Email:neill@outloudculture.com
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Born in Maryland, Ben Palacios eventually traveled around the east coast and eventually landed in Switzerland for high school. During his freshman year at Vassar College Ben caught the acting bug when an upperclassman saw him in a musical and offered him the lead in his web series. While theater is his first love, Ben has found excitement both in film and television with already two major projects in the books.
Ben can be seen playing Lyle, the motion capture version in Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. Truly an unique experience for Ben, he portrayed Lyle through all the physical and emotional acting with the voices of Javier Bardem and the singing voice of Shawn Mendez. Working alongside Javier on the scenes together to make Lyle come to life for the big screen was one of the most pivotal moments in Ben’s career.
Currently Ben stars in the Apple TV+ Series Palm Royale alongside Ricky Martin, Kristen Wiig, Carol Burnett, Laura Dern and Allison Janney. The comedy mini series set in 1969, follows an ambitious woman who aspires to cross the line between the haves and have-nots to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive, fashionable and treacherous table: Palm Beach high society.
Hi Ben welcome to OLC! Can you tell us a bit about Palm Royale and who you play?
“Palm Royale” is a new Apple TV series about power-hungry socialites at an elite club in 1969 Palm Beach, where money and status reign supreme. I play the Prince of Luxembourg: a closeted homosexual and love interest of Robert (Ricky Martin).
What was your experience like working with the star-studded cast of Palm Royale, especially alongside Ricky Martin, Kristen Wiig, Carol Burnett, Laura Dern, and Allison Janney?
It was a dream. I was pinching myself daily. For a show full of such cruel diabolical characters, all the actors were so welcoming and warm! When I was first introduced to Ricky on set, I shook his hand and the words “oh-my-god, you’re so handsome” just fell out of my mouth without warning. He laughed and was very gracious. We had a great time working together. And Kristen Wiig is so fun to act with! They call it “playing a role” for good reason…acting in scenes with Kristen truly felt like playing.
She’s so present. She’s truly brilliant. And Carol Burnett…I was so star-struck when I met her that I made a complete fool of myself. She’s almost 91 and she’s still the funniest person in every room. What a legend.
I didn’t get to spend much time with the other stars…but Laura Dern just followed me on Instagram and I nearly peed my pants.
As the Prince of Luxembourg and Ricky Martin’s love interest in Palm Royale, how did you prepare for and approach your role in this unique comedy mini-series set in 1969?
I worked with accent coach Keri Safran on the Prince’s aristocratic Luxembourg accent. The grandiose production design of “Palm Royale” also made an impact on my performance. The costume design by Alix Friedberg crystallized the character for me; seeing myself in that royal blue uniform and gold sash with all the medals made it click…I thought to myself “Oh this is who he is.”
And the production design by Jon Carlos is so lavish and playful — it really winks at you. I remember walking around the Dellacorte mansion set one day and stumbling upon the most outrageous sight…it was a room full of oil paintings of exotic birds… pink flamingoes, toucans, etc…just dripping with opulence…and standing beside each oil painting was a matching real taxidermy bird, gazing at its oil-painted self. I couldn’t stop laughing. It was so whimsical and absurd. These playful design elements helped set the tone for my performance.
Tell us about your time portraying Lyle in “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.” How was the experience of working with the motion capture technology, alongside Javier Bardem and Shawn Mendes?
First of all, the performance capture technicians at Actor Capture in Atlanta were outstanding. Each day for 3 months, those guys rigged me up from head to toe, calibrated the tech, and tracked all of my movements. We had full body capture, face capture, a large wire headpiece that created the boundaries of Lyle’s face, and a “girth suit” around my chest and stomach. It was physically grueling, but we had so much fun and they became like my brothers.
Getting to act with Javier Bardem was like a masterclass. He’s a force of nature. I also loved performing with Winslow Fegley. He was 11 or 12 years old at the time we were shooting — and I was a nanny for 9 years, so I love kids. We became buddies on set right away.
