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.

Filmography

• 2026Ink — Rupert Murdoch
• 2026The Dog Stars — Pops
• 2025Inside — Warren Murfett, Executive Producer
• 2025Killing Faith — Bender
• 2025Scarcity — Voice
• 2025The Shrouds — Maury Entrekin
• 2025The Woman in Cabin 10 — Richard Bullmer
• 2024Sunrise — Reynolds
• 2024The Brutalist — Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr
• 2024The Convert — Thomas Munro
• The Clearing — Dr. Bryce Latham
• A Spy Among Friends — Kim Philby
• 2022Memory — Vincent Serra
• 2022The Infernal Machine — Bruce Cogburn
• 2021Back to the Outback — Frank (voice)
• Mare of Easttown — Richard Ryan
• 2021The Seventh Day — Father Peter, Executive Producer
• 2021Tom Clancy's Without Remorse — Thomas Clay
• 2021Zone 414 — David Carmichael
• 2020Bloodshot — Dr. Emil Harting
• 2020Disturbing the Peace — Jim Dillon
• A Christmas Carol — Ebenezer Scrooge
• 2019Domino — Joe Martin
• 2019FX's A Christmas Carol — Ebenezer Scrooge
• 2019The Last Vermeer — Han van Meegeren
• 2018Mary Queen of Scots — William Cecil
• 2018Spinning Man — Evan Birch
• 2018Swinging Safari — Keith Hall
• 2018The Catcher Was a Spy — Robert Furman
• The Innocents — Halvorson
• 2017Alien: Covenant — Peter Weyland (uncredited)
• 2017Donny The Drone — Donny (voice)
• When We Rise — Cleve Jones
• 2016Brimstone — The Reverend
• 2016Genius — F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Jack Irish — Jack Irish
• 2016Lorne — Lorne
• The Wizards of Aus — Morgan Wright
• 2015Equals — Jonas
• 2015Holding the Man — Dick Conigrave
• 2015Results — Trevor
• 2014Hateship Loveship — Ken
• 2014Jack Irish: Dead Point — Jack Irish
• 2014The Rover — Eric
• 2013Breathe In — Keith Reynolds
• 2013Iron Man 3 — Aldrich Killian
• Sean Saves the World — Miles
• 2012Jack Irish: Bad Debts — Jack Irish
• 2012Jack Irish: Black Tide — Jack Irish
• 2012Lawless — Charlie Rakes
• 2012Lockout — Snow
• 2012Prometheus — Peter Weyland
• 201133 Postcards — Dean Randall
• Mildred Pierce — Monte Beragon
• 2011Seeking Justice — Simon
• 2010Animal Kingdom — Nathan Leckie
• 2010Don't Be Afraid of the Dark — Alex Hirst
• 2010The King's Speech — King Edward VIII
• 2009In Her Skin — Mr. Barber
• 2009The Road — Veteran
• 2009Winged Creatures — Dr Bruce Laraby
• 2008Bedtime Stories — Kendall
• 2008The Hurt Locker — Sergeant Matt Thompson
• 2008Traitor — Roy Clayton
• 2007Death Defying Acts — Harry Houdini
• 2006Factory Girl — Andy Warhol
• 2006First Snow — Jimmy Starks
• 2005The Proposition — Charlie Burns
• 2004Two Brothers — Aidan McRory
• 2002The Count of Monte Cristo — Fernand Mondego
• 2002The Hard Word — Dale
• 2002The Time Machine — Alexander Hartdegen
• 2002Till Human Voices Wake Us — Dr. Sam Franks
• 2000Memento — Leonard
• 2000Rules of Engagement — Maj. Mark Biggs
• 1999A Slipping Down Life — Drumstrings Casey
• 1999Ravenous — Boyd
• 1998Woundings — Jimmy Compton
• 1997L.A. Confidential — Edmund 'Ed' Exley
• 1997The Devil Game — Michael
• 1996Dating the Enemy — Brett
• Halifax f.p. — Daniel Viney/Richard Viney
• 1994The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert — Adam Whitely / Felicia Jollygoodfellow
• The Man from Snowy River — Rob McGregor
• 1993Flynn — Errol Flynn
• Bony — Late Arrival
• 1991Hunting — Sharp
• 1990Friday on My Mind
• 1990Heaven Tonight — Paul Dysart
• Neighbours — Mike Young
• Blurred
• Easter Rising — Padraig Pearse
• High End
• Mr. Sunny Sky — Leonard Moore
• Neponset Circle
• Poor Boy — Danny
• Priscilla Queen of the Desert 2 — Adam Whitely / Felicia Jollygoodfellow
• Queen of the Falls
• The Marshal — Marshal Clay Mercer
• The Neverending Pillow Fort
• The Price of Peace — President Harry S. Truman
• The Road Home — Archbishop Trevor Huddleston
• The Teller

Appearances as themselves (26)

• 2025Together for Palestine — Self
• 2022Neighbours Made Me a Star — Self
• Take 5 with Zan Rowe — Self
• 2020Disturbing the Peace: A Small Town Standoff — Self (archive footage)
• 2015Between a Frock and a Hard Place — Self
• 2015Colin Hay: Waiting for My Real Life — Self
• 2015Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite — Self
• The Late Late Show with James Corden — Self
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self - Guest
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self - Guest
• 2014Something Elemental: Making 'The Rover' — Self
• 2012The Furious Gods: Making Prometheus — Self
• 2008Sunlight and Shadow: The Visual Style of 'L.A. Confidential' — Self
• 2008Whatever You Desire: Making 'L.A. Confidential' — Self
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self
• Friday Night with Jonathan Ross — Self
• Richard & Judy — Self
• The View — Self
• The Daily Show — Self
• 1994Ladies Please! — Self
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Self
• Going Live! — Self
• The Oscars — Self
• Golden Globe Awards — Self - Nominee
• The Vesuvius Challenge — Self – Narrator