Nathan Lane Receives Peter Ustinov Comedy Award at Banff World Media Festival

Nathan Lane never turns off his sense of humor, one of many reasons that he is this year’s recipient of the Peter Ustinov Comedy Award at the Banff World Media Festival. “I’m always thrilled when anyone wants to give me an award,” Lane says. “Although I somehow think there’s been a horrible mistake.”

Lane, who began his career as a stand-up comedian but has since worked in TV, film and theater, has a longstanding passion for life on the stage. Musicals and plays, such as “The Odd Couple,” have given the Tony Award winner an opportunity to play deeper, grittier characters as he has on CBS’ “The Good Wife.”

“It’s reminded people that I do more than comedy,” Lane says. “No one’s offering me anything of that kind of depth or complexity in film … which is certainly one of the reasons I love the theater so much.”

Lane currently has a few projects in the works, including an independent film with Gabriel Byrne. He will also be returning to “The Iceman Cometh,” a role he has tackled before, and will be working on an ensemble piece that will feature his “The Producers” (both Broadway and bigscreen versions) co-star Matthew Broderick. -

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