Guy Pearce

Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, and nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Born in Cambridgeshire and raised in Geelong, Pearce started his career portraying Mike Young in the Australian television series ''Neighbours'' (1986–1989). Pearce received international attention for his break-out roles in ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' (1994), '' L.A. Confidential'' (1997), '' Ravenous'' (1999), and '' Memento'' (2000).

His subsequent roles were in ''The Time Machine'' (2002), ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' (2002), '' Bedtime Stories'' (2008), '' The Road'' (2009), ''The Hurt Locker'' (2009), ''The King's Speech'' (2010), '' Lawless'' (2012), and ''Mary Queen of Scots'' (2018). He portrayed Peter Weyland in ''Prometheus'' (2012) and '' Alien: Covenant'' (2017), and acted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe playing Aldrich Killian in the film ''Iron Man 3'' (2013). In Australian cinema he has acted in '' The Proposition'' (2005), '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010), '' The Rover'' (2014), and '' Swinging Safari'' (2018). For his performance as a wealthy industrialist in ''The Brutalist'' (2024), he received a nomination for the Academy Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.

On television, he has played the title role in the series of films ''Jack Irish'' (2012–2021). Pearce starred in the HBO miniseries '' Mildred Pierce'' (2011) and '' Mare of Easttown'' (2021). The former won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor.

Early life

Pearce was born on 5 October 1967 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. His father, Stuart Pearce, was a Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot and RAF test pilot, and his mother, Anne Cocking (), was an English schoolteacher. He has an elder sister, Tracy. When Pearce was three years old, the family relocated to Geelong, Victoria, Australia. When he was eight years old, Pearce's father died in an aircraft accident.

Pearce attended Geelong College, and was a member of the Geelong Society of Operatic and Dramatic Arts (GSODA) Junior Players. At the age of 16, he was a competitive amateur bodybuilder, leading to the title of Junior Mr. Victoria. He lived in Box Hill North, Victoria in the late 1980s while working on the Australian drama series ''Neighbours''. His first film appearance, while still at Geelong College, was in a Victorian Vice-Chancellors-funded film ''Life and Study at University'', produced and directed by Peter Lane of Deakin University.

Career

Film and television

Pearce transitioned to television when he was cast in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours'' in 1986, playing the role of Mike Young for three years. He reprised the role in 2022 for the show's then final episode, and returned to make multiple guest appearances in the revival from 2023 to 2024. Pearce also found roles in other television series such as ''Home and Away'' (1988) and '' Snowy River: The McGregor Saga'' (1993).

The director/producer/writer Frank Howson cast Pearce in his first three films, ''Heaven Tonight'', ''Hunting'', and ''Flynn'', and paid for him to go to the Cannes Film Festival in 1991 for the premiere of the Howson-directed ''Hunting''. The accompanying Howson-funded publicity campaign brought Pearce to the attention of the international film industry. He made his first major film breakthrough shortly after, with his role as a drag queen in ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' in 1994. Since then, he has appeared in several US productions including '' L.A. Confidential'', '' Ravenous'', '' Rules of Engagement'', '' Memento'', ''The Count of Monte Cristo'', and ''The Time Machine''.

Pearce portrayed pop artist Andy Warhol in '' Factory Girl'' and Harry Houdini in '' Death Defying Acts.'' He also appeared in '' The Road'' and in '' Bedtime Stories'' with Adam Sandler. Pearce continued to perform in Australian films, such as '' The Hard Word'' (2002) and '' The Proposition'' (2005), written by fellow Australian Nick Cave.

In January 2009, Pearce returned to the stage after a seven-year absence. He performed in the Melbourne Theatre Company's production of ''Poor Boy'', a play with music, co-written by Matt Cameron and Tim Finn. In 2009, he portrayed Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson in ''The Hurt Locker''. In 2010, he appeared as David, Prince of Wales, who became Edward VIII, in ''The King's Speech''. Both films won the Academy Award for Best Picture, making Pearce the first actor to appear in back-to-back Best Picture winners since Michael Peña (who appeared in ''Million Dollar Baby'' and '' Crash'').

Pearce starred as the eponymous lead in the Australian TV miniseries ''Jack Irish'', an adaptation of the detective novels of author Peter Temple broadcast on the ABC network in 2012. In May 2012, Pearce was cast to star in David Michôd's '' The Rover''. In 2013, Pearce played the villain character Aldrich Killian in ''Iron Man 3''. Pearce appeared in a documentary special celebrating ''Neighbours'' 30th anniversary, '' Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite'', which aired in Australia and the UK in 2015. Pearce had a supporting role in Neil Armfield's 2015 romantic-drama film ''Holding the Man''. For his role in the 2024 film ''The Brutalist'', he received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Music

In 1989, Pearce released the single "Call of the Wild" from the soundtrack ''Heaven Tonight''. The song peaked at number 156 on the ARIA Charts. He appeared in Australian band Silverchair's music video for " Across the Night" and in Razorlight's video for " Before I Fall to Pieces." Pearce recorded the soundtrack for '' A Slipping-Down Life'', singing and playing guitar on cover versions of songs by Ron Sexsmith, Vic Chesnutt and Robyn Hitchcock. Pearce released his first album, ''Broken Bones'', in November 2014. Pearce released his second studio album, ''The Nomad'', in 2018.

Personal life

Pearce married his childhood sweetheart, psychologist Kate Mestitz, in March 1997. In October 2015, Pearce announced their divorce. Pearce was in a relationship with Dutch actress Carice van Houten; they had a son in August 2016. In January 2025, Van Houten stated that she and Pearce have split, and have "... not been a couple for years".

Pearce has supported charitable organisations related to animal conservation and habitat preservation, as well as publicly expressing his solidarity with Palestine amid the Gaza war.

In February 2025, Pearce accused his ''L.A. Confidential'' co-star Kevin Spacey of sexually harassing him while filming the movie. Spacey responded to the accusation by posting a video on the social media platform X, where he told Pearce to "grow up" and that he was "not a victim."

Acting credits

Film

Television

Theatre

Music videos

Discography

* ''Broken Bones'' (2014)
* ''The Nomad'' (2018)

Awards and nominations

On 18 September 2011, Pearce won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his work in Todd Haynes' limited series '' Mildred Pierce'' as Monty Beragon. Pearce received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance. Pearce has been nominated for three Screen Actors Guild Awards winning for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture along with the cast of ''The King's Speech'' (2010). Pearce was nominated with the cast of '' L.A. Confidential'' (1997) and ''Mildred Pierce'' (2011).

See also

* List of Australian Academy Award winners and nominees
* List of actors with Academy Award nominations

References

External links

*

Actor Profile
at Local World's ''Ely News''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearce, Guy
1967 births
Living people
20th-century Australian male actors
21st-century Australian male actors
21st-century Australian male singers
21st-century Australian singer-songwriters
Actors from Ely, Cambridgeshire
Australian expatriate male actors in the United States
Australian expatriates in the Netherlands
Australian male film actors
Australian male singer-songwriters
Australian male soap opera actors
Australian male stage actors
Australian male voice actors
Australian people of English descent
Australian people of New Zealand descent
English emigrants to Australia
Male actors from Cambridgeshire
Male actors from Geelong
Musicians from Geelong
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners
Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners
People educated at Geelong College
Singers from Cambridgeshire
Best Supporting Actor AACTA International Award winners