By Christina Radish
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Lee Pace at ABC's sneak preview party for "Pushing Daisies" held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, Calif. on August 16, 2007.
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Growing up, Ned (Lee Pace) learned that he had a gift that could bring people back to life with just one touch. He discovered the hard way that, if he touches them again, they go back to being dead, permanently. And, if he lets them continue to live, someone else will die to replace them.
Now an adult, Ned puts his talent to good use by touching dead fruit and making it ripe with everlasting flavor, which comes in handy for the pies that he bakes for his pie shop, the Pie Hole. However, such a gift leaves him wary of becoming close to anyone, as beautiful waitress Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth) finds out. And, his life as a pie maker gets even more complicated when private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) finds out about Ned's secret. Emerson quickly convinces the cash-strapped Ned to help him solve murder cases, and collect the hefty reward fees, by raising the dead and getting them to name their killers.
Then, Ned is handed the case that changes his life forever. His childhood sweetheart, Charlotte “Chuck” Charles (Anna Friel), is murdered on a cruise ship, under strange circumstances. Her death brings him back to his hometown of Coeur d' Coeurs to bring Chuck back to life, albeit briefly, and solve the crime. But, once reunited with Chuck, Ned can’t bring himself to send her back. He helps her escape, after her grieving aunts (Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene) think they’ve buried her forever.
While Ned is overjoyed to be reunited with Chuck, the only girl he’s ever loved, Chuck becomes the third partner in Ned and Emerson’s PI enterprise, encouraging them to use their skills for good, not just for profit. Life would be perfect, except for one cruel twist -- if he ever touches her again, she’ll go back to being dead, this time for good.
Pushing Daisies star Lee Pace talks to MediaBlvd Magazine about quirky new ABC Series.
MediaBlvd Magazine> What drew you to the part? Did Bryan Fuller create this with you in mind?
Lee Pace> He did. At least, that’s what I heard. I wasn’t looking to do a television show this year, but I know Bryan from Wonderfalls, and I heard he was doing a show, so I asked my manager for a copy of it. I read it and thought, “Wow, this is really good and I think I’d really like to play that part. I think it’s a really great part.” So, I called Bryan and said, “Congratulations! It’s really good. You’re going to find someone great for it. Good luck! It’s going to be a huge hit.” And, he said, “Actually, I wrote it with you in mind,” so I said, “Wow, I guess I should read it again.” So, I read it a second time and I thought about the idea of being on a television show, and all the stuff that that brings, and I thought, “I really want to do this.” And, I found out that Barry Sonnenfeld was directing. I think that the pilot is great, but it’s going to get better and better. It’s all about the writing and the story that Bryan puts together. The episodes that I’ve read, so far, are just so imaginative. One of the things that really drew me to the pilot, to begin with, was not only the character of Ned, but his relationship with Chuck. I feel like there’s just a lot to that. And, I like the idea of playing that arc. I think there’s a real psychology there. There’s a lot to mine out of someone who is learning about life and death, in a profound way. Being able to dive into a new world, every eight days, and work with new guest stars, is going to be really fun. And, it’s funny. I’ve done movies, when you’re playing something dramatic or deep, and you go home and you feel like shit. You feel really bad, and you’re doing that all day. But, the thing about playing Ned is that I feel good. You feel good watching the show, too. It makes you feel good about yourself.
MediaBlvd> Were you looking to do a series, or were you asked to do this?
Lee> Actually, I wasn’t looking for a series. But, it was better than a lot of movies I’ve read, over the past couple of years. I love the idea of developing a character this rich over, potentially, a few years. And, I really love TV. I think some movie actors treat it as the last chance and last stop, but I think it’s really interesting. I’m excited about working every day. I think it’s really cool that millions of people can watch a show, every week, and get invested in the work you are doing. I think it’s message is really good and strong, so I feel good about being a part of that.
MediaBlvd> What are the challenges in playing a character that has comedic overtones, but still deals with the larger issues of life and death, in such a profound way?
Lee> A lot of it is just basic acting work, doing those moment-to-moment scenes, where you see what’s funny. I don’t think Ned thinks he’s funny. It’s not like I’m playing a joke and winking. It’s just playing the reality of it, and playing the reality of those moments of pathos and of discovering love for the first time. I try to let that be as real and true as possible. The reality of being able to touch something and bring it back to life can’t be taken lightly. I really just don’t want it to look like a Saturday Night Live sketch that we repeat, again and again. I don’t think Bryan wants that, and I don’t think anyone wants it to have that cheap feel. My job is to really ask those questions. What moral obligations do you carry with having this condition? You have an appreciation for life when you’re able to give it. And, when you have the power to take it away, you have a real appreciation for how good it is. That’s one of the things that Chuck really brings to Ned’s life. She helps him feel like life is good. Life is not just about sitting around, making pies. It can be really good and really fun, and you can feel really good. You’ve got to because you only have one life and you have to treat it right.
MediaBlvd> How does it feel to get such critical acclaim, right off the bat?
Lee > It’s so cool to hear, but it’s so funny because you get this feeling of, “God, I hope I don’t fuck it up!” Now, we’ve got to keep up the quality. I can’t think about the fact that it’s people’s favorite pilot. I just have to think about doing my job, showing up and connecting to it. It’s fantastic that people like the show and I’m really grateful that people like it, so far. But, I hope they like it as much, when they tune in, each week.
MediaBlvd> What is working with director/producer Barry Sonenfeld like?
Lee> With someone like Barry, you trust his taste. He’s got great taste. And, Bryan Fuller has got great taste. So, if you just follow the train that they’re on, you give good stuff that you didn’t know you had.
