Lee Pace and his co-star Mia Maestro have been friends for more than a decade. “I can’t believe I’m saying this in an interview,” chuckles Pace, “but Mia and I did the last ‘Twilight’ film together.

For casting Roy, the paralyzed stuntman and storyteller, Tarsem wanted an unknown actor. Lee Pace had only one previous film credit with “Soldier’s Girl,” where he played a woman. Despite getting a ...