Guy Pearce facts for kids

Guy Edward Pearce, born on October 5, 1967, is a well-known Australian actor. He has won a Primetime Emmy Award and has been nominated for many other big awards. These include an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.

Guy was born in Cambridgeshire, England, and grew up in Geelong, Australia. He started his acting journey playing Mike Young in the Australian TV show Neighbours from 1986 to 1989. He became famous around the world for his roles in movies like The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and L.A. Confidential (1997). He also starred in Memento (2000), which was a very popular film.

He has appeared in many other movies such as The Time Machine (2002) and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). Guy also played Peter Weyland in Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017). Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe might know him as Aldrich Killian from Iron Man 3 (2013). In 2024, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Brutalist.

On television, Guy Pearce played the main character in the Jack Irish series of films from 2012 to 2021. He also starred in the HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce (2011) and Mare of Easttown (2021). He won a Primetime Emmy Award for his role in Mildred Pierce.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Guy Pearce was born in Ely, England, on October 5, 1967. His father, Stuart Pearce, was a pilot, and his mother, Anne Cocking, was a schoolteacher. Guy has an older sister named Tracy. When Guy was three, his family moved to Geelong, Australia. Sadly, his father passed away in a plane accident when Guy was eight years old.

Guy went to Geelong College. He was part of a local drama group called GSODA Junior Players. When he was 16, he was a competitive amateur bodybuilder and even won the title of Junior Mr. Victoria. His very first film appearance was in a movie called Life and Study at University while he was still in college.

Guy Pearce's Acting Career

Starting on Television

Guy Pearce began his television career in 1986 on the Australian soap opera Neighbours. He played the character Mike Young for three years. He even returned to the show in 2022 for its final episode and made more guest appearances in 2023 and 2024. He also had roles in other TV shows like Home and Away (1988) and Snowy River: The McGregor Saga (1993).

Guy Pearce at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival

Moving to Movies

Guy's first big movie role was as a drag queen in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 1994. This role helped him become known internationally. After that, he appeared in many American movies. These include L.A. Confidential, Memento, and The Count of Monte Cristo.

He played famous people like pop artist Andy Warhol in Factory Girl and Harry Houdini in Death Defying Acts. Guy also acted in Australian films such as The Hard Word (2002) and The Proposition (2005).

In 2009, Guy returned to the stage for a play called Poor Boy in Melbourne. He also played Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson in the movie The Hurt Locker (2009). In 2010, he was in The King's Speech, playing David, who later became King Edward VIII. Both The Hurt Locker and The King's Speech won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

In 2013, Guy Pearce played the villain Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3. He also appeared in a documentary celebrating Neighbours' 30th anniversary in 2015. For his role in the 2024 film The Brutalist, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Music Career

In 1989, Guy Pearce released a song called "Call of the Wild." He also appeared in music videos for bands like Silverchair and Razorlight. He recorded the soundtrack for the movie A Slipping-Down Life, where he sang and played guitar. Guy released his first album, Broken Bones, in November 2014. His second album, The Nomad, came out in 2018.

Personal Life

Guy Pearce married his childhood sweetheart, Kate Mestitz, in 1997. They divorced in 2015. Guy was in a relationship with Dutch actress Carice van Houten, and they had a son in August 2016. In January 2025, Van Houten shared that they had separated.

Guy supports charities that work to protect animals and their natural homes. He has also spoken out in support of Palestine.

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theatre Performances

Music Videos

Discography

• Broken Bones (2014)
• The Nomad (2018)

Awards and Nominations

On September 18, 2011, Guy Pearce won a Primetime Emmy Award for his role as Monty Beragon in the series Mildred Pierce. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for this performance. Guy has been nominated for three Screen Actors Guild Awards. He won one of these awards with the cast of The King's Speech (2010) for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. He was also nominated with the casts of L.A. Confidential (1997) and Mildred Pierce (2011).

See also

In Spanish: Guy Pearce para niños