Popular talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is known for her intimate sit-down chats, such as her bombshell interview with Harry and Meghan.
But even longtime hosts like Oprah sometimes get it wrong, as Nathan Lane recently pointed out when he told NBC Sunday Today that the late actor Robin Williams was “a saint” after he “dive in” and saved him during an Oprah interview in 1996 when he wasn’t ready to publicly come out as gay.
Lane, 67, came out publicly three years later in 1999, but during the press tour for his movie The Birdcage — in which he starred alongside Williams — he just wasn’t ready to tell the world when Oprah asked him if he it was. worried about being typecast for playing a drag queen in the movie.
‘I do not think so [Oprah] tried to outsmart me,’ Lane said. “But I said to Robin beforehand, ‘You know, I’m just not prepared. I’m so scared to go out and talk to Oprah.
“I am not willing to discuss on national television that I am gay. I am not done.’
During the 1996 interview, Oprah asked a nervous-looking Lane, “Were you afraid of taking that part and being typecasting people first and foremost?” Are you, aren’t you? Is he, honey? Don’t know’
Before Lane had a chance to reply, Williams dove in and said, “Um girl, you just changed in the middle of that sentence…”
‘ And he said, ‘It’s okay, don’t worry about it. We don’t have to talk about it, we won’t talk about it.’
MailOnline looks at other times Oprah Winfrey got it wrong during her career as she grilled some of showbiz’s biggest stars.
Dolly Partons
In 2003, Dolly Parton sat down with Oprah for a personal interview about plastic surgery, mental health, and her latest album.
During the interview, Oprah asked her, “How do you defy age, Dolly?” What are you doing?’
Dolly said, “Oh, I don’t know, I’m a cartoon, so I always look the same!”
Instead of continuing, Oprah asked again while looking straight into the camera, “But you’ve been open about getting some work done.” Some tucking and tugging and sucking?’
Dolly laughed off the lingering questions and said, “Yes, I have those, and I’ll have a few more if I need them!” I have a funny thing that I told the girls, all the girls who sing on the tribute album, a lot of them are very young.
“I was already doing plastic surgery when they still slept on plastic sheets!”
Drew Brees
In 2010, Oprah interviewed NFL quarterback Drew Brees and made the fauxpas within just a minute of appearing on the show.
After Oprah said, “Wow, wow, wow, wow, woooooo!” she tried to pull something off Brees’s left cheek, which Oprah assumed was a smear of lipstick when she asked, “Who just kissed you?”
This smudge of lipstick is actually Bree’s birthmark. He laughed off the awkward moment at the time, but revealed that in an interview with CNN two years later that others made fun of him for his birthmark when he was a child.
In his book Coming Back Stronger, the former NFL star has since revealed that while he used to be ashamed of his birthmark, now he wouldn’t get it removed because it sets him apart from everyone else.
“It’s just part of who I am. I wouldn’t think about chopping off my arm. nor would I cut off my mole,” he wrote.
In 2010, Oprah interviewed NFL quarterback Drew Brees and made the fauxpas within just a minute of appearing on the show
Barbara Streisand
In 2003, Barbara Streisand appeared again on The Oprah Winfrey Show wearing a white turtleneck and her white dog Sammie across the studio.
After a musical performance where Streisand used a white microphone, Oprah called her out for matching even the microphone with her outfit and dog by saying, “I just want to say this… I own this studio, I’ve been here I don’t know how many years. I’ve never seen a white microphone before.’
Streisand replied to Oprah, “It’s actually off-white, to match my off-white sweater.” I like simplicity and monochrome frames.’
“So you got the mic sprayed?” Oprah asked again in an encounter that comedian Kathy Griffin said she spent weeks eating at Oprah’s in her book Official Book Club Selection.
Barbara Streisand appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show wearing a white turtleneck and carrying her white dog Sammie around the studio
Elizabeth Taylor
In 1998, Oprah interviewed Elizabeth Taylor in an interview that the host herself described as “still painful to watch… for many reasons — including my bad hair,” according to Oprah. com.
One of the conditions of the interview was that Oprah Taylor was not allowed to ask questions about her relationships – but the talk show host asked anyway.
This caused Taylor to respond with “none of your business” or “hyacinth death stare,” according to The New Yorkers.
Oprah’s website also reveals, ‘Liz’ comments were so terse that Oprah couldn’t help but tease, “You’re so revealing – you just tell everything! I declare that you must stop talking so much, Ms. Taylor!” ‘
Despite this misstep, Taylor made several appearances on Oprah’s talk show after the awkward relationship investigation.
In 1998, Oprah interviewed Elizabeth Taylor in an interview that the host herself described as “still painful to watch… for many reasons — including my bad hair.”
Sally field
On Rob Lowe’s podcast Literal!Oprah revealed that she also regretted asking Sally Field about her relationship with Burt Reynolds, whom Field dated for five years in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
Oprah asked her, “Does Burt sleep with his toupee on?”, a question viewers wanted to ask her.
In retrospect, she called it a big mistake, saying that Field “went cold to her” after asking that question and “quit” for the rest of the interview.
On the podcast, Oprah said that in retrospect, she thinks asking the question wasn’t right and can understand why Field left her cold.
“I deserved it, I deserved it, I deserved it, because that’s such an inappropriate question,” Oprah said.
Oprah asked Sally Field, “Does Burt sleep with his toupee on?”, a question viewers wanted to ask her.