The Guardian Headline Full font family includes several styles, each with different weights and italics. The light version (weight 300) comes in both regular and italic styles, as does the regular version (weight 400). The medium (weight 500) and semibold (weight 600) styles also have regular and italic options. Each font file is available in WOFF2, WOFF, and TrueType formats from the Guardian’s servers.@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Titlepiece;
src: url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://interactive.guim.co.uk/fonts/garnett/GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive {
margin-left: 160px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive {
margin-left: 240px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom {
max-width: 620px;
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-atom {
max-width: 100%;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
margin-left: 0;
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
max-width: 620px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-showcase {
max-width: 860px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
max-width: 1100px;
}
@media (max-width: 46.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
width: calc(100vw – var(–scrollbar-width, 0px));
position: relative;
left: 50%;
right: 50%;
margin-left: calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width, 0px)) !important;
margin-right: calc(-50vw + var(–half-scrollbar-width, 0px)) !important;
}
}
@media (min-width: 46.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
transform: translate(-20px);
width: calc(100% + 60px);
}
}
@media (max-width: 71.24em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
}
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
transform: translate(0);
width: auto;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive .element-immersive {
max-width: 1260px;
}
}
.content__main-column–interactive p,
.content__main-column–interactive ul {
max-width: 620px;
}
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
position: absolute;
top: 0;
height: calc(100% + 15px);
min-height: 100px;
content: “”;
}
@media (min-width: 71.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
border-left: 1px solid #dcdcdc;
z-index: -1;
left: -10px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 81.25em) {
.content__main-column–interactive:before {
border-left: 1px solid #dcdcdc;
}
}The main interactive content column has specific styling for elements. Elements within this column have no top or bottom margin but include padding. When a paragraph follows an element, the spacing adjusts accordingly. Inline elements are limited to a maximum width of 620 pixels.
For larger screens, inline figures are also constrained to 620 pixels. Special styling applies to video loops, including button placement and caption positioning. Self-hosted videos are set to a maximum width of 620 pixels with centered margins, while immersive videos expand to full width with adjusted margins on larger screens.
Color variables define the theme, such as dateline, header borders, and caption colors. In dark mode, these colors adapt to a darker palette. The first paragraph after certain elements receives additional top padding, and the first letter of the first paragraph may be styled distinctively.The CSS code defines styles for drop caps, pullquotes, and various layout elements across different sections of a website, such as articles, comments, and features. It sets specific fonts, sizes, and colors for the first letter of paragraphs, adjusts the width and positioning of immersive and showcase elements, and creates a responsive grid layout for larger screens. The styles also include media queries to adapt the layout for different screen sizes.The furniture wrapper sets the standfirst content to have a relative position with a top padding of 2 pixels and no right margin. Within the standfirst, list items have a font size of 20 pixels, and links have no border, no background image, an underline with a 6-pixel offset, and a color from the custom property `–headerBorder` (defaulting to `#dcdcdc`). On hover, the link underline changes to the color defined by `–new-pillar-colour`.
For larger screens (61.25em and above), figures have no left margin, and inline elements with a specific role are limited to a maximum width of 630 pixels. At 71.25em and above, the layout uses a grid with defined columns and rows. A decorative line appears before the meta section, and a vertical line is added before the standfirst. Paragraph borders are removed at this breakpoint.
At 81.25em, the grid adjusts to include more columns, and the decorative lines are repositioned.
Headlines have a font weight of 600 and a maximum width of 620 pixels, with a font size of 32 pixels. On larger screens (71.25em and above), the headline font size increases to 50 pixels, and the maximum width reduces to 540 pixels.
