Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an English-born Australian actor and musician, mainly known for his roles as Fernand Mondego in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Mike Young in the Australian television series Neighbours and films such as The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), L.A. Confidential (1997), Memento (2000), The King's Speech (2010), Lockout (2012), Prometheus (2012), and Iron Man 3 (2013). He has won an Emmy Award and received nominations for Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and Saturn Awards.
Early life
Pearce was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire. His mother, Anne Cocking (née Pickering), was from County Durham, England; she was a schoolteacher specialising in needlework and home economics, and his father, Stuart Pearce, was a New Zealand-born Air Force test pilot who died when Pearce was 8. When he was 3 years old, Pearce moved to Geelong, Victoria, where his mother ran a deer farm. He attended the Geelong College, a local private school, and was a member of the GSODA Junior Players. From the age of 15 to 22, he was a competitive amateur bodybuilder, leading to the title of Junior Mr. Victoria. He also partook in fencing. He lived in Box Hill North, Victoria in the late 1980s while working on the Australian drama series Neighbours.
Pearce starred in several theatre productions when he was young. At 17 years of age, whilst still at school at Geelong College, he auditioned for his first film role; a part in "Life and Study at University", a promotion for university study produced and directed by Peter Lane of Deakin University. The lead part called for a 23-year old university student and at first he was turned down due to his young age, but his mother insisted that her son could play the part.
Career
Pearce transitioned to television when he was cast in the Australian soap opera Neighbours in 1985, playing the role of Mike Young for several years. 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, 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 continues to perform in Australian films, such as The Hard Word (2002) and the critically lauded 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 2010, he appeared as playboy David, the Prince of Wales, who became King Edward VIII, in the award-winning film The King's Speech. He is 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 portrayed the character Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3.
Pearce released his first album, Broken Bones, in November 2014.
Videos and awards
Pearce appeared in Australian band Silverchair's music video for "Across the Night" and in Razorlight's video for "Before I Fall to Pieces." He 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.
On 18 September 2011, Pearce won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries for his work in Mildred Pierce as Monty Beragon opposite Kate Winslet.
Personal life
Pearce has been married to Kate Mestitz, a psychologist, since March 1997. He is a long-standing fan of Australian rules football, and supports the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League.
Filmography
References
External links
- Guy Pearce at the Internet Movie Database
- Actor Profile at Local World's Ely News
