Backstage West
by Sarah Kuhn
August 30-September 5, 2007
As Ned, the central character in ABC's heavily hyped Pushing Daisies, Lee Pace projects an easy, natural charisma, fusing leading-man grace with character-actor quirk. It's no accident that the role seems tailor-made for him: Creator-executive producer Bryan Fuller wrote the part with the actor in mind. The duo previously worked together on Fox's short-lived Wonderfalls, which featured Pace in a supporting role. "I loved doing Wonderfalls," Pace says. "And this is turning out to be even better."
The actor wasn't even considering television roles when the pilot script came his way. After Wonderfalls was canceled, in 2004, he focused mostly on work in films such as The Good Shepherd and Infamous and theatre productions like the critically acclaimed Guardians, which garnered him a Lucille Lortel Award nomination. He was inspired, however, by Fuller's whimsical story about a mild-mannered pie maker who can bring the dead back to life with a single touch. "I got this good feeling when I read it," Pace recalls. "It's about love, and it's funny. And when I show people the pilot, when it's almost over, they're smiling. There's something about the tone and the subject matter that makes you feel good."
This was Pace's first experience with testing for a TV series role; when he was cast in Wonderfalls, he replaced another actor. And though he's put himself on tape to audition for other pilots over the years, he says he's never truly gone through a pilot season; he only recently relocated from New York to Los Angeles to film Daisies.
Pace was a bit overwhelmed by the testing process -- including the complex contract actors must sign before going in to test -- but, he says, he didn't feel too much pressure during his audition. "Everyone in the room really wants you to get it," he says. "You wouldn't be there unless they really wanted you to get it. They want you to come in and they want you to be yourself and they want you to knock it out of the park. And to a certain degree they want to be led. They don't want to see you try to be George Clooney. They don't want to see you try to be something that you're not. They want to see you do what you do as well as you can do it." He also had a strange feeling that the part was his. "I just knew I was going to get it," he says, chuckling.
Growing up in Texas, Pace initially had a passion for swimming. When constant ear infections forced him to quit, his mother suggested he try drama and debate. "[I said], 'Are you joking? That sounds horrible,' " he recalls, laughing. "But I did it. I'm very competitive. Texas manages to make everything a competition. With debate tournaments, there were these forensic tournaments too, and you get to compete with your acting. I did, and I really liked it. I went through high school doing it and got into Juilliard right out of high school, and it kind of got to the point where it was the only thing I knew how to do. I was 21 and I needed to make a living somehow."
Pace racked up theatre credits in New York after graduation (The Credeaux Canvas, The Fourth Sister), but a notable break came in the form of the critically lauded Showtime movie Soldier's Girl. His performance as transgendered nightclub performer Calpernia Addams won him Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations. "That was an extremely hard shoot and a really difficult part to play," he says. "And I just remember walking out of that one thinking, 'It's not always going to be easy, and that's okay.' "
He's carried that balanced mindset through his career, even in the more difficult times -- such as Wonderfalls' cancellation during its first season. "I just try to see the situation as clearly as I can," he says. "Even with Wonderfalls, there was no one who hated us and wanted our show to fail. I think you can't go wrong if you're clear about what's going on in the situation and you're clear about what you want."
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