Lee Pace, fromPushing Daisies to Miss Pettigrew

CEBU, Philippines - Emmy and Golden Globe Best Actor nominee Lee Pace, best known for his role of Ned in the hit TV series Pushing Daisies, crosses over to the big screen, starring opposite Amy Adams and Frances McDormand in Focus Features’ sophisticated and heartfelt romantic comedy Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.

Based on the novel by Winifred Watson, Miss Pettigrew will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas.

In the 1939-set romantic tale, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (McDormand), a middle-aged London governess, finds herself unfairly dismissed from her job. An attempt to gain new employment catapults her into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse (Adams). Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a heady high-society milieu—and, by the end of the day, discovers her own romantic destiny.

Lee Pace plays Michael, Delysia’s pianist, who envisions a romantic future for them. Pace offers, “I see Michael as something of a bohemian; he is an artist who wears his heart on his sleeve. He truly cares about Delysia and their music. He doesn’t come from money, doesn’t have money, never will have money—and that doesn’t matter to him. Michael has a defined objective; he wants to marry Delysia. He’s ready to commit, and is focused on getting the woman he loves to marry him. So I played him more naturalistically than, say, posed and buttoned-up—although, when you’re in a tuxedo and a very starched shirt and tie like in this movie, you do take yourself more seriously…”

The actor continues, “There aren’t enough films like this today, about people falling in love and making the choices about what they value in life. Also, when I heard Frances McDormand and Amy Adams were starring, I knew I had to do it. I remember watching Amy in Catch Me If You Can and wondering, ‘Who is that? She’s fantastic.’”

Adams, in turn, sees Pace as having “an old-fashioned leading man quality, able to convey vulnerability and tenderness in addition to a sexy masculinity. Having him to act opposite made our scenes easy.”

In the crucial scene where Delysia performs in Nick’s nightclub with Michael, it is Adams’ voice—singing in character as Delysia—that audiences will hear. Pace reveals, “Amy had a ball playing Delysia; she saw the character very clearly and just went for it, all day long!”