Guy Pearce Biography
Actor Guy Edward Pearce was born in Australia on October 5, 1967. In the Australian TV series Neighbours, he began his acting career as Mike Young. After garnering recognition on a global scale for his breakthrough performance in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), Pearce went on to play lead roles in Simon Wells’s The Time Machine (2002), Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000), and Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential (1997).
His roles in Kathryn Bigelow’s military movie The Hurt Locker (2009), Tom Hooper’s historical drama The King’s Speech (2010), and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road (2009) are also well-known. Peter Weyland, starred in TED 2023, Prometheus (2012, 2013), Alien: Covenant (2017), Iron Man 3 (2013), a Marvel action movie, and the historical biopic Mary Queen of Scots (2018).
Pearce has acted in several Australian motion pictures, including Animal Kingdom (2010), 33 Postcards (2011), The Rover (2014), Holding the Man (2015), and The Proposition (2005). He has portrayed the lead in the television versions of Australian mystery novelist Peter Temple’s Jack Irish books since 2012. Pearce appears in the HBO crime miniseries Mare of Easttown and the limited series Mildred Pierce (2011), both directed by Todd Haynes. In addition to being nominated for other awards, such as the Australian Academy Film Award, the Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Mildred Pierce.
He was listed by IndieWire as one of the greatest performers who has never been nominated for an Academy Award.
Guy Pearce Profile
- Full Name: Guy Edward Pearce
- Date of Birth: October 5, 1967
- Age: 56 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of Birth: Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
- Nationality: Australian
- Profession: Actor, Musician
- Height: 1.79 m
- Parents: Stuart Pearce (father), Anne Cocking (mother)
- Siblings: Tracy (elder sister)
- Spouse: Kate Mestitz (m. 1997; div. 2015)
- Children: 1
- Relationship Status: Dating
- Partner: Carice van Houten
- Net Worth: $25 million
Guy Pearce’s Early Life
Pearce was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England, on October 5, 1967. His mother, Anne Cocking (née Pickering), was an English teacher, and his father, Stuart Pearce, was a test pilot for the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Tracy is his older sister. In Geelong, Victoria, Australia, the family moved when Pearce was three years old. In an airplane crash when Pearce was eight years old, his father passed away.
Pearce was a member of the Junior Players of the Geelong Society of Operatic and Dramatic Arts (GSODA) and attended Geelong College. He competed in amateur bodybuilding at sixteen, winning the title of Junior Mr. Victoria. During the late 1980s, he worked on the Australian television series Neighbours while residing in Box Hill North, Victoria. While still attending Geelong College, he made his feature debut in the Victorian Vice Chancellors-funded movie Life and Study at University, which was helmed and produced by Peter Lane from Deakin University. Playing a student who was 21 years old, Pearce was 17 years old.
Guy Pearce Career
Film and television
In 1986, Pearce made the switch to television when he was recruited in the Australian soap series Neighbours. He played Mike Young for three years until returning to the character for the show’s farewell episode in 2022. Pearce also appeared in several TV shows, including Snowy River: The McGregor Saga (1993) and Home and Away (1988).
Frank Howson, a director, producer, and writer, financed Pearce’s attendance at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival for the world premiere of his film Hunting. Howson also cast Pearce in his first three films, Heaven Tonight, Hunting, and Flynn. The international cinema industry became aware of Pearce thanks to the publicity effort that accompanied it, which was funded by Howson. Soon later, in 1994, he landed his first big movie break as a drag queen in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. He has since starred in several US productions, such as Ravenous, Rules of Engagement, Memento, The Count of Monte Cristo, L.A. Confidential, and The Time Machine.
Pearce played Harry Houdini in Death Defying Acts and pop icon Andy Warhol in Factory Girl. He also had appearances in Adam Sandler’s Bedtime Stories and The Road. Pearce went on to play in several Australian films, including Nick Cave’s The Proposition (2005) and The Hard Word (2002).
Pearce took a seven-year hiatus before hitting the stage again in January 2009. He took part in the Melbourne Theatre Company’s staging of the musical play Poor Boy, which was co-written by Tim Finn and Matt Cameron.
He played Staff Sergeant Matthew Thompson in the film The Hurt Locker (2009). He made an appearance in The King’s Speech in 2010 as David, Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII. Pearce became the first actor to feature in consecutive Best Picture wins since Michael Peña (Million Dollar Baby and Crash), as both films took home the Academy Award for Best Picture.
2012 saw Pearce play the title role in the Australian TV miniseries Jack Irish, which was based on author Peter Temple’s detective books and aired on the ABC network. Pearce was chosen to star in David Michôd’s The Rover in May of 2012. Pearce as the antagonist Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3 in 2013.
Pearce was a part of the Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite documentary special, which broadcast in Australia and the UK in March 2015 and celebrated the show’s 30th anniversary. In Neil Armfield’s romance drama Holding the Man (2015), Pearce played Dick Conigrave in a supporting role.
Music
Pearce made appearances in the music videos for “Across the Night” by Australian band Silverchair and “Before I Fall to Pieces” by Razorlight. He sang and played guitar on cover songs by Ron Sexsmith, Vic Chesnutt, and Robyn Hitchcock for the soundtrack of A Slipping-Down Life.
In November 2014, Pearce’s debut album, Broken Bones, was released. 2018 saw the release of Pearce’s second studio album, The Nomad.
