‘Practical Magic 2’ Star Lee Pace Finally Jokes About His Incredible Height, and His Answer Is Priceless

Lee Pace has heard plenty of comments about his height over the years, but even he admits that sometimes he forgets just how tall he really is. At 6-foot-5, the actor has a presence that is hard to miss, whether he’s playing a powerful emperor, a fantasy villain, or a character on a Broadway stage.

Now, Pace has finally opened up about the thing fans seem to notice almost immediately. In a new profile with Variety, the actor joked about seeing himself in photos and realizing just how much he stands out. “I don’t even always know it,” Pace told Variety, “but then I see a picture, and I’m like, I’m a monster!”

It’s an easy joke for Pace to make, especially after spending so much of his career playing characters who already have a larger-than-life quality. Fans may know him best as Thranduil from ‘The Hobbit’ movies, but his work has taken him through a huge range of genres. He’s also played Ronan the Accuser in Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ and Brother Day in Apple TV+’s ‘Foundation.’

His height is also about to become part of the fun in ‘Practical Magic 2,’ where Pace stars alongside Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. The upcoming sequel brings the two actresses back as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, nearly three decades after the original movie became a cult favorite.

Pace plays a professor of magic who has been trapped under a curse. When the Owens sisters arrive in England looking for help, they eventually use magic to bring his character back. That leads to one particularly unusual scene, and Pace had no problem talking about it during his conversation with Variety.

“I’m lying on this bed, naked,” Pace explained, describing his first scene in the movie. The character is unable to move during the sequence, meaning Pace had to stay completely still while Bullock and Kidman performed around him. He said he had to keep his eyes closed and simply listen to their voices while the scene played out.

This isn’t exactly Pace’s first experience with filming or performing without clothes. He previously appeared nude during a fight scene in the second season of ‘Foundation.’ He also had to perform nude during his Broadway run in ‘Angels in America,’ where he played Joe Pitt eight times a week in front of a live audience.

Still, there’s more to Pace’s screen presence than his height. His longtime friend and fellow actor Colman Domingo also spoke with Variety about what makes Pace so memorable. Domingo pointed to Pace’s voice and the unusual effect it can have, describing it as sensual, disarming, and even frightening.

That mix of physical presence and a distinctive voice has helped Pace move comfortably between very different types of projects. His career includes major fantasy franchises, superhero movies, television dramas, theater, and more. He also has several big projects ahead, including a role in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.’

Pace’s career has also continued to grow outside the biggest Hollywood franchises. ‘Foundation’ remains one of his major projects, with the third season arriving earlier this year. His performance as Brother Day has given him another chance to play a character who needs to command attention, which is something Pace has become very good at doing.

Away from his work, Pace has generally kept his personal life private. He married his husband, Matthew Foley, in 2022, and has spoken openly about his experiences as a member of the queer community.

For now, though, fans will probably keep talking about the same thing they’ve noticed for years. Pace may be used to being the tallest person in the room, but his reaction to seeing himself in a photo shows that even he can still be surprised by just how massive he looks next to everyone else.

And honestly, that self-awareness may be part of why the joke works so well. Pace isn’t taking the attention too seriously. He’s simply having fun with one of the most obvious things about him.

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