History Trivia / TheBirdcage

* DawsonCasting: Two [[WTHCastingAgency rather baffling]] examples — so much so that we are constantly reminded that Barbara is “only 18”, as if to reinforce the contrivance.

** Before he had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, Creator/SteveMartin was set to play Armand, with Creator/RobinWilliams as Albert. This is also partly due to Williams ''asking'' to play Armand instead, as he felt the StraightGay character would provide more of a challenge.

** Before he had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, Creator/SteveMartin was set to play Armand, with Creator/RobinWilliams as Albert. This is also partly due to Williams ''asking'' to play Armand instead, as he felt the more straight (so to speak) character would provide more of a challenge.

* UnderageCasting: Armand is at least 50 even though Robin Williams turned 45 in 1996.

** Creator/HankAzaria originally only read for a small role, as Creator/DavidAlanGrier was sought to play Armand and Albert's housekeeper. The filmmakers later felt that white employers of a black domestic wouldn't sit too well with 90's audiences. So the character was changed to Hispanic (which, despite still being stereotypical, is generally considered less controversial) and Azaria was upgraded to play Agador after some hilarious table reads.

** Creator/HankAzaria originally only read for a small role, as Creator/DavidAlanGrier was sought to play Armand and Albert's housekeeper. The filmmakers later felt that [[UnfortunateImplications white employers of a black domestic wouldn't sit too well with 90's audiences]]. So the character was changed to Hispanic (which, despite still being stereotypical, is generally considered less controversial) and Azaria was upgraded to play Agador after some hilarious table reads.

* ImageSource:
** CampGay

* QueerCharacterQueerActor: While Creator/NathanLane, like his character in the film, is openly gay, he hadn't come out at the time of the film's release.

** Creator/JimCarrey was considered for Armand.

** Creator/HankAzaria originally only read for a small role, as Creator/DavidAlanGrier was sought to play Armand and Albert's housekeeper. The filmmakers later felt that [[UnfortunateImplications white employers of a black domestic]] [[SocietyMarchesOn wouldn't sit too well with 90's audiences]]. So the character was changed to Hispanic (which, despite still being stereotypical, is generally considered less controversial) and Azaria was upgraded to play Agador after some hilarious table reads.

* StarMakingRole: Prior to this movie, Creator/NathanLane's only other recognizable movie role was as [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 the voice of Timon]] while the rest of his career was (and, for the most part, still is) relegated to Broadway[[note]]When relating a confrontation with the notorious Harvey Weinstein, he joked that Weinstein couldn't threaten to end his movie career because he already barely had one to speak of[[/note]]. He earned a modest live-action film career after this movie allowed audiences to match the voice to his face. A year later, he'd star in ''Film/MouseHunt''.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The film was made in 1996, when same-gender couples couldn't legally marry in the United States and the Keeleys' conservative attitude was reasonable. Keeley’s concern about his career now comes off as quite overblown after several conservative politicians have carried on just fine after being revealed to have a gay relative.

* CastTheExpert: The rabbi co-officiating Val and Barbara’s wedding is a real rabbi.