Film: "The Producers"

Born: Feb. 3, 1956 (Jersey City, N.J.)

Bio:
Although a better-known presence on Broadway where he's starred in a number of critical smashes (and where he has won two Tony Awards), Nathan Lane has carved out a niche in Hollywood as a reliable character actor. His turns in "The Birdcage," "Laughter on the 23 rd Floor" and "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton" (as well as voice work in "The Lion King" and "Stuart Little" franchises) have contributed a much-needed comic underpinning to those movies.

Credits:
"The Producers" (2005) "Behind the Legend: Timon" (2004) "The Lion King" (2004) "Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!" (2004) "Teacher's Pet" (2004) "Charlie Lawrence" (2003) "Nicholas Nickleby" (2002) "Austin Powers in Goldmember" (2002) "Stuart Little 2" (2002) "Laughter on the 23rd Floor" (2001) "One Saturday Morning" (2001) "Teacher's Pet" (2000) "The Man Who Came to Dinner" (2000) "Trixie" (2000) "Titan A.E." (2000) "Love's Labour's Lost" (2000) "Isn't She Great" (2000) "Stuart Little" (1999) "At First Sight" (1999) "The Best Man" (1999) "George and Martha" (1999) "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" (1998) "Encore! Encore!" (1998) "Merry Christmas, George Bailey" (1997) "Mousehunt" (1997) "Timon and Pumbaa's Wild Adventure: Live and Learn" (1997) "The Birdcage" (1996) "The Boys Next Door" (1996) "Timon and Pumbaa" (1995) "The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True" (1995) "Jeffrey" (1995) "Stand by Me" (1995) "The Lion King" (1994) "The Lion King" (1994/II) "Addams Family Values" (1993) "Life with Mikey" (1993) "The Last Mile" (1992) "Frankie and Johnny" (1991) "He Said, She Said" (1991) "The Lemon Sisters" (1990) "Joe Versus the Volcano" (1990) "Ironweed" (1987) "Alice in Wonderland" (1983) "One of the Boys" (1982) "Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls" (1981)

Notable: Lane, whose given first name was Joseph, took the name Nathan after the character "Nathan Detroit" in Frank Loesser's "Guys and Dolls." Years later, Lane performed that role on Broadway.