Shawn Mendes was the voice of Lyle and recorded his songs after we finished shooting, so I never actually met him. But it’s an honor to share a character with him nonetheless.
From a musical and emotional standpoint, how did you bring Lyle to life on the big screen?
As absurd as it may be to play a singing, dancing crocodile, my goal was always to bring emotional reality and vulnerability to each moment. Lyle was abandoned as a young crocodile by his first owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), and left all alone in the attic of a Manhattan brownstone. He carries this as a massive emotional wound. My goal while filming scenes was always to feel every moment deeply — to fully open my heart to the other actors. There’s a phrase that Broadway director Liesl Tommy tells actors when playing emotional moments: “Take it to the spine.”
I wanted everything to feel real. When we filmed Lyle’s big emotional ballad, “Carried Away”, I actually sang the song full out on each take.
I knew they wouldn’t be using my voice of course, but I wanted the physicality to depict a realistic vocal performance. We spent an entire day shooting that song — crawling around the zoo enclosure set while belting my face off, and by the end of the day my voice was exhausted! I’m so pleased with how it came out.
Your acting journey began during your freshman year at Vassar College. Could you share the moment or experience that sparked your passion for acting, leading to your involvement in the lead role of a web series?
For me, the passion for acting was less of a spark and more of a slow burn. My desire to act grew with each play and musical I did in high school. As a freshman at Vassar College I was performing in the Sondheim musical “Assassins”, and a sophomore film director named Max Gold happened to see the show. He reached out later and offered me the lead role in his web series.
Film was fascinating to me. I loved the idea of telling a story that would last forever — in contrast with the fleeting beauty of theatre.
Seeing myself on camera was terrifying and illuminating. I wanted more. During my junior year, I studied film acting at Prague Film School in the Czech Republic. After graduating I moved across the country to Los Angeles with Max Gold. It felt crazy, but I knew I had to.
Given your diverse projects in theater, film, and television, which medium do you find most challenging, and why?
I love theatre because you get plenty of time to rehearse. Rehearsals are pure discovery and play. However, rehearsal time is quite limited in film and TV; you get a couple of run-throughs right before you shoot the scene, and then you can try different choices on each take.
One of the most challenging acting jobs I’ve had was filming 6 episodes on Tyler Perry’s “SISTAS”. They shoot that show at breakneck speed! Zero rehearsals… and you get one take to get it right. To compare with a film schedule: When making “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile” we shot an average 4-5 pages per day. On “SISTAS” they shoot 120 pages per day! It’s astounding.
Born in Maryland and later attending high school in Switzerland, how have these experiences influenced your approach to acting and your career in the entertainment industry?
I was born in Washington, D.C. and my family made 2 big relocations when I was a kid: New Jersey and France. I went to high school at the International School of Geneva, Switzerland. I went to film school in Prague. This upbringing gifted me with heightened adaptability, fierce open mindedness, and a curiosity for all kinds of people and cultures.
At the international school, we studied all kinds of theatre: Japanese Noh, Sanskrit theatre, and Shakespeare, and I performed locally in a traditional English pantomime. I’m very lucky to have had these experiences, and I hope they’ve made me a more daring, robust actor.
Balancing a career in acting with working for an aerospace tech company is unique. How do you manage these two different professional worlds, and do they ever intersect creatively for you?
Working in aerospace tech is hilarious because I have no idea how anything works… I just plan the parties! My official title is “Director of Fun.” True story!
For me, acting has been a marathon, not a sprint. I’ve always supported my acting work with additional non-acting work. Being in the company of engineers and Air Force pilots is wild. I’m endlessly impressed by all of them, and I think they see me as this weird, shiny goofball. I love it.
With the premiere of Palm Royale approaching, what aspects of the series are you most excited for the audience to experience, and what can viewers expect from your character’s journey in the show?
No spoilers!! The show is bonkers. Watch “Palm Royale” on Apple TV, out NOW. You’ll find me in episodes 6 and 7.
Social Media: @benpalacios_