For medium screens (46.25em and above), elements with the class `keyline-4` or the attribute `data-gu-name=lines` have no right margin. On larger screens (61.25em and above), these elements are hidden. Their SVG strokes use the `–headerBorder` color.This CSS code defines styles for a webpage layout, particularly for a furniture-themed wrapper. It sets various properties for elements like meta information, standfirst text, main media, and captions. The styles include adjustments for margins, padding, colors, and positioning, with specific rules for different screen sizes using media queries. The design uses custom CSS variables for colors, such as dark mode features and background shades, and ensures responsive behavior across devices.The CSS code styles elements within a furniture-wrapper class. Headlines (h1) are bold and light gray (#dcdcdc). Figures in headlines have no top margin and a small bottom margin.
For screens wider than 71.25em, a colored line appears before the meta section. Text and summaries in the meta section are light gray. Social media buttons have a colored border and icon, with the icon and text changing color on hover.
Links in the meta section use a theme color and keep that color on hover, with an underline in the same color. In the standfirst section, links are underlined with a light gray line that changes to the theme color on hover. Paragraphs and list items in the standfirst are light gray.
On screens wider than 61.25em, the first paragraph in the standfirst has a top border, which is removed on screens wider than 71.25em. On those larger screens, a colored line also appears before the standfirst.
For screens wider than 46.25em, the furniture-wrapper gets a dark background and a right border.The CSS defines a `.furniture-wrapper` with pseudo-elements that create sidebars. These adjust width and position based on viewport size to maintain a centered content area of fixed widths (738px, 978px, 1138px, 1298px) across different breakpoints, accounting for scrollbar width. Borders and background colors are applied using CSS custom properties.
For headings within articles, `h2` elements use a light font weight (200), but switch to bold (700) if they contain a `strong` element.
The `@font-face` rules load the “Guardian Headline Full” font family in several weights and styles (Light, Light Italic, Regular, Regular Italic) from the Guardian’s servers.@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Regular.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 400;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-RegularItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 400;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Medium.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 500;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-MediumItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 500;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Semibold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 600;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-SemiboldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 600;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Bold.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BoldItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 700;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-Black.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: normal;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Headline Full;
src: url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff2) format(“woff2”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.woff) format(“woff”),
url(https://assets.guim.co.uk/static/frontend/fonts/guardian-headline/full-not-hinted/GHGuardianHeadline-BlackItalic.ttf) format(“truetype”);
font-weight: 900;
font-style: italic;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Guardian Titlepiece;
src: url(https://interThe font file GTGuardianTitlepiece-Bold is available in woff2, woff, and truetype formats with a font weight of 700 and normal style. For iOS and Android devices, the color scheme adjusts using CSS custom properties: a dark background, a feature color, and a dark mode feature color. The primary pillar color defaults to the feature color, but switches to the dark mode version when the system prefers a dark theme.
On iOS and Android, the first letter of the first paragraph in specific article containers is styled with a secondary pillar color. The article header height is set to zero, while the furniture wrapper receives padding and its labels are styled with a bold, capitalized font in the pillar color.For Android devices, the headline in standard and comment article containers is set to 32px, bold, with 12px bottom padding and a dark gray color.
On iOS and Android, images within feature, standard, and comment articles are positioned relatively, have a top margin of 14px, a left offset of -10px, and a width equal to the full viewport minus the scrollbar.
For these same images and their inner elements on both iOS and Android, the background is transparent, and the width is the full viewport minus the scrollbar, with height set to auto.
The standfirst section in these article types on both iOS and Android has a top padding of 4px, bottom padding of 24px, and a right margin of -10px.
Paragraphs within the standfirst use the Guardian Headline font family or fallback serif fonts.
Links within the standfirst on both iOS and Android are also styled with this font family.For Android devices, links in article introductions are styled with a specific color, underlines, and no background images. On iOS and Android, these links change underline color when hovered. Meta sections have no margin, and author names and related elements use the same color as the links.For iOS and Android devices, the meta information within furniture wrappers across feature, standard, and comment article containers should have no padding.
For these same containers and devices, the SVG icons within that meta information should use the new pillar color for their stroke.
