Theater After graduation, Pace starred in several
off-Broadway plays, including
The Credeaux Canvas and
The Fourth Sister. He also starred in a production of
Craig Lucas's
Small Tragedy, for which he was nominated for a
Lucille Lortel Award as Outstanding Actor. In 2006, Pace starred in the two-character play
Guardians by Peter Morris, which earned Pace his second nomination for a Lortel Award as Outstanding Actor. Pace made his Broadway debut in
Larry Kramer's play
The Normal Heart, portraying Bruce Niles. It opened at the
Golden Theatre on April 27, 2011. The show ran for a total of 96 performances, with July 10 marking its final performance. Pace was cast as composer
Vincenzo Bellini in
Golden Age, which began previews November 15, 2012. The play, written by
Terrence McNally, began its official run at the
Manhattan Theatre Club December 4, 2012. The previews were originally scheduled for November 13, 2012, but two shows were cancelled as a result of
Hurricane Sandy. Pace played the role of Joe Pitt in the Broadway revival of the
National Theatre's production of
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Previews began at the
Neil Simon Theatre on February 23, 2018, and the show opened on March 25, 2018.
Film Pace first gained recognition for his role in the 2003 film ''
Soldier's Girl'', based on real events, in which he played the central role of
Calpernia Addams. Of the role, Pace has said: Pace won a
Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor and was nominated for several other awards, including a
Golden Globe Award, for his work in this film. In 2006, Pace starred in
Tarsem Singh's
The Fall. Upon release,
The Fall was received with mixed reviews among critics and was a box office failure. His next film was
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Pace was also featured in
Possession with
Sarah Michelle Gellar. Pace also played supporting roles in
The White Countess,
Infamous,
When in Rome and
The Good Shepherd. In 2010, Pace appeared as Phil Winslow in the film
Marmaduke. In 2012, Pace starred as Garrett, the nomadic
vampire, in
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. Pace was admittedly aware of the reputation linked to the
Twilight franchise, and revealed that he "went in to this a little like 'You know what you're getting into, just do what you can.' " However, he enjoyed the experience and only had praise for the director
Bill Condon.
Stephenie Meyer, the author of the
Twilight saga, was very satisfied with Pace's performance as Garrett, since he "stood out as someone who really was just so much fun and really looked the part." The movie was met with a mixed reception by critics. However, some critics, such as Betsy Sharkey of the
Los Angeles Times, whose only issue was that he was introduced too late in the series: "Why, oh, why didn't they introduce him sooner?" Meanwhile, Sara Stewart of the
New York Post simply described him as a "standout." On April 30, 2011, it was announced that Pace had been cast as the king of the
Mirkwood Elves,
Thranduil, in
Peter Jackson's film adaptation of
J. R. R. Tolkien's
The Hobbit. The announcement was made by Peter Jackson himself, who revealed on his Facebook page that Pace had been his favorite for the part, ever since he saw his performance in
The Fall. The character had previously been mentioned in Jackson's
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and had previously been portrayed in
The Hobbit, voiced by Oscar-nominated director
Otto Preminger, and in the 1968
BBC Radio series, voiced by the British actor
Leonard Fenton. Pace made three trips to New Zealand, and called it a "fantastic experience." On July 28, 2011, it was announced that Pace had been cast in
Steven Spielberg's
Lincoln, as the one-time New York City mayor
Fernando Wood, an early Confederate supporter. The events in the film take place in 1865, when Fernando Wood served in the
House of Representatives. However, at the time, Wood was 53 years old, which is 20 years senior to Pace's age when he portrayed him. In a Q&A, Spielberg revealed that he decided to offer Pace the part after he saw his performance in
Ceremony. Of the experience of the film, Pace said that "it was a real pinnacle of what I've done as an actor." including
Best Picture, and was nominated for Best Ensemble at the
Screen Actors Guild Award. However, Pace was not included among the ensemble's nomination, and several bloggers were annoyed by this, including Katey Rich of Cinemablend.com and Nathaniel Rogers of The Film Experience. Pace played the villain,
Ronan the Accuser, in the 2014
Marvel Studios film
Guardians of the Galaxy. He reprised the character in
Captain Marvel.
Television Pace played Aaron Tyler in the acclaimed but short-lived 2004 television series
Wonderfalls, which was co-created by
Bryan Fuller. Later, Fuller cast Pace in the lead role of
Ned in the series
Pushing Daisies which debuted on
ABC in October 2007 and returned for its second and final season on October 1, 2008. He received a
Primetime Emmy Award nomination for
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance. Pace has also portrayed a
child molester in the
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit episode "Guilt." In 2010, he was cast in the unsold
HBO pilot
The Miraculous Year directed by
Kathryn Bigelow. From 2014 to 2017, he played the role of Joe MacMillan in the
AMC series
Halt and Catch Fire. In 2018, Pace was cast as Sam Colin in Hong Kong action crime television series
Flying Tiger 2 produced by
Shaw Brothers Studios. In 2019, Apple announced that Pace had joined the cast of its adaptation of
Isaac Asimov's
Foundation, which premiered in September 2021, playing the role of
Brother Day, the Galactic Empire's current Emperor. Pace was the narrator of the
horror podcast entitled
Darkest Night, which was produced by the
Paragon Collective and
AMC's streaming service
Shudder. In 2025, Pace was cast as the voice actor for Grand Regent Thragg in Season 4 of
Invincible, an
Amazon Prime Video animated television series adapted from the
Image Comics comic book written by
Robert Kirkman. ==Personal life==