Lee Pace Is A National Treasure To The Acting Profession And We Don't Talk Nearly Enough About Him
When was the last time we had a beyond justified, man-wholesomely-appreciating-another-man blog around these parts? Much less any sort of appreciation post of any kind on someone like Lee Pace, who’s not only really, really, really ridiculously good-looking, but a stone-cold, world class actor to boot?
We have zero Lee Pace content in this entire blog’s history, or at least his name isn't featured in a single headline. I’m astounded.
Now that he’s in the news for a GQ profile (tweets featured throughout all from there) and his latest turn on the silver screen, A24’s latest critically-acclaimed darling Bodies Bodies Bodies, I'll use those elements as a momentous vehicle to give this man a proper, overdue salute in this space.
First big takeaway from this GQ situation that should have your interest piqued: Pace built his own damn house. Took a course out in Maine to learn how to do it. Hired some friends. Did it. Talk about being a fucking man — oh well, believe it or not, Pace has something thoughtful, nuanced and forward-thinking to say about masculinity, too, bless the guy!
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Quick aside on homebuilding: My mom’s dad did the same sort of thing and turned that seemingly daunting project into a family affair once he’d plotted it all out. I always thought that was one of the most badass, self-sufficient things you could possibly do in life. Mad respect to Pace on that front.
So anyway, on to the talent crush portion of this post: For starters, Lee Pace has been in not one, but two of the most underrated TV shows you’ve probably never seen. First it was two seasons of 96% Rotten Tomatoes Fresh work on Pushing Daisies — get to it on HBO Max, now! It's so good!! — then it was four seasons of Halt and Catch Fire for AMC (90% on the Tomatometer).
Pace might be working on a third in Apple TV+'s sprawling sci-fi epic Foundation, although it bodes well that a second season was quickly picked up after the initial premiere. By the way, I don’t say "sprawling" and "epic" lightly whatsoever. Those are typical genre buzz words. Foundation earns those, as Isaac Asimov's original works in his novel series inspired Dune, Star Wars and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy among many others. So there's that. Playing the Emperor of the Galaxy is no small task, much less multiple version of said character (not to get too spoiler-y). Pace tackles the acting challenge head-on and is killing it as usual.
Sure, Pace has done franchise films and blockbuster work in The Hobbit trilogy and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but well before making the leap to those tentpoles — and, well, Foundation is more or less the streaming equivalent of that — Lee Pace really established himself as an actor’s actor. Straight outta Juilliard and after only one obligatory teeth-cutting episode of Law & Order as far as professional on-camera gigs, he dived headfirst into his feature debut as Calpernia Addams in Solider’s Girl. The 2003 Showtime film led to a Golden Globe nomination for our guy Lee RIGHT OUT THE GATE. Come on now!
Then a few years later or so, he did a little movie titled The Fall. And by "little" I mean…well I’m being 1,000% facetious. I do not exaggerate when I say this is the most visually stunning film I’ve ever seen. Considering its $30 million budget, it’s all the more impressive of a cinematic achievement. I won’t spoil anything. Or even post the trailer. Pace gives a powerhouse performance, much of it from a hospital bed while improvising many of his lines opposite a hilarious, rather unpredictable child actor. Here's a quick sample of that in this clip, where you can get a sense of how spontaneous everything is:
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The Fall deserves its own standalone blog that maybe I'll post someday. It's directed by Tarsem, co-written by Dan Gilroy (Nightcrawler, anyone?) and "presented by" David Fincher and Spike Jonze. Is that any good? Rent it digitally somewhere, as hard copies are difficult to come by. You will not be disappointed by the visuals at the very least.
Perhaps before or shortly after you do that, go see Bodies Bodies Bodies. It's a great, subversive, twisty cool indie movie and Pace is a scene-stealer in a supporting role with a loaded, youthful ensemble. Pete Davidson is also in it and is good!
I envisioned this at first as building to something more revelatory or profound I suppose. Hmm. Alright well, keep it simple. Lee Pace is lit. He's a boss with a singular, imposing but warm 6-foot-5 presence who's shined on the big and small screens and the Broadway stage, notably in masterworks Angels in America and The Normal Heart. You'll want to see what he's already done, and what he'll do next, because he's just that damn good. The End. And CUT.
Twitter @MattFitz_gerald — would really appreciate a birthday follow!
Oh and I know this is more of what you want…I did slap the fashion tag on this blog after all…
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