Nathan Lane Net Worth

What Is Nathan Lane's Net Worth?

Nathan Lane is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and writer who has a net worth of $25 million. One of the most acclaimed stage performers of his generation, Lane is best known for playing Albert Goldman opposite Robin Williams in "The Birdcage," Max Bialystock in the Broadway musical and film adaptation of "The Producers," and Pseudolus in the Broadway revival of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." He also voiced Timon in Disney's "The Lion King" and played Nathan Detroit in the celebrated 1992 Broadway revival of "Guys and Dolls."

Lane has won three Tony Awards, a Primetime Emmy, two Daytime Emmys, an Olivier Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. His television work has included memorable recurring roles as Pepper Saltzman on "Modern Family," Clarke Hayden on "The Good Wife," Teddy Dimas on "Only Murders in the Building," and Ward McAllister on "The Gilded Age." More recently, he portrayed journalist Dominick Dunne in "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," starred in the Hulu sitcom "Mid-Century Modern," and earned his seventh Tony nomination for playing Willy Loman in the 2026 Broadway revival of "Death of a Salesman."

Early Life

Nathan Lane was born Joseph Lane on February 3, 1956, in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father, Daniel, was a truck driver and aspiring singer who died from complications related to alcoholism when Nathan was 11. His mother, Nora, worked as a secretary and suffered from bipolar disorder. Lane grew up in a Catholic household with his two older brothers, Robert and Daniel Jr.

He attended St. Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, where he developed an interest in acting and was voted Best Actor by his graduating class in 1974.

Lane received a drama scholarship to Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, but after learning that the scholarship would not cover enough of his expenses, he decided to pursue acting professionally instead.

When he joined Actors' Equity, another performer was already registered under the name Joseph Lane. Inspired by the character Nathan Detroit from "Guys and Dolls," he adopted Nathan as his professional first name.

Early Stage and Screen Career

Lane moved to New York City and briefly performed stand-up comedy before focusing on theater. He made his Broadway debut in the 1982 revival of Noël Coward's "Present Laughter," earning a Drama Desk Award nomination.

His early Broadway credits included "Merlin," "The Wind in the Willows," "Some Americans Abroad," and "On Borrowed Time." He also developed a particularly important artistic partnership with playwright Terrence McNally, appearing in works including "The Lisbon Traviata," "Lips Together, Teeth Apart," and "Love! Valour! Compassion!"

Lane's television career began in the early 1980s, while his film credits eventually included "Ironweed," "Joe Versus the Volcano," "He Said, She Said," "Frankie and Johnny," "Life with Mikey," and "Addams Family Values."

"Guys and Dolls," "The Lion King," and "The Birdcage"

Lane's Broadway profile rose dramatically when he played Nathan Detroit in the 1992 revival of "Guys and Dolls." His performance earned him his first Tony Award nomination and helped establish him as one of Broadway's leading musical-comedy performers.

In 1994, Lane voiced Timon the meerkat in Disney's animated blockbuster "The Lion King." The character became one of his most recognizable roles. Lane returned as Timon in "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride," "The Lion King 1½," the animated series "Timon & Pumbaa," and other Disney projects.

His breakthrough as a movie star came in 1996 with Mike Nichols' "The Birdcage." Lane played Albert Goldman, the flamboyant partner of Robin Williams' Armand Goldman, in the American remake of "La Cage aux Folles." The film was a major commercial success, and Lane received a Golden Globe nomination and shared a Screen Actors Guild Award with the ensemble.

That same year, he returned to Broadway as Pseudolus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." The performance earned Lane his first Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

"The Producers"

Lane reached another career peak in 2001 when he originated the role of Max Bialystock in Mel Brooks' Broadway musical "The Producers," starring opposite Matthew Broderick as Leo Bloom.

The production became a phenomenon, winning a record 12 Tony Awards. Lane won his second Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, while the musical became one of the hottest tickets in Broadway history.

Lane and Broderick left the production in 2002 but returned for a limited engagement in 2004. Their return generated enormous ticket demand and made them, at the time, the highest-paid performers in Broadway history. Lane was reportedly earning around $100,000 per week.

The pair reprised their roles in the 2005 film version of "The Producers." Although the movie did not match the cultural impact of the stage production, Lane earned his second Golden Globe nomination.

Lane and Broderick subsequently reunited on Broadway in "The Odd Couple" and "It's Only a Play."

