When Lee Pace does a cover story, we all win.
With a new profile in GQ Hype—the men’s magazine’s culture-focused digital weekly—Pace has gifted the internet with a fresh photoshoot that gives us permission to fawn over him once again (not that we needed an excuse).
The spread features the rugged actor in casual-cool chic, galavanting across his au naturel property in upstate New York where, yes, the man really did build his home from the ground up. Sheesh!
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Beyond the photos, the piece is an edifying peek into the mind of Lee Pace, one of our most beloved yet enigmatic stars. He touches on everything from that home he’s been building from scratch for the past decade, to his #CoupleGoals marriage to Thom Browne executive Matthew Foley, to his latest role in the horror-comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies.
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But perhaps most fascinating is Pace’s reflection on his first feature film role, Soldier’s Girl, in which he played the transgender woman, Calpernia Addams.
A true story, Soldier’s Girl (directed by Dog Day Afternoon writer Frank Pierson) is about the relationship between Army Private Barry Winchell (Jane Fonda’s son, Troy Garity) and Addams, a dancer he meets at a nightclub while stationed outside Nashville. When word spreads among his fellow servicemen that Winchell is dating a trans woman, they resort to taunting, teasing, and much, much worse.
Of course, almost two decades later, the matter of Pace’s casting would be highly contested today. And while the actor politely declines the opportunity to discuss “the ongoing debate on actors and identities” with GQ, he does agree that the part would almost certainly go to a trans woman these days.
“Well, we did [have that discussion,]” Pace elaborates. “Some of the actresses that I worked with were trans. And Calpernia was there the whole time helping me with her story and her truth. She was extremely collaborative with us, the entire shoot. They probably would. I don’t know.”
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Clearly wanting to be sensitive around the topic, Pace was able to provide more insight into what the role meant to him at the time (it earned him a Golden Globe nomination), and how it has stuck with him over the years:
“I was so convinced that I was like, ‘There, I’ve done it. That character is so far from myself. I completely transformed.’ But when I watched and I watched it back, I didn’t see someone who was different from myself. I just saw me and who I was then. Speaking with another character’s voice and stuff, but I saw more, much more of myself than I would’ve, than I expected to.”
As the piece insinuates, Soldier’s Girl allowed Pace to get in touch with a different side of himself, something he’s really only been able to see in retrospect. And perhaps that’s why the actor’s become this emblem of—as the writer puts it—an “unselfconscious masculinity.”
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Pace is a man who projects an easy confidence in who he is, one who typifies a kind of manliness that’s not so… toxic.
“It’s a loud force in our world,” Pace says of masculinity. “And I think that makes it very hypnotic. But I also think that it’s a very multifaceted thing. There’s lots of different ways to look at what that is. It’s not always the toxic thing that we have come to stamp it as.”
Soldier’s Girl is available to stream for Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and Tubi subscribers.
Donston
As much as Lee Pace likes to hype up the amount of queer roles he’s played, it’s apparent that he’s dealt with degrees of toxic masculinity, queer insecurities, gay shame, feeling pressures to maintain hetero appeal while being in the industry. Hopefully, now that he’s been unabashedly out for several years and is married he has grown from that.
Rambeaux
So, there are no Trans actors that could have played the role?
Donston
It was almost two decade ago. Times have changed.
dbmcvey
The tiniest bit of research would be welcome.
Steve9999
GQ Hype Cover? WORST. PHOTO. EVER. of this ridiculously handsome man.
bachy
Agreed! wtf…?? The GQ male aesthetic has become very slimy and unflattering.
barryaksarben
I LOVED Soldiers Girl. Incredible acting. horrifying story of toxic masculinity. And Troy was as good struggling with his attraction and then going full in. Wonderful no punches spared movie
monty clift
People over the age of 25 really have no business wearing see-through clothing. Sorry, Lee.
DarkZephyr
Do you realize how creepy that makes you sound?
monty clift
@DarkZephyr, An old person wearing clothing designed for and worn by young people is always going to look bizarre. F*ck off with your attempt to spin it into some homophobic “groomer” accusation.
Ronbo
DarkZephyr is the king of creepy. Perhaps the lady douth protest too much.
If you still have mesh clothing from your appearance in 1970’s porn, congratulations! If you wear it, sad.
LumpyPillows
I think he is fabulous. The photos looked amateurish.
The best actor for the part should get the role. These litmus tests for actors are nonsensical. Woke craziness that needs to stop.
BLAKENOW
agreed whole heartedly.
dbmcvey
So you’re calling for the return of blackface?
LumpyPillows
That’s really reaching…can’t get much dumber, db. Seriously, you must have taken a class in how to be so confused and smug all at once. But, yes, if the role was about a person who mimicked black people to be racist, yes, that person would be white and wear dark makeup. There’s your dumb answer to a ridiculous question.
Cam
@LumpyPillows @BLAKENOW
Sweetie, if you’re going to have another one of your screenames come in and back up your statement, try not to make it a screename we already recognize as one of your group of troll names.
As always, your trolling is sad and weak.
Ronbo
Cam Really? Is everyone in your life someone else? Projecting YOUR behavior at everyone who isn’t as queer as you is the actual problem.
Most people know that every group has variety, what exactly is taking you so very long to understand that you don’t speak for all of us – only yourself.
Reign in that ego and stop posting under multiple names yourself. The important part is to reign in that ego. Who here is so stupid that they set their opinion based upon what commenters on Queerty say? Turning this place into your echo-chamber of hate and enemies lists is repugnant.
Get therapy for that oversized ego.
Tallskin
He looks as absurd dressed as a woman as most Autogyniphilic men, so the filmmakers got that right.
They also got totally right the fact that most of the heterosexual men who get taken over by their giant w@nk fantasy of themselves as women, that is the definition of Autogynephilia, are often ex-military and/or sportsmen, eg Bruce Jenner, and are great lurching 6 foot tall men.
Cam
Aaaaaand, this screename is here, it’s cute how you have some post milder comments and then have this one come in for the really transphobic content and think it won’t be obvious.
Sad + Weak = Your trolling.
Ronbo
Cam. You need to understand that your M.O. is trolling everyone here who has an opinion other than yours. Please stop – it just shows that you can’t be logical and you must strike-out at everyone who is different. Please stop with the childish attacks and try to help people understand your perspective.
Hate is not our family values.
Cam
Pace was always one of those “I don’t talk about anything personal because it’s better for the audience not to know…..etc…
Now that he is out of the closet he seems much more comfortable with himself.