Nathan Lane Loved That ‘The Gay People Are the Heroes’ in The Birdcage: ‘It’s So Subversive’ (Exclusive)

• Thirty years after its release, Nathan Lane says The Birdcage is a film fans still talk to him about
• The actor praises the talented cast — which included the late Robin Williams and Gene Hackman — for making the story so true
• Lane shares memories from filming while chatting about his new series, Mid-Century Modern

Nearly 30 years after debuting in theaters on March 8, 1996, The Birdcage still resonates with audiences. And for Nathan Lane, who costarred in the comedy alongside Robin Williams, Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest, it’s a work that still garners a lot of attention from fans. 

“It hasn’t gone away at all. It’s a movie that people talk to me about every day of my life,” Lane, 69, tells PEOPLE while promoting his new, fabulously gay sitcom, Mid-Century Modern, which is now streaming on Hulu.

In the comedy film, which was adapted the 1978 French film La Cage aux Folles by director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Elaine May, the actor plays Albert Goldman, the flamboyant partner to Armand Goldman (Williams), a drag club owner living in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami. 

The two are surprised to learn that Armand’s son, Val (Dan Futterman), has gotten engaged to Barbara Keeley (Calista Flockhart), the daughter of the conservative political couple Kevin (Hackman) and Louise (Wiest). Using the couple’s wedding to distract from a political scandal, Barbara’s parents decide to visit Val’s dads, who must pretend to be straight, resulting in Albert masquerading as a middle-aged woman. 

Upon its release, the movie was a box office success and earned wide critical acclaim, with some reviews noting and celebrating its subversiveness. In fact, The Washington Post review read, “While politicians like Keeley talk a good game of family values, it’s Armand and his nontraditional clan who have the stable home life. They are a family.”

Attesting to the movie’s success, which earned the actor SAG Award and Golden Globe nominations, Lane tells PEOPLE, “It’s one of the great comic plots of all time.” He adds, “It was successful as a play and then as a foreign film and then as a musical and then there’s our version. So, you know, that story really holds up because it’s a story about love and family and this long-term gay couple who, because of their love for their son, go to extremes to try to make it all work for him.” 

“I remember seeing the original French film in the late ’70s on the Upper East Side, where it ran for like a year. It was the most successful foreign film at the time. And I remember seeing and thinking it was hilarious. And I thought, ‘Oh, this is great,’ ” Lane recalls. 

“It’s so subversive,” he continues. “The gay people are the heroes and the straight people are the villains. So to have wound up doing the American film version was incredible.” 

Lane has since gone on to become a go-to scene-stealer in everything from The Good Wife and Mad About You to Modern Family and Only Murders in the Building, all of which have earned him a record eight Emmy nominations for guest actor.

But looking back on the magic of this film, he says it had “this extraordinary cast: Robin, Gene and Diane and the honorable Dan Futterman and the great Hank Azaria.” (In addition to Williams, who died at age 63 in 2014, Hackman was recently found dead at 95 in February. While remembering his late costar, Lane said in a statement to PEOPLE, “Gene Hackman was my favorite actor… Getting to watch him up close it was easy to see why he was one of our greatest. You could never catch him acting. Simple and true, thoughtful and soulful, with just a hint of danger.”)

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“When I did the movie, I remember Mike Nicholas, who was very sweet to me and very inclusive, and he would say to me, ‘You know, Nathan, I only want nice people on this movie.’ And I said, ‘Oh, okay. I’m sure there are a few nice people left in show business,’ ” the actor shares. 

“And he really somehow managed to do that. They were all very nice and professional and it was led by Robin Williams who was just such a beautiful, kind and sensitive soul and so funny and brilliant,” Lane continues. “And so, I think for all those reasons, for Elaine May’s script and Mike’s direction and that cast of actors, it’s something special that has stood the test of time, which is incredibly moving for this film from 30 years ago.”