14 Intriguing Facts About The Birdcage

A reimagining of La Cage aux Folles (1978), The Birdcage featured Robin Williams as a gay cabaret owner and Nathan Lane as his drag queen partner. The plot revolves around their need to pretend to be something they aren't when Williams's son (Dan Futterman), his fiancée (Calista Flockhart), and her conservative parents (Dianne Wiest and Gene Hackman) come to visit. Here are some fascinating behind-the-scenes details about this classic comedy as we celebrate its 25th anniversary.

1. The Birdcage marked the first-ever collaboration between Elaine May and Mike Nichols, a long-awaited project for the two.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Mike Nichols and Elaine May were a highly influential improv comedy duo, each finding individual success later in feature films. Nichols (director of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate) watched La Cage aux Folles and saw the potential for a U.S. remake, while May (screenwriter of Heaven Can Wait and Ishtar) crafted the adaptation. Nichols reflected in the official production notes, 'We've never done a movie from start to finish together. This is a project we've wanted to tackle for 15 years because we knew from the very beginning that it was a timeless comedy with a fantastic plot and a perfect ending.' Two years later, they'd reunite for another collaboration when May adapted Primary Colors (1998) for the screen, with Nichols directing.

2. Steve Martin was initially cast to play Armand in The Birdcage.

Steve Martin was originally slated to portray Armand, with Robin Williams set to play his partner Albert. However, due to scheduling conflicts on Martin's end, Williams took on the role. Williams admitted that he wasn't keen on playing Albert either, feeling he had already done enough drag work in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993).

3. Mike Nichols cast Broadway stars in The Birdcage.

Nichols offered Nathan Lane the role of Albert while Lane was performing in Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor on Broadway. Lane described it as a "dream come true". Nichols also selected a young Calista Flockhart, who had minimal Hollywood experience at the time, after seeing her perform in an Off-Broadway production of The Loop.

4. Hank Azaria joined The Birdcage due to his work in Quiz Show.

Mike Nichols was impressed by Hank Azaria's performance as a TV producer in Quiz Show (1994). As a result, Azaria's role in The Birdcage was expanded from playing Albert's dresser to Agador Spartacus, the couple's Guatemalan maid.

5. Hank Azaria was juggling his role in Heat while also working on The Birdcage.

On his 30th birthday, Azaria worked on Michael Mann's Heat (1995) until 6 a.m., then headed straight to the The Birdcage set. Upon learning it was Azaria's birthday and that he had worked for 18 hours straight, Nichols sent him home to rest.

6. David Alan Grier was initially cast to play the butler.

Azaria shared with The A.V. Club that the idea to expand his role in The Birdcage came from Robin Williams. "In that first scene where I’m helping Nathan Lane get dressed? The character of the maid/houseman was originally supposed to be a separate character, intended to be black, as in the French version. David Alan Grier was reportedly set to play him. While they thought David was brilliant, they felt the idea of a black houseman in an American context might have racial implications. So, since the story was set in Miami, they decided to make the character Latin. I was already playing another character, so I think it was Robin Williams's suggestion: 'Why not just combine the two roles and let Azaria do it?'"

7. Mike Nichols tried to limit the improvisations of Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.

"We had a rule on the film," Nichols explained. "The actors would perform the script as written until I was satisfied, then we’d do a take where they could improvise. With this particular cast, there were obviously some improvised moments that were incredibly funny but didn’t quite fit the story. However, there are numerous moments throughout the film that were improvised and turned out perfect."

8. Agador’s character was partly inspired by Judy Garland’s dresser.

When Azaria struggled to portray a scene where Agador needed to calm Albert down before a performance, Nichols provided some background to assist. "Your character is partly based on Judy Garland’s dresser," Nichols revealed. "Judy would panic before every show, and her dresser would panic with her, often even more than she did, which meant she had to be the one to tell him to calm down. That was their routine."

9. A few weeks into filming The Birdcage, Hank Azaria realized he was channeling his grandmother.

"After about two to three weeks of working on the role, I realized it sounded exactly like my grandmother," Azaria shared with NPR. "Once I realized it, I felt I had found a key part of the character, because my grandmother was so maternal, caring, and loving. By adopting her mindset, I could easily tap into a feminine energy."

10. Robin Williams's slip on the kitchen floor while panicking over the shrimp was unintentional.

Williams’s fall was not planned. "If you watch that little piece of film again, you’ll see me laughing and Robin laughing too," Azaria recalled.

11. Mike Nichols had to relocate his chair to another room because he laughed so hard.

The director laughed so much that he had to move his chair into another room to compose himself. Williams once remarked that Nichols laughed so hard, "they would have to put a blanket over his head."

12. The Birdcage features original music composed by Stephen Sondheim.

Stephen Sondheim mentioned that writing "It Takes All Kinds" was an enjoyable experience. The song was originally intended to play during the opening titles, but when Nichols heard Sister Sledge’s "We Are Family," he decided to change his approach.

13. The success of The Birdcage marked a personal triumph for Mike Nichols.

After presenting the final cut of The Birdcage to his editing team in Martha's Vineyard, they all shared a celebratory meal. “I was incredibly emotional and angry: I couldn’t speak the entire lunch,” Nichols recalled of that moment. “The film was so powerful and good. I realized I hadn’t realized how angry I was at those who had written me off. My immediate reaction was ‘F**k you, bastards. You thought I couldn’t do this anymore. Well, just look at this.’ The Birdcage went on to gross over $185 million worldwide.”

14. Paul Thomas Anderson is a big fan of The Birdcage.

Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) stated in 2009 that there are two films "that, without fail, will always make me stop whatever I’m doing and watch until the very end." One of them is The Shining (1980), and the other is The Birdcage.

This story has been revised for 2021.