The caption button within showcase elements should be displayed as a flex container, centered with 5px padding, 28px in both width and height, and positioned 14px from the right.
The main article body should have 12px of horizontal padding and no vertical padding.
Standard image figures (excluding thumbnails and immersive styles) should have no margin, a width calculated as the full viewport width minus 24px and any scrollbar width, and an automatic height. Their captions should have no padding.
Immersive image figures should span the full viewport width, accounting for any scrollbar.
Within the article body prose, a left border should be applied to blockquotes marked with the “quoted” class.This CSS code sets styles for quoted text and links within article bodies on iOS and Android devices. It defines colors, underlines, and hover effects for links, and adjusts the appearance of quoted blocks. In dark mode, it changes background colors, text colors, and other visual elements for article headers, labels, headlines, and bylines to ensure readability and maintain design consistency.This CSS code sets styles for different article containers on Android and iOS. It defines colors for author bylines, stroke colors for SVG icons, caption colors for showcase images, and colors for quoted text. It also sets a dark background for various body elements and applies a first-letter style to paragraphs following specific atoms.This appears to be a CSS selector targeting the first letter of paragraphs in specific article containers on iOS and Android devices. The selector applies to various article types (feature, standard, comment) and different content sections within them, particularly after certain elements like `.element-atom`, `.sign-in-gate`, or `#sign-in-gate`.This appears to be a CSS selector targeting the first letter of paragraphs in specific containers on Android devices. It applies to various article containers (feature, standard, comment) and their body sections, including those with interactive content or sign-in gates.For Android devices, the first letter of a paragraph following a sign-in gate in the comment body will be white. On both iOS and Android, the standfirst text in comment articles has a top padding of 24 pixels and no top margin. All h2 headings have a font size of 24 pixels.
Caption button padding differs slightly between iOS and Android. In dark mode, various text and link colors are adjusted to lighter shades, with a dark background set to #1a1a1a.
Article headers are hidden, and furniture wrappers have no margin. Content labels use a new pillar color, headlines are set to a light gray, and title links use the new pillar color. Meta sections are styled with a before pseudo-element.For iOS and Android devices, the meta section in feature, standard, and comment article containers has specific styling. A repeating linear gradient is applied as a background before the meta element, using the header border color. The byline text within the meta section is set to a light gray color (#dcdcdc). Links inside the meta section use a CSS variable for color, defaulting to a dark mode feature color. SVG icons within the meta’s miscellaneous section have their stroke color defined by the same CSS variable. Additionally, alert labels in the meta section are styled consistently across these contexts.For iOS and Android devices, the alert labels in the meta section of feature, standard, and comment articles are set to a light gray color (#dcdcdc). Icons within the meta section of these articles will use a specific color variable (–new-pillar-colour, with a fallback to –darkModeFeature). The same color variable applies to these icons when using pseudo-elements.
On larger screens (71.25em and above), the meta section in these articles will display as a block with a top border. The border color uses the –new-pillar-colour variable, defaulting to –headerBorderColor. The meta__misc element within this section will also be styled accordingly.For iOS and Android devices, the meta information in article containers has its margin reset with a left margin of 20 pixels. Paragraphs and unordered lists within article bodies are set to a maximum width of 620 pixels.
Blockquotes styled as quotes use the secondary pillar color for their decorative elements. Links within the article text are styled with the primary pillar color, featuring an underline with an offset and a light gray line, without any background image. On hover, the underline changes to the secondary pillar color.
In dark mode, the colors for both the blockquote elements and links switch to the dark mode pillar color.Nathan Lane describes his intermission routine during “Death of a Salesman” with characteristic humor: “It’s, like, 10 minutes. I pee, I have a cup of tea, I put the jacket back on and I go out and fight my way to the death.” This blend of practicality, light fatalism, and artful exaggeration captures the actor’s spirit perfectly. Seated at a corner table in New York’s classic Upper West Side haunt, Cafe Luxembourg, Lane is in fine form. When asked if this marks his first performance at the Winter Garden Theatre, he replies without missing a beat: “Yes, except when I took over in Mame.”
