Today’s post is one of those that started in the “drafts” folder with exclamation marks and attempts at sentences and not much else. But this wasn’t writers block, kittens. Oh, no. Blame for the lack of my usual loquaciousness belongs squarely at the feet of the subject of today’s post, one of the few gentlemen in my life who can make me get all, like, non-verbal and stuff.
Everyone, say hello to Lee Grinner Pace.
If you’d rather skip reading the rest of this post and stare at those mesmerizing eye-crinkles instead, I understand.
Lee and I were destined to be together – here at The Blog of Funny Names, I mean – since the momentous occasion of his birth in the town of Chickasha, Oklahoma. A fellow drama geek, Lee temporarily dropped out of high school to join a theatre company, but returned to complete his degree and get accepted to the acting department of a little institution called The Julliard School. As if my little theatre-loving soul wasn’t his already, Lee cemented his status as one of the most important men in my life – here at The Blog of Funny Names, I mean – by earning nominations for not one, but two, Lucille Lortel Awards for his work off-Broadway.
Lee’s film work is as varied as my taste in men, and he’s had roles in everything from the “Twilight” franchise to “Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day”, but I love him the most for what he did for me in my living room.
Ahem. On television, kittens.
From 2007 to 2009, Lee was the star of “Pushing Daisies” which is maybe one of my most favourite television shows ever in the history of television, which is saying something. The series received 17 Primetime Emmy nominations and seven wins over the course of its two seasons, and the fact that it was cancelled keeps me up at night. Lee plays Ned, a quiet baker who spends his days quietly baking at The Pie Hole. Ned has an ordinary name and an extraordinary gift – his touch can bring people back from the dead. But this gift comes with strings, as gifts like this often do – if he brings a person back to life for more than 60 seconds, someone else has to die in their place. And if he touches someone he brought back to life again, they’ll die again, and irreversibly this time. Sound dark? It is, sort of. I say “sort of” partly because the show is shot like this:
and partly because it’s also busting at the seams with wit and charm and wonderful-ness. My friend Kelly, who understands my love of fictional characters perfectly because she blogs about her own, can describe it better than I can:
The pilot episode of Pushing Daisies is named “Pie-Lette,” so let no one say they don’t know exactly what they’re getting into when they start this show. Pushing Daisies is cute. But it’s cute as seen through the eyes of the man who created Hannibal, so it’s also morbid and self-aware and different from anything else out there. ‘Pushing Daisies’ recap: Does he touch you? from the EW.com Community
But I saved the best thing about “Pushing Daisies” for last. The three most important people in Ned’s life are named: Charlotte “Chuck” Charles, Emerson Cod, and Olive Snook. And they are in Every. Single. Episode.
The Blog of Funny Names 
while i have never seen this show, i easily see how it would all be worthwhile just to see the eye crinkles and friends with stunning names.
Right ?!? There’s just so much to LOVE about this show !!!
Eye crinkles…. is this really a thing?!?
I also have never heard of this man, who is easy on the eyes. Who can blame you for appreciating his name? I want to call him Lee Inner Peace. If you’ve never died, is he allowed to touch you repeatedly?
Uhuh. His name, that’s what I am appreciating right now. Yup. I love how you understand me, Kerbey.
If you’ve never died I believe you’re safe. So we could totally, like, hold hands and stuff.
And stuff.
This is what I’m saying.
HIS FAAAAAAAACE.
I’m with you–it turns my brain into exclamation marks.
I know. I’m getting no work done today whatsoever, and I’m totally fine with that.
Ooh, I know this one! ME! ME!! HE CAN TOUCH MEEEE !!!
Next question …
I only watched a few episodes of Pushing Daisies but I’d like to get more into it! P.S. I never knew eye-crinkles was a thing that women cared about. Good to know!
Remind me again if you watched “Wonderfalls”? If you didn’t, you should get into that one too. It has the same kind of quirk. It also has the same creator and oh, yeah, the same wonderful eye-crinkling Lee ❤
PS They are totally a thing.
I have not. Which would you recommend first: Pushing Daisies or Wonderfalls?
first the hoodie zipping thing and now the eye crinkles. Dave, Dave, Dave. So much to learn! And I don’t think they’ll cover this in med school. Amb’s pretty busy right now, but maybe if you ask her really sweetly she’ll teach you a bit more about what girls like?
Good idea!
Oh, a definite yes to the eye crinkles. Yes, Dave, good thing to know! 😉
I mean, they just … he just … I mean …
ahem. Sorry. Hi Bon !!! Thanks for visiting xoxoxoxo
Thank you for the heads up! I love learning new things, and this blog is a great place to do it! 🙂
LOVED Pushing Daisies. Even have it on DVD. Can’t believe that’s the same guy!
Wasn’t it just the best?!? I miss it all the time. Meanwhile, our boy Ned is going to be playing Ronan the Accuser in the next Avengers movie!
That must be Nicholas Cage’s boy!
They grow up so fast.
That show sounds good! Now I keep thinking about how much experimentation it must have taken to work out all the conditions of the “resurrection touch”:
“What?!” “Wow!” “Cool!” “Huhn?” “Whoops.” “Uh-oh.” “Uh . . .” “OK, I think I’m getting it . . .” “Dang!” “OK, I’m good.” “Wait, maybe not . . .”
Ned had lots of practice … he keeps costs down at The Pie Hole by buying all the old inedible fruit and bringing it back to deliciousness 😉
I shoulda known you’d have an answer ready for that one.
That was a good show… Shame it was cancelled! Eye-crinkles.. Love that
I’ve heard rumors that it’s going to be made into a musical … I NEED this to happen. Like, yesterday.
because I really need a new show to watch… sigh… another for the list