He was featured in the music video for Radiohead’s song “Follow Me Around”.
Guy Pearce’s Personal Life
In March 1997, Pearce tied the knot with the psychologist Kate Mestitz, his childhood sweetheart. Pearce made their divorce known in October of 2015. Pearce is married to Dutch actress Carice van Houten, with whom she gave birth to a son in August 2016.
Pearce has worked with the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League and is a devotee of Australian rules football. He has narrated a documentary on the club for the media.
Pearce is a supporter of nonprofit organizations that champion causes, particularly those that pertain to habitat preservation and animal conservation.
Guy Pearce’s Net Worth
Guy Pearce’s estimated net worth is $25 million, and he has had significant career success.
Pearce has established himself in the business with his noteworthy roles in several movies and television shows.
Guy Pearce Trivia
In 1976, his father, a test pilot, perished in an accident.
He had to spend five hours daily in a makeup chair for his role in Prometheus (2012). Then it would take an hour to take off the prosthetics and makeup.
declined the lead part in Daredevil (2003).
(March 19, 2016) declared in August 2016 that he and partner Carice van Houten were expecting their first child together.
The Elephant Man is his all-time favorite 1980 film.
was given consideration to play Ra’s Al Ghul, played by Henri Ducard, in Batman Begins (2005). But Liam Neeson was chosen for the role since he was deemed too young.
Tracy, his oldest sister, suffers from Cornelia de Lange syndrome, a hereditary condition that impairs both physical and mental development.
He was born in the small Victorian town of Geelong and is currently living in Melbourne, Australia.
is romantically involved with Carice Van Houten, a Dutch actress. They originally got involved in 2015 while working on the set of the movie Brimstone (2016). On August 29, 2016, they welcomed their son Monte into the world.
He is a fervent advocate for environmental and animal rights issues.
He starred in three movies, L.A. Confidential (1997), Memento (2000), and The Hurt Locker (2008), that the Library of Congress chose for the National Film Registry because they are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically” significant.
has acted in three movies as of 2014 that were considered for the Best Picture Oscar: The King’s Speech (2010), The Hurt Locker (2008), and L.A. Confidential (1997). In this category, the last two are the winners.
His co-star Sienna Miller and he became close friends while they were filming Factory Girl (2006).
was listed as the seventeenth most sexy man in entertainment by E in 2002.
Rated twenty-first on E’s list of the sexiest men in entertainment in 2003.
has been dating Carice van Houten from the year 2015. Together, they have a single son, Monte Pearce (born August 29, 2016).
possesses an elder sister.
At 4:15 PM (GDT), I was born.
Guy Pearce Awards and nominations
For his role as Monty Beragon in Todd Haynes’ limited series Mildred Pierce, Pearce was honored with the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie on September 18, 2011. Pearce’s performance earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe. Along with the cast of The King’s Speech (2010), Pearce is a nominee for three Screen Actors Guild Awards, where he won for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture. Along with the casts of Mildred Pierce (2011) and L.A. Confidential (1997), Pearce received nominations.
Guy Pearce Social Media
- Instagram handle: @guypearce
- Twitter handle: @TheGuyPearce
@queerwhattowatch An interview with Guy Pearce from ‘Between a Frock and a Hard Place’ (2015) #priscilla #priscillaqueenofthedesert #guypearce #australiancinema #australianfilm #australianfilms #aussiecinema #aussiefilms #aussiefilm #Igbtqcinema #Igbtfilm #Igbtcinema #Igbtqfilm #Igbtqfilm #drag #dragqueens #dragqueen #rupaul #rupaulsdragrace #dragrace
Guy Pearce Filmography
- Heaven Tonight
- The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
- L.A. Confidential
- Memento
- The King’s Speech
- Iron Man 3
- Alien: Covenant
- Mary Queen of Scots
- Memory
Guy Pearce Discography
- Broken Bones
- The Nomad
Does Guy Pearce have any children?
private life. In March 1997, Pearce tied the knot with the psychologist Kate Mestitz, his childhood sweetheart. Pearce made their divorce known in October of 2015. Pearce is married to Dutch actress Carice van Houten, with whom she gave birth to a son in August 2016.
What is Guy Pearce most famous for?
After gaining recognition in his home country of Australia for roles in primetime shows like “Neighbours” (Network Ten, 1986–) and “Home and Away” (Seven Network, 1988–), actor Guy Pearce gained recognition abroad for his portrayal of the sarcastic drag queen Adam/Felicia in “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (…
Where is Guy Pearce from?
Guy Edward Pearce is an Australian musician and actor who was born on October 5, 1967. His mother was English and his father was from New Zealand, and he was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire. At age three, he relocated to Geelong, Victoria, Australia.
What soap was Guy Pearce in?
Early in life, he became involved in neighborhood theater groups, appearing in plays including “The King and I,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “The Wizard of Oz.” Two days after finishing his last high school exam, in 1985, Guy began a four-year role as “Mike Young” in the widely watched Australian serial opera Neighbours.
Does Guy Pearce have a disabled sister?
Guy Pearce battles fame and wealth because he harbors resentment against his sister’s disability. The Australian actor felt inconsequential as a child and has only now begun to process his feelings for his brother who has Down syndrome.