The first scene Lee Pace shot in “Practical Magic 2” required plenty of prosthetic tattoos — and zero wardrobe.
“I’m lying on this bed, naked,” Pace says with a laugh, “and the two of them come into the room and do some magic.” In the sequel to 1998’s beloved fantasy film, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as two sisters who are witches. They travel to England to seek help from Pace’s professor of magic, who’s under the effects of a curse, immobilized.
This immobilization presented an acting challenge for Pace as a fan of both stars. “I’m laying there with my eyes closed, hearing their voices — their beautiful, distinctive voices.” His voice drips with admiration. “And it was definitely a moment: Wow, this is going to happen.”
Kidman’s and Bullock’s characters marvel at the naked 6-foot-5 Pace, and a rollicking comic set-piece begins, as they use their powers to bring him to life. Pace, who’d been cast over Zoom and arrived on set only days before, was suddenly thrashing about nude with two actresses he’d adored from afar — forcing himself to be in the moment despite it all. His eyes were meant to be closed, but, Pace says, “it was impossible not to peek a little bit.”
Pace is at once wildly prolific — especially lately — and surprisingly unjaded. When he’s discussing “Practical Magic 2,” he seems like a fan as much as an actor. It’s an almost distant memory though: He is meeting up with me in New York in mid-July on a dayslong break between shoots in Prague and New Zealand, having just wrapped Season 4 of Apple TV’s science fiction saga “Foundation,” in which he’s played a succession of powerful, interrelated characters. He’s about to start the next “Lord of the Rings” sequel, 2027’s Andy Serkis-directed “The Hunt for Gollum,” where he’s reprising his role as elf-king Thranduil.
