Pace comes out, but privately. | Photo: YouTube/InternetWeek
Actor Lee Pace revealed he’s dated both men and women in the past in a new interview with W Magazine.
Pace is currently appearing in the Broadway revival debut of Angels in America. The show began previews on 23 February, before its premiere on 21 March. Pace is playing the role of Joe Pitt, previously played by Russell Tovey in London.
At 38-years-old, Pace is known for a variety of roles. A favorite is the short-lived cult TV classic Pushing Daisies, created by Bryan Fuller. He earned a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination for the performance. Most recently, he starred as the bisexual lead on AMC’s Halt and Catch Fire.
In the movie realm, he’s more known for franchise work. He played a villain in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, as well as the elf Thranduil in The Hobbit trilogy.
His very first film role was as transgender woman Calperian Addams in Soldier’s Girl. Based on a true story, Pace won the Gotham Award for Breakthrough Performance.
Now he’s taking on another hard-hitting story about gay life in America.
He says there’s reason to do Tony Kushner’s Angels in America again.
‘Those dark politics of Roy Cohn [portrayed as a fictionalized, closeted hypocrite in the play]; here we are with [Cohn’s protégé] Donald Trump as President—that’s the New York that Tony’s writing about in ’85. Gosh, you read the press about Donald Trump then, that was written at the time. It’s the same city that I’m wandering around right now, the same place, but it’s 30 years on now.’
An actor who plays roles
It’s a bit of déjà vu.
The last time Pace was on Broadway, he starred in another revival of a classic gay play — The Normal Heart.
He said he thinks it’s important for gay actors to play gay roles, but didn’t label himself.
‘I’ve dated men. I’ve dated women,’ he opened up, with a qualification. ‘I don’t know why anyone would care. I’m an actor and I play roles. To be honest, I don’t know what to say—I find your question intrusive.’
His focus is more on his role and the world around him.
‘Our understanding of what it means to be gay is just so different — culturally different. It’s just so much further down the road. It’s an interesting thing for me to think about in this moment while working on this play.’
