Lee Pace and Real Acting

The Disclaimer: Now, I may be getting all critical here about actors and maybe one actor in particular, but that’s not to say that I actually know what I’m talking about. Yes, I’ve been there myself, most un-notably in the fifth grade musical and the college one-act festival. But no, I was not good.

Lee Pace is seriously underrated. Do you know him? He doesn’t usually show up on magazine covers and entertainment news, but he is a talented and versatile actor.

I first saw him in the whimsical and wry TV series Pushing Daisies. I guess that show was underrated, too, because after one magical season, it was cancelled. Anyway, his boy-next-door charm caught my attention and I began to actively “look out for him.”

I next saw him in a film called Infamous, about a murder case that inspired Truman Capote’s book In Cold Blood. I did not immediately recognize him. This, to me, is the sign of a good actor – not knowing it’s the same person from movie to movie.

The last thing I saw with Lee (I hope he doesn’t mind he’s on a first-name basis with me) was Soldier’s Girl. By this time, I knew in advance he was in the film because I chose to watch the film based on his casting. Otherwise, I would have been scratching my head the whole time thinking, gee, that person looks familiar – who is that?

I say person, because Lee plays a beautiful transgendered woman who looks pretty convincingly feminine (especially in the shot that displays her bare chest). Not only is the appearance convincing (good on you, make-up department) but his performance is convincing.

Now, some actors play a leading man, an action hero, a cop and another action hero. Good for them, they’re getting good work. Some actors seem to play themselves, only [fill in adjective here]. Al Pacino, for instance, in Insomnia seems to be playing Al Pacino, only tired.

Of course actors bring at least parts of themselves into a role. It can’t be helped. And that’s why certain actors are cast over others. But to embody another soul, to be truly different in each role and so disappear into that role that you don’t realize who you are watching -- now, that’s acting.