Actor Lee Pace Speaks about being Queer

Out actor Lee Pace recently sat down with Me 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.”

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.

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.”