Stage to Screen: Ben Palacios’ Diverse Journey

SD – With Palm Royale set to premiere soon. How was your experience working alongside such a star-studded cast?

BP – Oh my gosh. Well, it was a delight. For a show about diabolical socialites, everyone involved could not have been more welcoming and sweet. From the actors and the crew, to the directors and producers, it was a wonderful experience.

SD – Playing the Prince of Luxembourg in Palm Royale sounds like an intriguing role. What attracted you to this character? How did you prepare for it?

BP– It was a really fun role, I’ll tell you that. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but it was really enjoyable. I’m excited for people to see it. I’ve never played someone from Luxembourg before, but I lived on the border of France and Switzerland for four years during high school, so I learned to love accents. I worked with an accent coach – her name is Keri Safran. I wanted to give her a shout out because she’s absolutely amazing. She encouraged me to have fun and explore, as most Americans have never heard this accent. I’m decent with French, British, and German accents, so we kind of melded those together as a starting point. And because my character is a prince, with that kind of aristocracy and upbringing, he would have had more international influence than your typical Luxembourgish person.  It was nice to have that leeway and not feel like it had to be exact to a T.

SD – What was it like portraying Lyle in motion capture, in “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” – especially with the voices from Javier Bardem and Shawn Mendes lending their talents to the character?

BP – Just to clarify, Javier Bardem did not lend just his voice to Lyle; he had his own live action character. Shawn Mendes was the singing voice of Lyle, although Lyle doesn’t speak; he only sings. Everything else Lyle did, all the acting, was me performing in motion capture. That was amazing.  It was the first time I’d been on a huge set. It wasn’t in a studio or green screen separate from everybody else. I was on set and on location for three months with Javier Bardem, Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, with the directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon, and the lead of the film, Winslow Fegley, who was like my ride or die.  Winslow and I were like peas in a pod because our characters are best friends. We had such a blast.

Here’s an anecdote for any young aspiring actors reading this.  In school, many intro acting classes have these exercises where you pick an animal and physicalize it, crawling around on the ground. I remember begrudgingly picking a tiger and having to explore how my tiger behaves when frustrated, playful, or flirty, etc. Eventually, I’d feel exhausted from ‘being a tiger’ and wonder, ‘When do I get to do some real scene work? When do I get to do some real acting?’  Well, here I am… a professional actor, having spent three months embodying a crocodile, expressing its gleeful, self-conscious, playful sides… crawling around! So, I’d like to thank my theatre teachers for helping me shed any lofty ego I may have had about acting. It was pure joy to embody Lyle, especially without words, and without the pressure of even being human. Lyle is the heart and soul of the film, experiencing everything with wonder, purity, and trust—it was so freeing as an actor.

SD – Working alongside Javier Bardem must have been an incredible experience. Can you share any memorable moments or insights from collaborating with him?

BP – I texted Javier when I was in Madrid last year, but he didn’t respond (ha-ha). So, if you talk to Javier, tell him to answer my texts. Joking aside, he’s an amazing person. The gravitas of that man is unbelievable. He’s just so undeniably compelling. We were shooting on location in New York City for the first few weeks of the film, outside a beautiful brownstone decorated with fall leaves and pumpkins. Fans came to see, so there were a lot of people around – the set was bustling, and the city was bustling around it. It was Javier’s first day, and when he first walked out onto the street… the whole place went silent. It was wild. The leaves stopped moving, the birds stopped chirping, and the cars stopped honking. That’s what I mean by the gravitas of Javier.  He’s a force of nature.

 SD – Fantastic. Thank you. You’ve mentioned that catching the acting bug in college was a pivotal moment for you. Can you elaborate on that experience and how it shaped your career?

BP – It’s been quite a journey, full of twists and turns.  Back in college, I worked on a web series directed by my friend Max Gold. After college we moved to Los Angeles together, him pursuing directing and me acting. I didn’t land many film or TV roles like I was hoping for.  Instead I found myself in various plays and musicals for almost nine years, while working as a nanny to help support myself.  Then COVID hit and everything changed – theatres shut down and my nanny job ended. I was at a crossroads, reflecting on my options, when I booked “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.”  I wasn’t playing a human, or speaking, and I wouldn’t be seen on screen… but I was acting, and I got to tap into my experience with musical theatre as well as my experience working with kids.  It was perfect for me.  And that eventually led me to TV opportunities, including “Palm Royale.”

I think what I’ve learned from this journey is that perseverance and adaptability is the name of the game.  There are thousands of ways to get to where you want to be, and most of them you can’t foresee.  Every opportunity leads to something else, and every relationship you build along the way matters.  I still do projects with my college friend Max Gold; we just made a radio commercial together!  I look forward to the next stage in my journey.

SD – Could you tell us about any challenges you face while transitioning from theatre to film and television, and how you overcame them?

BP – I had this fantastic dramatic acting teacher named Deborah Quayle – I hope she’s still teaching. She’d film her students’ scenes in close up and play them back, which I believe is the best way to study acting for TV and film. Watching yourself on screen is eye-opening, and sometimes brutal.  I remember Deb saying to me, “Ben, you were gifted with a wonderfully expressive face, great big eyes and a very large mouth… Every little movement of your face looks like an earthquake on screen. So, I want you to pretend you’re doing absolutely nothing.”  It was a valuable lesson. My background in theatre and my naturally expressive face tend to make me larger than life on screen, so I’ve learned to rein it in.  Perhaps that’s why I gravitate towards comedy!

SD – Having travelled around the East Coast and eventually landing in Switzerland for high school, how have these diverse experiences influenced your approach to acting and life in general? 

BP – Moving around growing up, especially to France and Switzerland, made me more adaptable and open-minded. It forced me to develop confidence in unfamiliar places and around unfamiliar people. It also gave me a stronger sense of identity, so I could be myself regardless of the situation. It’s been a gift, exposing me to various accents and voices, which I love playing with in acting.

SD – What draws you to a particular project or role? Are there any specific elements or themes that resonate with you?

BP – I love playing the villain.  Especially when it’s the kind of villain you love to hate.  Who wouldn’t want to be a little diabolical now and then?  I recently rewatched “Moulin Rouge”, and Richard Roxburgh (The Duke) is outstanding.  He is so fun to watch.  He’s evil and hilarious and hateable and slapstick all at the same time, and you can see how much fun he’s having doing it! He even makes the other actors break a few times if you watch closely.  His voice, his physical comedy, what a talent!  While watching him I just kept thinking, “This is my perfect role.” I would love to play a character like that someday.