Today we’d like to introduce you to Belle Sinclair Pace.
Hi Belle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My brother Farrar Pace first introduced me to acting in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. While attending film school, he had multiple short film assignments for which he needed actors. I willingly volunteered, excited to try something new. After all, this was a time when many of my friends were trying out new hobbies, so I thought, why shouldn’t I give it a shot? I also figured, at the time, that since I was such a big reader and loved characters, that acting would merely be a realized extent of that. If I could sympathize and connect with characters in a lot of the novels/texts I read, why couldn’t I do the same on screen, even if it was just for the purpose of a student film? After I acted in his first short film – a story about a social worker making a spooky house call – we collaborated on a lot more films together. I even had the opportunity to write my own short films and plan shot lists/narratives with my brother. It was very exciting for the first time in my life to bring my love of writing and reading to life in a special way. I also appreciate that my first efforts in acting and writing were full of mistakes and learning opportunities because working with my brother was a low-pressure environment in which I could explore multiple artistic opportunities.
Flash forward to when I moved from Virginia to New York City, I decided to take a leap of faith and take my first acting class. It was an incredible opportunity for me to dive deeper into the Meisner technique of acting and fail with even bigger stakes. I was fortunate to take various classes across different studios in New York, where I could experiment with techniques via scene study, on-camera techniques, and more. Since that leap of faith a few years ago, I’ve been able to cultivate my craft in a deeper way with paid projects that fulfill me. Further, I feel more empowered now to create my own work.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think it can be disheartening when you are auditioning quite a bit and not getting certain roles/parts. I have learned after quite a bit of rejection that rejection is merely redirection – instead of taking rejection personally, I try to assess every audition as an opportunity for me to learn. I had an acting teacher tell my class repeatedly – “Acting is 99% failure”. My teacher was specifically referring to how good acting is satisfying to watch when the character is fighting for something in a scene that they have slim chances of winning – in other words; good acting is high stakes/life-or-death stakes acting – but I also take his quote to mean that acting as a career and a craft is 99% failure. As an actor, you cannot be stiff or rigid in your ways – you have to open yourself on a broad scale to new opportunities and characters, in addition to opening yourself up to new impulses, new techniques, new behaviors in any particular scene at hand. Overall, I’d say I’ve learned how to empower myself and create my own opportunities instead of waiting for the right opportunities to come along. For example, if there is a character I want to portray but have not yet had the opportunity to explore, I will write a script in which I can explore that character as an actress. I will collaborate with my friends to create interesting scenes in which I can further explore that particular character. Sometimes, it’s about setting yourself up for success on your own terms.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am learning about my strengths as an actress and a writer as I go, but I believe my hallmark is vulnerability. In both acting and writing, it can be easy to gloss over the nuance of our emotions, especially if they are difficult to articulate. That was probably a weakness of mine when I was first starting out – I could “indicate” or “tell” emotions in a broad way, but showing their complexity was much more difficult. As I’ve progressed in my work, I strive to articulate emotional nuance in my performances, not in an intellectual way, but in a deeply visceral way. A lot of people talk about needing to understand your “instrument” as an actor – learning how to tune your body, mind, and soul together in a performance – but I think this concept is equally relevant when writing. Emotions are full-bodied and complex, and often, they cannot be intellectualized – vulnerability can be scary and new because it involves your full instrument. So, whether I am acting in a performance or writing a scene that demands openness and vulnerability, I lean into the discomfort of it as much as possible instead of dodging it. The audience (or reader!) can tell when a performance, piece, or writing is authentic, and I’ve found, as an audience member/reader myself, that I respect those performers/writers who can go all in/take the leap with their vulnerability, as it typically strengthens whatever story is at hand. Art is deeply visceral, and learning how to strengthen those parts of yourself as an artist is especially important.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Los Angeles because of how open and sunny it is. When I first came to Los Angeles, I was on a night flight, and I saw a horizon of lights emerging across the dark valley, extending far out to the ocean. I had never seen a landscape like that before – especially coming from New York City, where everything is so condensed and vertical. In Los Angeles, the lights extend for miles, and you’re out in the great wide open. There is something so freeing about that to me. Not to mention, the weather is so nice and rejuvenating. I love walking along Santa Monica and being by the ocean. What do I not like about Los Angeles? Well, obviously, the traffic. I miss the subway in NYC (sometimes). Having good public transportation is so important, and I wish Los Angeles could find a way to improve the city with good public transportation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bellesinclair.com
Image Credits
John Bray
Joe Tobon
Chris Boyle