MediaBlvd> When you were a kid, what kind of fantasy films or books did you enjoy?
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Co-stars Anna Friel and Lee Pace at ABC's sneak preview party for "Pushing Daisies" held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, Calif. on August 16, 2007.
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Lee> I read comic books, when I was a kid, and watched cartoons like crazy. I was a really weird kid, so I liked anything weird.
MediaBlvd> Where are you from?
Lee> Texas, originally, but I grew up in the Middle East. I was over there for five years, when I was very little. I don’t remember much about it. My dad worked for an oil company
MediaBlvd> How did you get into acting?
Lee> I got to a point where it was the only thing I knew how to do. When I was in high school, I auditioned for Juilliard and got in. I had a couple of monologues, and a meeting with them. I don’t know how they picked me. They said, “Now, you have to go back to high school and get your diploma.
MediaBlvd> What shows do you like on TV?
Lee> I loved Rome. I really liked that show a lot. I spent last summer in London, where I was shooting this movie, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, a Focus Features film, so I haven’t watched much TV lately. It’s got Francis McDormand, Amy Adams and me. It’s a ‘30’s comedy set in London, and I play a piano player to Amy Adams’ nightclub singer. I sing a little bit in that. I’m trying to keep the singing thing quiet because I’m terrified that Barry will hear me talking about it.
MediaBlvd> Which of your films do you like the best?
Lee> I really loved The Good Shephard. It was a terrific experience to work with Robert DeNiro, Matt Damon, and that incredible cast. And, I did Addicted with Sarah Michelle Gellar. It’s a psychological thriller. I’m her love interest, and we can touch in that one! It was fun to shoot.
MediaBlvd> Away from work, what are your hobbies and passions?
Lee> I ride my bike a lot. I just moved from New York, and I miss New York, but I’m loving L.A. I knew how to drive because I’m from Texas. I think it’s easy to have a good, healthy lifestyle out here. I read a lot of novels. I would ride my bike all over New York, which I kind of miss, but I’m really close to the studio and I might be able to ride my bike to work. Although, there’s a huge hill, so I figure I might break my neck. I’m excited about having a real, grown-up life here, with a good job to go to, every day, because auditioning sucks. It’s no fun.
MediaBlvd> Can you bake as well as Ned can?
Lee> I had to learn how to bake for this because I can’t really. It’s much trickier than you would think. It’s hard.
MediaBlvd> Do you like pies?
Lee> I do. What’s not to like?
MediaBlvd> What’s your favorite pie?
Lee> Bryan’s been getting us pies from this great place in L.A. The pies are really thick. I like cherry or berry pie.
MediaBlvd> What’s it like, to be surrounded by all those pies on the set?
Lee> Well a lot of them are plastic. I’m not too tempted by those.
MediaBlvd> Were you reminded of Tim Burton films when you saw the look of the pilot?
Lee> I know Bryan well enough to know where it came from in his mind -- the morbid aspects of it, as well as the sweeter parts of it. It’s a hard thing to describe. People ask, “What’s your show about?,” and it doesn’t do it justice, if you try to give a log line about it. I always say that it’s a mix between Edward Scissorhands and Amelie. It’s got that feel. It’s whimsical, but there’s a pathos to it.
MediaBlvd> Are you looking forward to working with some of the phenomenal actors on the show?
Lee> Oh, yeah. Me and Anna have become really friendly, so we’ve hung out quite a bit. We’ve hung out in London a lot. You get to be friends with the people you work with. It’s like an office. It’s a good group. It’s not a bunch of first-timers. It’s people who’ve been working and acting for quite a while, so there’s none of that funny business.
MediaBlvd> What are you hoping they’ll let your character do on the show?
Lee> I’m really excited about the procedural elements to the show, even though it wasn’t the thing that initially attracted me to it. I thought the love story would be really fun. But, with the minds that work on this show, I think that procedural element is going to be really awesome. The episodes that I’ve read so far, every one takes you into this really cool, bizarre, splashy world. They are all totally different and exciting. There’s a neat adventure to it. The first episode is about Ned getting excited about the adventure, getting out of The Pie Hole, and breaking free and starting to live his life.
MediaBlvd> Will viewers see any more of little Ned, going back to his childhood?
Lee> Every episode is going to begin with little Ned, and that kid is great. He really looks like me. I actually think he makes my performance better. I looked horrible. I had big ears and funny teeth. I looked like a little monkey. There is this picture of me in swim team that’s just bad. I got swimmer’s ear. I don’t have big ears anymore, but I looked like a monkey, with my hair always sticking up.
MediaBlvd> Do you think that Ned’s gift is a blessing or a curse?
Lee> I think it is what it is. With bringing Chuck back to life, you can say that it’s a blessing that he got her back, but he also killed someone. We’ll see him deal with the fact that he’s killed two people, and he’ll be killing more. That’s not a cheap thing. And, I think it takes a huge toll on him that he’s killed his mother. She died, and then he brought her back, and then he was responsible for her death again.
MediaBlvd> What do you think you would do, if you had the power to bring people back to life, like your character does?
Lee> Thinking about that is something I’m really grateful for. I wouldn’t really have a reason to think about life and death, in the way that, at 28-years-old. I think that Ned has got a huge appreciation for the value of life, and how good it can be. There’s a consequence, every time Ned touches someone and brings them back to life, but there are also real benefits to giving someone a chance to be alive again.
MediaBlvd> Who would you touch and bring back to life, if you could?
Lee> My grandmother because I loved her very much.
