Nathan Lane labored long on Broadway before beginning the transition to motion pictures and television. His list of theatrical credits includes Present Laughter (1982–83), She Stoops to Conquer (1984), Wind in the Willows (1985), Measure for Measure (1985), The Lisbon Traviata (1989), for which he won the Drama Desk award for best actor), Guys and Dolls (1992), Love! Valor! Compassion! (1995), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1996, Tony Award, best actor) and The Producers (2001). Broadway success led to small parts in several motion pictures beginning with Ironweed (1987). Children and parents know his voice—Lane provided the vocal characterizations for “Timon” in Disney's The Lion King (1995), performing one of that movie's most popular tunes, “Hakuna Matata,” and in the 1999 animated Stuart Little. Lane's first starring film role came in the 1996 remake of La Cage aux Folles, The Birdcage, in which he portrayed the outrageously neurotic Albert Goldman/Starina. In 1998, Lane played the lead in the situation comedy Encore! Encore! He co-starred with Matthew Broderick in The Producers, the smash hit of the 2000–2001 Broadway season.

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