Nathan Lane says ‘Space Jam’ director thought he was “too gay” to be in the movie

Nathan Lane recalls that the director of Space Jam believed he was “too gay” to portray Michael Jordan’s assistant in the 1996 film, which combined live-action and animation. The movie featured Looney Tunes characters alongside NBA legend Michael Jordan battling space aliens in a basketball showdown for humanity’s fate.

In a Vanity Fair interview, Lane—soon to appear in the upcoming gay sitcom Mid-Century Modern—spoke about how Hollywood's homophobia hindered his 1990s career. “I don’t know what goes on behind closed doors,” Lane remarked, “but I can’t help but think that it played a part. I was told it did impact a movie that I didn’t really care about: Space Jam.”

He mentioned being considered for a role that was ultimately given to Wayne Knight, known for Seinfeld and Jurassic Park. “Apparently the director [Joe Pytka] saw me hosting the Tony Awards and thought that suggested I was too gay to play the part,” Lane explained. “So thank God, I didn’t have to do Space Jam.”

An Emmy winner and three-time Tony Award recipient, Lane stated, according to ‘LGBTQ Nation’, that, despite a 2023 New York Times headline, Hollywood still hasn’t resolved how to utilize him. “I wish they’d figured out what to do with me,” he said. “I’ve been able to, I think, shift the perception a bit about me, but there’s always going to be that ‘He’s from the theater’ thing. It’s either homophobia or it’s just, ‘He gives big performances because he comes from the theater.’ If they give me a chance, I seem to do well — but you have to get the part. You need a part to prove that. I gave up long ago trying to pursue it.”

Reflecting on his career before The Birdcage’s success in 1996, Lane viewed films as “a way to pay the bills so I could keep doing theater.” “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,” he said. “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, who came out publicly in 1999, soon parted ways with that agent—describing him as “an old queen”—and joined mega talent agency CAA. “But no,” he noted, “there weren’t a lot of opportunities.”

“Homophobia is alive and well still,” Lane added. "Before I die, it would be lovely to get to play a juicy, serious supporting role in some film.”

Nevertheless, the actor expressed gratitude to producer Ryan Murphy for casting him in The People v. O.J. Simpson and the more recent Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. “I mean, things are great,” Lane said. “I don’t want it to seem like I don’t have a really terrific, enviable career.”