This story about Nathan Lane and “Only Murders in the Building” first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Comedy issue of TheWrap magazine.
Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building” ended up with a considerable nomination haul on July 12, with 17 nods in total — and one of them quietly made history. That nom went to Nathan Lane, a three-time Tony winner for both plays and musicals with an equally considerable film and TV résumé to call his own, including celebrated turns in “The Birdcage” and “The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” Lane’s nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series marked his sixth in the category, a record that surpasses the late Fred Willard’s five career nods.
It’s also Lane’s seventh overall for his TV work, which includes a drama-series guest nomination for “The Good Wife” several years back. “It’s lovely that it’s for this particular show,” Lane said of the record-making nod for the Steve Martin/Martin Short/Selena Gomez comic mystery. “It’s just such a joy to be a part of. And this episode was really ambitious on their part and turned out beautifully. It’s strange because you’re showing up on a set where there’s all these relationships and established rhythms and you just want to go in and do your job well and not rock the boat.”
Lane — whose other nominations are split among appearances on “Frasier,” “Mad About You” and “Modern Family” — is also hoping for a lucky No. 7. He has never taken home the trophy in this category, despite his legacy as a top comic draw.
This time could be the gold-getter, as Lane’s character, the dip-and-deli magnate Teddy Dimas, has a considerable naughty-and-nice arc. (And don’t worry, “Murders” fans: You see more of him in the currently running Season 2.) The episode for which he’s nominated, “The Boy From 6B,” was one of the season’s standouts, and a bold deviation from the show’s broader comic form. The episode is told entirely in American Sign Language, subtitles and lip-reading from Teddy’s deaf son Theo (James Caverly), a character who may have been far more involved in the central Season 1 murder than initially believed.
“I did not know ASL and when I was asked to do it, I thought, ‘Oh, this will be a blast, I get to hang out with Steve and Marty.’ And there’ll be high jinks and we’ll just laugh and laugh — which, you know, all happened,” said Lane, who only had about six weeks to prepare for the challenging, sound-design-forward episode. “My wonderful interpreter was a gentleman named Doug Ridloff, who’s also an actor, and he helped me tremendously. Doug was incredibly supportive of me speaking his language and trying to get it right. It’s one thing when you’re working on your own, but then you’re thrown into an emotional scene and you’re trying to remember how to how to do it all. It was very challenging. ASL is such a beautiful language, and I loved having that challenge.”
Lane’s only lament is that he doesn’t get to share the nomination with Caverly, his scene partner and fellow showman who just wrapped an acclaimed starring turn in “The Music Man” in Maryland. “The only disappointing thing about [Emmy morning] was not seeing his name amongst the nominees,” he said. “He’s so talented, and he was incredible in that episode. So, this is a nomination for both of us.”
Read more from the Down to the Wire: Comedy issue here.