Lane’s easy charm has fueled five decades of award-winning performances, from off-Broadway beginnings to his Tony-nominated role in the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls. The brassiness he brought to The Birdcage and The Producers, along with scene-stealing cameos in 30 Rock and Sex and the City, remains his eternal flame, even as he has taken on more dramatic roles over the past decade. Yet, Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman is a beast of a role. The wandering lead of Arthur Miller’s 1949 tragedy must embody both the collapse of an average family and the catastrophic failure of the American dream. Like his character, Lane can only laugh for so long.
“It’s taken this long to feel worthy of doing it,” says Lane, who recently turned 70. “I’m doing eight shows a week and I haven’t keeled over.” While the role of Loman carries immense prestige, it is relentless, and actors as venerated as Dustin Hoffman and Philip Seymour Hoffman have struggled with its emotional and physical toll. Echoing the loneliness of his character, Lane reflects on the demands: “It’s hard to explain unless you’re doing it. Nobody understands.”
The play holds personal significance for Lane. He recalls watching Lee J. Cobb, the role’s originator, in a 1966 televised broadcast: “Other children were watching Gilligan’s Island, and I was more drawn to Miller’s indictment of capitalism.” Lane’s early passion for the play, far removed from his classmates’ interests, foreshadowed his lifelong fascination with theatre. A year later, it took on a terrible relevance when, as he puts it, “my father essentially committed suicide by drinking himself to death.”
Lane is exceptional in the role, bringing a searing meta-awareness of his own life as a performer. Like Loman, he is a man who lives and dies on his ability to sell a high-spirited fantasy, but Miller’s character cannot see that his audience has long moved on and can see through his act. Lane is clear-eyed about the character’s significance, pointing to “Cobb’s wo…”The review references previous actors who have played Willy Loman, such as “Lee J. Cobb’s wounded lion, Dustin Hoffman’s tiny tyrant,” and “Brian Dennehy’s bipolar mountain of a man,” and seems content to let audiences decide what this new interpretation adds to that legacy.
The production is a long-planned collaboration among Lane, director Joe Mantello, and producer Scott Rudin, marking Rudin’s return to Broadway after a five-year absence following allegations of bullying colleagues. In a 2025 interview, Rudin stated, “I was too rough on people… I have more control now.” Lane admits he initially found the role daunting, both creatively and commercially. “I was fearful for the intimacy of the play, and just the practicality of [co-star] Laurie Metcalf and I having to sell a lot of tickets,” he says of the play opening at the 1,600-seat Winter Garden Theatre. The upside is that tickets are more affordable.
“Because I’m not George Clooney, they’re not charging $900,” he says, referencing the Hollywood star’s turn in Good Night, and Good Luck at that theatre last year. “For $900, I would go to your home and do selections from the play.”
Neither Lane’s star power nor his flawless cynicism shows any sign of fading. While telling me about an upcoming film he shot with Jonah Hill and Kristen Wiig, he picks up on a stray “good for you” overheard from an adjoining table. “I thought she was talking to me,” he gasps, before playfully pretending to address her: “Thank you, thanks very much.” (Later, the stranger does actually praise his work while standing to leave, as if he’d set up a perfect callback.)
While perhaps better established as a theatre icon, Lane’s Hollywood legacy is also significant. Lending his inimitable voice to Timon in Disney’s The Lion King brought him widespread recognition in 1994, and starring opposite Robin Williams in 1996’s gay comedy The Birdcage catapulted him to mainstream stardom. This also presented the challenge of navigating public perceptions of his sexuality, especially given his role as a drag queen in the film. A clip from an appearance he and Williams made on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show that same year occasionally resurfaces. When Winfrey asks whether Lane fears being typecast as gay—”and people forever saying: ‘Are you? Are you not? Is he?'”—Lane is uncharacteristically at a loss for words and visibly uncomfortable before Williams steps in to deflect the questioning. Lane attributes that gesture to the late actor’s “incredibly kind, generous soul.”
