Out actor Lee Pace recently sat down with Marc Malkin to discuss his new film, Driven, which will be available on demand August 16.
Asked by Malkin about his queer identity and playing queer roles, Pace says he’s never felt uncomfortable about it, despite reports to the contrary.
“I’ve always felt very safe, you know?” he explains. “I was in the drama department in high school. I went to Julliard. I’ve been playing queer characters. My first movie I played a trans character.”
Related: Actor Lee Pace reflects on that whole coming out fiasco, makes big reveal about his dating life
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
The 40-year-old, who played a closeted gay Mormon man in last year’s Broadway revival of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, continues: “I’ve never felt the danger of that, you know? So, to walk in the shoes of someone who that danger is so real that he can’t utter it, it taught me something about myself and about my community… We’re not all so lucky to get the free pass in life.”
Pace made headlines in 2018 when he begrudgingly came out during an interview with W magazine, saying: “I’ve dated men [and] I’ve dated women. 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.”
Afterwards, Pace explained that he is a very private person and that the question caught him off guard, but that he’s never tried hiding who he is.
“As a member of the queer community, I understand the importance of living openly, being counted, and happily owning who I am. That’s how I’ve always lived my life,” he explained.
Related: Do-Over: Lee Pace comes out (again), says he “happily owns” his sexuality
Speaking to Malkin, Pace says it’s important for members of the LGBTQ community to be kinder to one another.
“As a community, we can be very unkind to each other,” he says. “It’s very judgmental to kind of look at someone and [think] you oughta do it like this… there’s a more gentle way to be.”
Scroll down for pics from Pace’s Instagram page…
Cam
So he stayed closeted and only grudgingly came out when there was a bit of backlash, and then says ““As a community, we can be very unkind to each other,” he says. “It’s very judgmental to kind of look at someone and [think] you oughta do it like this… there’s a more gentle way to be.”””
Really? Just like when Sean Hayes came out. They have nothing to say about the bigots who kept them in the closet for decades, but still resent the community.
Donston
As long as they’re still getting work in the industry they’re not gonna really call anyone out. In fact, some will go out of their way to defend the industry and hyper focus on “playing nice”. It’s not til the roles start drying up and they’re on the brink of irrelevance that they’ll start talking about how homophobic the industry is, how much internalized homophobia there is, how much pressure there is to stay closeted and/or stay away from the word “gay”, how much privilege individuals who only or mostly date their opposite gender have. For most industry people continuing to get employment and making sure they don’t burn bridges is far more important to them than being free, being themselves and not indulging manipulation. That willingness to frankly give up some of your integrity is partly why they’re in Hollywood in the first place and often times connected to having some level of success.
Ultimately, no one owes anyone anything. If someone wants to keep their dating life, their preferences, their romantic ambitions, their identities (if they embrace any identities), where they are on the general spectrum, etc. from the public that’s their right. And I get industry pressures, as well as the difficulties of self-understanding, self-comfort, finding partnership and not wanting the public to pick apart every part of your life. But he is indulging some revisionist history and some manipulative language. He was publicly closeted throughout most of his Hollywood career. He refuses to own that. Playing a trans person and a couple of faags doesn’t mean you were semi-out. Nor does it mean that you’ve always been self-comfortable. Plenty of actors who present themselves as “straight” play “queers”. And plenty of actors who play “queers” later go on to say problematic/homophobic language. It’s the same thing as claiming that indulging homosexual behaviors means that you’re not homophobic or don’t contend with internalized homophobia, gay shame or self-misandry, etc. One does not factor into the other.
He’s trying really hard to “play the game” at this point and construct just the right image. But he’s coming off rather phony and forced and is saying some roundabout and problematic stuff.
Donston
(Yes, I know this is one of those articles where I’m going on a bit of tangent).
Stuff like this highlights why forcing people out or trying to force people to embrace certain identities is rarely helpful. You often end up with individuals who are trying to exude social/political pressured “pride” but are still coming off evasive, defensive, calculated, manipulative, insecure and resentful.
Talking about being lucky to always feel safe and talking about how he understands the importance of being “counted” both seem planned and insincere. The first one is a direct response to folks who claim that public figures staying closeted hurts people who deal with being bullied or abandoned or fear for their safety. The second one is a response to the folks who claim that “representation” is so important. Everything he’s presenting comes off reactionary, calculated, political and inorganic. That’s primarily why it feels so awkward and he’s being a bit problematic. Everything he’s saying lacks in emotion or original thought or insight or humor. He’s coming off like a politician. He’s been forced to play this role and isn’t really pulling it off.
Rex Huskey
who? do you queens ever read a book?
Donston
He’s more relevant than most folks this site routinely talks about.
Cam
What a shock, the account that routinely defends anti-LGBTQ bigots comes on to attack “Queens”.
Your consistency is admirable Precious.
Loki
Ugh. “Queer.” Someone’s still covering, still hedging.
Donston
He said that he embraces “queer” because it means he can seen as anything. I mean, I don’t need folks to embrace a “gay” or “bi” identity. I don’t need anyone to embrace any identity. In fact, I’m all about de-emphasizing the weight we give identity. And I understand fluidity, individual sense of self, the overall romantic, sexual, emotional, relationship, gender spectrum, and general internal and external struggles. But flat-out admitting that you embrace an identity mainly because of its ambiguity, while indirectly admitting that you embrace that identity because it’s an arm’s length from “gay” doesn’t equate to anyone’s version of “pride”. If you choose to embrace identity it shouldn’t be driven by wanting to be an enigma or wanting to detach yourself from other things. If that’s what is driving you then you should avoid identities altogether. He would have been better off coming out while not embracing an identity at all rather than giving that type of sociological and political driven explanation.
He just continues to seem hella awkward and resentful. I would rather he admit that he doesn’t really like being publicly out and admit that he doesn’t like that people know he’s at least mostly into dudes and has male relationship ambitions. I mean, the dude is scared to even admit that he’s been in a relationship with a guy for over a year, referring to his partner as no gender at all. Admitting his unease or that he’s still struggling with some things in his life would make him more palatable and sympathetic. I don’t have any resentment towards him. Let the dude live. But he’s coming off as someone trying to force “pride”, as someone trying to please everyone, and as someone trying to perfectly construct a public image. And it’s just uncomfortable to observe. I partially blame the press and social media, but he’s definitely mishandling things.
jaack
Nice basket.
jaack
I want to see GAY men play in GAY roles in the movies and plays. Now we have one more that should be in the gay actors’ role, not a straight man trying to “act” gay. It is about time!
Jerry
I loved him in Pushing Daisies, I have to admit I didn’t know who he was at first.