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Guy Pearce

Acting

Born October 5, 1967 · Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Also known as Guy Edward Pearce

Biography

Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor and musician. He has received various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a nomination for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. He started his career portraying Mike Young in the Australian television series Neighbours (1986–1989). Pearce received international attention for his breakout role in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). Subsequently, he starred as Ed Exley in Curtis Hanson's crime noir L.A. Confidential (1997) and a man suffering short-term memory loss in Christopher Nolan's psychological thriller Memento (2000). He also acted in The Time Machine (2002), Bedtime Stories (2008), The Road (2009), The Hurt Locker (2009), The King's Speech (2010), and Lawless (2012). He portrayed Peter Weyland in Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), Aldrich Killian in the Marvel action film Iron Man 3 (2013) and William Cecil in the biopic Mary Queen of Scots (2018). In Australian cinema, Pearce has acted in The Proposition (2005), Animal Kingdom (2010), and The Rover (2014). For his performance in The Brutalist(2024), he received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. 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 the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce (2011) and Mare of Easttown. The former won him a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor.

Awards & recognition

  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie · 2011
  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actor · 2025 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

Mare of Easttown

2021as Richard Ryan

Memento

2000as Leonard

Between a Frock and a Hard Place

2015as Self

L.A. Confidential

1997as Edmund 'Ed' Exley

Holding the Man

2015as Dick Conigrave

The King's Speech

2010as King Edward VIII

The Count of Monte Cristo

2002as Fernand Mondego

Back to the Outback

2021as Frank (voice)

The Hurt Locker

2008as Sergeant Matt Thompson

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

1994as Adam Whitely / Felicia Jollygoodfellow

A Christmas Carol

2019as Ebenezer Scrooge

Brimstone

2016as The Reverend

Lawless

2012as Charlie Rakes

Two Brothers

2004as Aidan McRory

The Brutalist

2024as Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr

Mildred Pierce

2011as Monte Beragon

The Road

2009as Veteran

The Proposition

2005as Charlie Burns

Without Remorse

2021as Thomas Clay

Iron Man 3

2013as Aldrich Killian

Animal Kingdom

2010as Nathan Leckie

Ravenous

1999as Boyd

Snowy River: The McGregor Saga

1994as Rob McGregor

Memory

2022as Vincent Serra

Bloodshot

2020as Dr. Emil Harting

Jack Irish

2016as Jack Irish

Mary Queen of Scots

2018as William Cecil

Prometheus

2012as Peter Weyland

Traitor

2008as Roy Clayton

A Spy Among Friends

2022as Kim Philby

The Last Vermeer

2019as Han van Meegeren

Genius

2016as F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Clearing

2023as Dr. Bryce Latham

The Daily Show

1996as Self

The Rover

2014as Eric

The Time Machine

2002as Alexander Hartdegen

Rules of Engagement

2000as Maj. Mark Biggs

The Woman in Cabin 10

2025as Richard Bullmer

The Infernal Machine

2022as Bruce Cogburn

The Catcher Was a Spy

2018as Robert Furman

Alien: Covenant

2017as Peter Weyland (uncredited)

When We Rise

2017as Cleve Jones

Bedtime Stories

2008as Kendall

Dating the Enemy

1996as Brett

Halifax F.P.

1994as Daniel Viney/Richard Viney

The Convert

2023as Thomas Munro

Equals

2015as Jonas

First Snow

2006as Jimmy Starks

Neighbours

1985as Mike Young

In Her Skin

2009as Mr. Barber