Guy Pearce
Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian[1] actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award as well as a nomination for a Golden Globe Award.
Not to be confused with Guy Pearse.
Guy Pearce
5 October 1967
Australian
Actor
1985–present
Carice van Houten (2015–present)
1
He started his career portraying Mike Young in the Australian television series Neighbours. Pearce received international attention for his breakout role in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and subsequently took starring roles in Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential (1997), Christopher Nolan's Memento (2000) and Simon Wells's The Time Machine (2002). He is also known for his performances in the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's The Road (2009), Kathryn Bigelow's war drama The Hurt Locker (2009) and Tom Hooper's historical drama The King's Speech (2010). He has appeared in TED 2023, Prometheus (both 2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017) as Peter Weyland, the Marvel action film Iron Man 3 (2013) as Aldrich Killian, and the historical biopic Mary Queen of Scots (2018) as William Cecil.
In Australian cinema, Pearce has appeared in The Proposition (2005), Animal Kingdom (2010), 33 Postcards (2011), The Rover (2014), Holding the Man (2015) and The Wizards of Aus (2016). Since 2012, he has played the title role in the TV adaptations of the Jack Irish stories by Australian crime writer Peter Temple. Pearce starred in Todd Haynes' limited series Mildred Pierce (2011) and the HBO crime miniseries Mare of Easttown. The former won him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Early life[edit]
Pearce was born on 5 October 1967 in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.[2][3] His father, Stuart Pearce, was a Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot and RAF test pilot, and his mother, Anne Cocking (née Pickering), was an English schoolteacher.[4] He has an elder sister, Tracy.[5] 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.[3][6][7][8]
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[edit]
Film and television[edit]
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, a role which he reprised in 2022 for the show's final episode. Pearce also found roles in other television series such as Home and Away (1988) and Snowy River: The McGregor Saga (1993).
Personal life[edit]
Pearce married his childhood sweetheart, psychologist Kate Mestitz, in March 1997.[15][16] In October 2015, Pearce announced their divorce.[17] Pearce is in a relationship with Dutch actress Carice van Houten; they had a son in August 2016.[18][19][20]
Pearce supports charitable organisations for causes, especially those related to animal conservation and habitat preservation.[21]