Nathan simply doesn't translate well onto the screen because he can't tone down his acting (in The Birdcage, no toning down was needed...it was a "big" role). The screen needs actors to be much more subtle and toned down. Good, realistic acting usually steals the movie, rather than an over-the-top energetic performance that steals shows on stage. Masters of toning up for stage and toning down for movies, as I've said before, are Zero Mostel and Kevin Kline (an amazing and underrated actor. IMHO, Kevin Kline is the most talented actor we have today. He is very versatile...he can play almost any role).
Not that I have anything against Nathan Lane...he is great for stage character acting that requires straight play-for-laughs acting rather than characterization-acting (roles like Pseudelus in Funny...Forum). I do believe though that his performances tend to be purely play-for-laughs though...that's not always a good thing.
Updated On: 7/20/03 at 01:54 AM