Lane reflects on that time. His sexuality was no secret to those around him, but he had only just hired his first publicist (with whom he still works) and was not prepared to take his private life public.
“In those days, you might as well say: ‘And by the way, I love cock,'” he deadpans. “But I wasn’t ready; I wasn’t brave enough. I was a character actor. I wasn’t thinking I was going to become a leading man. For better or worse, that’s what I did.” He came out in a profile for The Advocate in 1999, by which point the secret was already out: “Then it was like: ‘Yeah, big deal, we already knew.’ So there was no winning that one.”
Lane believes Winfrey was just being playful. It doesn’t sound like the incident haunts him, but he wishes he could go back and reply: “If you’re asking me why I’m good at it in the movie, it’s because I’m a wonderful actor. And if you are asking me if I’m gay, the answer is yes.” It was a trial-by-fire introduction to celebrity. He remembers, a few weeks later, being stuck in Manhattan traffic when a man in a nearby van saw him and screamed: “Hey, faggot! Hey—””Faggot!” Lane grimaces. “It was humiliating,” he says. “I thought, ‘Well, this is the other side of fame.'”
The actor is just as open about other kinds of perceived slights. A 2010 article by former New York Times theatre critic Charles Isherwood heaped praise on Lane, calling him the greatest Broadway entertainer of the past decade. “It couldn’t have been a nicer piece,” Lane admits, spearing his omelette. “But something about the word ‘entertainer’ bothered me. I thought, I’ve been doing this a long time now, and he doesn’t think I’m an actor. I just couldn’t let go of it.”
He knows it’s a nitpick, and that many greats have been both consummate entertainers and respected actors. But still: “It’s like, what, you mean I’m not acting? If you didn’t believe what I was doing, you wouldn’t laugh. I’m glad you laughed—it’s a comedy. Glad you think I’m funny. But anyone who’s done comedy as an actor knows they try to put you in a box.”
He began to carve his way out of that box in the early 2010s by pitching himself to director Robert Falls after hearing about his plans for a production of Eugene O’Neill’s surly The Iceman Cometh. As the lead role of Hickey, Lane would play another salesman—albeit one who’s the life of the party until he gruesomely murders his wife. “When I read the extremely lengthy character description, he seemed to be describing me. Nothing against Kevin Spacey,” he quips about the actor who played the part before him, “but when he comes in the room, you think, ‘Oh, he probably just killed his wife.'”
The production materialized in Chicago in 2012, later transferring to the Brooklyn Academy of Music and radically changing Lane’s life and approach to his craft. Lane credits the play and the rave reviews for his performance with shifting his public perception, which he parlayed into diabolical roles in projects like American Crime Story and Angels in America, for which he won his third Tony. “By the time I got to Roy Cohn in Angels,” he says, “it wasn’t met with the same kind of reaction as when it was announced that I was doing Iceman.”
Lane returned to screen comedy last year, starring in and executive producing Mid-Century Modern for Hulu. A sort of “gay Golden Girls,” the series earned glowing reviews but was not renewed for a second season. “It got a high score on Rotten Tomatoes,” he says, with elite comic timing. “Maybe that was its downfall,” he ponders, “that it was an R-rated gay sitcom.”
In the shadow of Heated Rivalry, does Lane think there’s only room for one mainstream gay series a year? “Well, yeah, there you go: young hot guys,” he laughs. “It might be too easy to blame it on that—I really don’t know. There was Will & Grace. People now look down on the multi-camera, live audience sitcom. It’s seen as antiquated, like we’re using a butter churn. To say it doesn’t work anymore is hilarious, because people are still watching Friends.”
