Nathan Lane Was Told ‘I Was Too Gay’ for ‘Space Jam’ Role of Michael Jordan’s Assistant 


The Birdcage's Nathan Lane reveals that he was "too gay" to star in Space Jam | Popverse

Nathan Lane said “can’t help but think” that homophobia “played a part” in shaping the roles he could or couldn’t do.

Nathan Lane lost out on “Space Jam” and was told he was “too gay to play the part” of Michael Jordan's assistant. “I was told [being gay did] impact a movie that

“I was told [being gay 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 said of being up for the role of Michael Jordan’s publicist and assistant Stan, who was played by Wayne Knight in the movie. “I was up for that part. Apparently the director 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.’”

I Was Too Gay to Play the Part': Nathan Lane Believes Homophobia Cost Him a Role in Space Jam

“But I don’t know. I’ll never know what people say,” Lane added. “Homophobia is alive and well still. Before I die, it would be lovely to get to play a juicy, serious supporting role in some film. That’s why I’m very grateful to Ryan Murphy. He let me play Dominic Dunne and F. Lee Bailey. I mean, things are great. I don’t want it to seem like I don’t have a really terrific, enviable career.”