Later Stage Career

Lane continued balancing musical comedy with increasingly dramatic stage work. He played Gomez Addams in the 2010 Broadway musical "The Addams Family" and starred as Hickey in acclaimed productions of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh."

In 2013, he starred in Douglas Carter Beane's "The Nance," playing a gay burlesque performer in 1930s New York. The performance earned him another Tony nomination.

Lane won his third Tony Award in 2018 for playing attorney Roy Cohn in the Broadway revival of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America." He had previously played the role in the production's acclaimed London engagement.

His subsequent Broadway appearances included "Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus" and "Pictures from Home."

In 2026, Lane took on one of the most famous roles in American theater, Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman." Laurie Metcalf co-starred as Linda Loman, with Joe Mantello directing. Lane's performance earned him his seventh competitive Tony nomination. The production won six Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play, and completed its Broadway run in August 2026.

Television Career

Lane has remained a prolific television guest star throughout his career. Early appearances on "Frasier" and "Mad About You" earned him Primetime Emmy nominations.

Beginning in 2010, he became a recurring favorite on "Modern Family" as Pepper Saltzman, the theatrical and opinionated friend of Mitchell and Cameron. The role earned Lane three additional Emmy nominations.

He subsequently played attorney and bankruptcy trustee Clarke Hayden on "The Good Wife."

In 2021, Lane joined Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" as Teddy Dimas, the wealthy deli owner and theatrical producer who becomes entangled in the murder investigation conducted by characters played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. Lane won his first Primetime Emmy Award in 2022 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series and received another nomination the following year. He later returned to the series.

Lane has also played New York socialite Ward McAllister on HBO's "The Gilded Age."

Recent Film and Television Work

Lane portrayed journalist and social chronicler Dominick Dunne in the 2024 Netflix limited series "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story." Dunne covered the Menendez murder trials extensively for "Vanity Fair," giving Lane one of the more dramatic television roles of his later career.

In 2025, Lane starred as Bunny Schneiderman in Hulu's "Mid-Century Modern," a multi-camera sitcom created by "Will & Grace" creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan and produced by Ryan Murphy. The series co-starred Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, and Linda Lavin and centered on three older gay friends who decide to live together in Palm Springs. Lane also served as an executive producer. The show ran for one season.

His later film credits have included "Beau Is Afraid," "Dicks: The Musical," and voice work in the animated fantasy "Spellbound."

Frederick M. Brown /Getty Images

Personal Life

Lane has spoken openly about the difficulty of coming to terms with his sexuality while growing up in a Catholic family. He has recalled that when he told his mother he was gay at age 21, she reacted badly, prompting Lane to answer with humor.

For many years, Lane avoided publicly discussing his sexuality in detail, particularly during the height of the publicity surrounding "The Birdcage." He publicly came out in 1999, motivated in part by the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard.

Lane has supported numerous LGBTQ+ and AIDS-related organizations and served on the board of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. His advocacy has earned recognition from organizations including the Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, GLAAD, and the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

Lane married writer and theater producer Devlin Elliott in November 2015 after nearly two decades together. The pair have also collaborated as authors, co-writing the children's books "Naughty Mabel" and "Naughty Mabel Sees It All."

Awards and Honors

Lane has received seven competitive Tony Award nominations and won three times: Best Actor in a Musical for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" in 1996, Best Actor in a Musical for "The Producers" in 2001, and Best Featured Actor in a Play for "Angels in America" in 2018.

He has also won an Olivier Award and multiple Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Lucille Lortel awards.

Lane has received eight Primetime Emmy nominations, finally winning Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for "Only Murders in the Building" in 2022. He has also won two Daytime Emmy Awards for his voice work on "Timon & Pumbaa" and "Teacher's Pet."

His performance in "The Birdcage" earned him a Golden Globe nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the film's ensemble. Lane received another Golden Globe nomination for the film version of "The Producers."

He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2008 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006 alongside frequent collaborator Matthew Broderick.

Real Estate

In 1999, Lane paid approximately $1.7 million for a 2,757-square-foot triplex apartment in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood. He renovated the two-bedroom residence with interior designer William Sofield and lived there for more than two decades.

Lane listed the apartment for $4.65 million in 2021 and sold it in February 2022 for $4.275 million, representing a gross increase of roughly $2.6 million over his purchase price before renovations, carrying costs, taxes, and selling expenses.

Several months after the sale, Lane and his husband, Devlin Elliott, paid $4.1 million for an apartment in the Dorilton, a landmarked Beaux-Arts co-op building on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

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