The theatre landscape, especially post-pandemic, is still too expensive, and Lane is not optimistic about the U.S. suddenly turning toward subsidizing it. “I don’t think that’s going to happen, not in this country,” he mourns. “The Trump National Theatre? No. More than ever, arts funding and education—it’s all under attack on a daily basis. From the Corporation for Public Broadcasting…”According to the Kennedy Center, everyone is struggling—including the American people, who continue to see themselves reflected in the plight of Willy Loman, “this very flawed human being who bought into something and has lived by it.” Lane believes the play’s essential meaning has shifted since its 1949 premiere, when the character was viewed as a victim of capitalism at large, resonating with society’s misreading of what success looks like.
“His self-worth and idea of success are all based on the opinion of others, on being liked,” he explains. “If you’re on Facebook, you understand that concept. If you’re an actor, you understand. Today, to do it right now, there’s a certain group of white men who feel they were promised something and it’s been taken away: they were entitled to something, and it’s been taken away by AI, DEI, all the letters—and they’re angry, and they’ve all decided to follow this lunatic in the White House.”
He remains committed to the stage, though he complains—as only true theatre lovers can—about Death of a Salesman’s intense use of dust, smoke, and extreme side lighting, which to him feels “like the Gestapo is in the wings and you’ll be arrested by the end of the scene.”
The grind of Broadway scheduling comes up again. “This eight shows a week stuff—it’s crazy,” he says. “A play like this takes a toll and costs you to do it. It’s also the reason you want to do it.” Aside from the Hill-Wiig movie, which will reunite him with fellow stalwart Bette Midler, he’s “attached, as they say,” to an action-comedy pilot directed by Paul Feig. Screen work makes fewer demands on an actor, so as for what’s next on stage: “Oh, Jesus, who the hell knows?” he muses as we ask for the check. “This could be my farewell to Broadway.”
Death of a Salesman would hardly be a bad exit-stage-left for the lovable sourpuss, who brings a deep current of charisma to every performance. If a role were to pique his interest, he’s never far from the bold instinct that landed him that life-changing Iceman gig. As Lane puts it: “How do you think you survive in show business—by being shy?”
Death of a Salesman is at the Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, until August 9.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs Coming Out in the 1990s Nathan Lanes Experience
General Understanding
What does coming out in the 90s generally mean
It refers to the experience of publicly disclosing ones LGBTQ identity during the 1990s a decade marked by growing visibility but also significant social stigma the AIDS crisis and limited legal protections compared to today
Why was Nathan Lanes quote about announcing I love cock significant
The quote from a 2023 interview bluntly captures the fear and stark reality many gay men faced in the 90sthat coming out was often reductively and harshly viewed by a judgmental public stripping away nuance and reducing identity to a sexual act
Was it different to come out in the 90s versus today
Yes significantly In the 90s there was far less mainstream representation no nationwide marriage equality widespread legal discrimination and intense social prejudice especially following the AIDS epidemic Coming out often carried greater personal and professional risk
Nathan Lanes Specific Experience
What was Nathan Lanes experience coming out
Nathan Lane came out privately to friends and family earlier but was not publicly out at the height of his early fame in the 90s He has spoken about the intense pressure from Hollywood and Broadway to stay closeted to protect his career fearing being typecast or losing roles
How did being in the closet affect his work on Broadway like in The Producers
He has said that playing flamboyantly gay characters like Max Bialystocks assistant in The Producers was ironically safer because it was seen as comedic caricature The industry and audience could laugh at the stereotype without having to accept the actors real sexuality
What stereotypes did Nathan Lane help break
By achieving massive mainstream success as a beloved comic actor and later publicly living as a gay man he helped challenge the idea that an out gay actor couldnt be a versatile bankable star or appeal to broad family audiences
Social Cultural Context
What were the biggest risks of coming out in the 1990s
Risks included family rejection loss of friends employment discrimination harassment violence and in the entertainment industry a nearcertain limitation on roles and career advancement
