott Ruden, Mike Nichols, Robin. Williams. It was um no all going back to. you know um Compass and and Second City.

and yeah and Mike and Elaine. I mean you. know changed the face of comedy with. what they were doing at that time and. still holds up now. you listen to those. records and you watch I've gone back and. watched some of the bits some of their. appearances on you know whether it's. Jack Parr or and um I think there was. this idea that comedy was stick before. Mike Nichols and Ela May it was it was. stick it was you know uh and then. suddenly things and and Bob New Hart was.

part of this movement too things got. very. they got drier but very smart. very smart. and very worked out and there was an. urbane quality to it and you thought oh. this is you know this this pushed out a. whole other kind of comedy and not like. sort of political like board soul it was. it was like just three three couples. adultery yes the you know an English. couple an American couple and a French.

couple or whatever that was you know. that kind of stuff. two people on a date. two people teenagers or you know the. mother famously you know getting the. call the hired NASA getting the call. from his mother. Hi, it's your mother. Remember me?