In an industry that likes to pigeonhole actors into particular roles, Guy Pearce has proven himself equally adept as a leading man or as a supporting character in a variety of films. Scroll through our photo gallery below as Gold Derby reexamines the 10 best Guy Pearce movies, ranked.
Born in England on October 5, 1967, his family relocated to Australia when Pearce was 3 years old, and he became a competitive bodybuilder as a teen. His acting career began when he was cast in the Australian soap opera Neighbours in 1986.
Pearce’s breakout film role was as drag queen Felicia Jollygoodfellow in the surprise hit Australian film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 1994; just three years later he found success in American films with the Oscar-nominated L.A. Confidential, and has built an impressive resume of diverse films and television series in the nearly three decades since.
His most definitive role to date is Leonard Shelby, a man with short-term memory loss determined to find his wife’s killer, in Christopher Nolan’s “Memento,” which earned worldwide acclaim. In 2009 and 2010, he appeared in back-to-back Best Picture Oscar winners The Hurt Locker and The King’s Speech, while continuing to act in Australian features, such as Animal Kingdom (2010), which received numerous accolades. He also took time to star as the villain in the Marvel blockbuster Iron Man 3 (2013).
In 2011, he was honored with a Primetime Emmy for Best Limited Supporting Actor for his performance as Monty Beragon in Mildred Pierce. Since 2012, he has starred in the popular Australian series Jack Irish as the titular character, a criminal lawyer turned private investigator and debt collector.
His film awards luck finally changed in 2024 with his role as the complex typhoon Harrison Lee Van Buren in The Brutalist, in which he co-stars alongside Oscar winner Adrien Brody. Both actors, as well as filmmaker Brady Corbet, are receiving recognition with most awards groups.
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10. ‘Iron Man 3’ (2013)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Known for more independent films, Pearce accepted a role as the villain in the more mainstream MCU. As Aldrich Killian, he is a scientist with a disability who had tried to work with Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) years before but was rejected. Although Killian has created quite the terrorist empire in his attempts to cure his own disabilities, he meets his match in Iron Man when he kidnaps Stark’s love Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and enacts a plan to gain a powerful ally in the government.
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9. ‘The Proposition’ (2005)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing Pearce returns to his roots in this Australian Western set in the 1880s. He plays ruthless outlaw Charlie Burns, who is forced to choose between the lives of his even more ruthless brother Arthur (Danny Huston) and his younger brother Mikey (Richard Wilson). Reminiscent of Sam Peckinpah’s bleak and graphically violent westerns, “The Proposition” had limited release in the U.S. despite excellent reviews, and remains a hidden gem in Pearce’s catalog.
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8. ‘Ravenous’ (1999)
Image Credit: Eric Robert/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images Fighting for the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War, John Boyd (Pearce) becomes involved in bizarre acts of cannibalism after an act of cowardice has him banished to a remote outpost. Initially, audiences weren’t quite sure what to make of the unique blend of comedy, horror, noir and Western genres, but “Ravenous” has become a cult favorite.
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7. ‘The Hurt Locker’ (2009)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Summit Entertainment Kathryn Bigelow’s war thriller began earning acclaim during its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, culminating with six Academy Award wins from nine nominations, including Best Picture, Director and Original Screenplay. Pearce, one of the more well-known actors among an ensemble of relative unknowns (at the time), only appears in the first few moments of the film, but the tragic event surrounding his character triggers the harrowing events that follow.
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6. ‘Animal Kingdom’ (2010)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Madman Entertainment Inspired by crimes committed by the Pettingill family of Melbourne, especially their involvement in the 1988 Walsh Street police shootings, “Animal Kingdom” details the brutal actions of the Cody family after matriarch Janine “Smurf” Cody (Jacki Weaver) takes in her teenage grandson Joshua “J” Cody (James Frecheville). Pearce is Detective Nathan Leckie, who, as one of the few honorable police officers in Melbourne, tries to save J from a life of crime. The film received worldwide acclaim, winning ten awards from 18 nominations (including a supporting bid for Pearce) at the Australian Film Institute Awards, and capturing an Oscar nod in supporting for Weaver.
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5. ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert’ (1994)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features Pearce’s breakout film role was in this Australian film that was a surprise hit. He plays drag queen Adam “Felicia Jollygoodfellow” Whitely, who, along with a fellow drag queen (Hugo Weaving) and a transgender woman (Terence Stamp), takes a road trip across Australia in a large tour bus dubbed “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” At times outrageously funny, and at other times poignantly addressing the bigotry experienced by the LGBTQ community, “Priscilla” boosted awareness for Australian films, capturing Best Costume Design at the Oscars and BAFTAs, and has become a cult classic.
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4. ‘The King’s Speech’ (2010)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Momentum Pictures Tom Hooper’s historical biopic marked Pearce’s second consecutive appearance in a film that dominated the Academy Awards ceremony, including a win for Best Picture. Colin Firth won Best Actor for his portrayal of King George VI, who hires speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) to help him overcome his stammer. Pearce has a smaller role, but is memorable as King George’s brother King Edward VIII, who abdicates the throne to marry a divorced American socialite, callously turning his brother’s life upside-down. The cast earned the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Picture.
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3. ‘The Brutalist’ (2024)
Image Credit: Courtesy of A24 This historical epic follows Hungarian-Jewish architect Laszlo Toth (Adrien Brody), who escapes the Holocaust and tries to find a new life in America. He eventually is taken in by the wealthy and powerful Harrison Lee Van Buren (Pearce), whose initial kindness morphs into a brutal jealousy. The role brought him a first ever Oscar nomination.
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2. ‘L.A. Confidential’ (1997)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Both Pearce and fellow Australian-based actor Russell Crowe gained fame in American film with this Best Picture Oscar nominee. Pearce plays Edmund Exley, a self-righteous Los Angeles police detective who is trying to make a name for himself in the department while living in the shadow of his legendary detective father, who had been killed in an unsolved murder. Set in 1953, this neo-noir is a fictionalized tale revolving around the corruption in the LAPD following the infamous “Bloody Christmas” scandal. In a “Titanic” year of great films, “L.A. Confidential” won two of its nine Academy Award nominations, Best Screenplay (Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson) and Supporting Actress (Kim Basinger).
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1. ‘Memento’ (2000)
Image Credit: Courtesy of Newmarket Christopher Nolan’s breakout film garnered worldwide accolades, and proved that both filmmaker and actor are among the best in their crafts. Pearce gives an intense performance as Leonard Shelby, who is suffering from anterograde amnesia following a home invasion in which his wife was raped and killed. Now unable to form new memories, Shelby develops an elaborate system of notes, tattoos and photographs to track down the perpetrator who had gotten away. Told in a non-linear narrative, with chronological events filmed in black-and-white and reverse- order sequences shot in color, the two time lines meet at the end with a shocking twist.
A good selection in probably the right order. Being an Aussie i have watched him in Jack Irish which is an excellent series
Count of Monte Cristo 2002 has Guy Pearce being a TERRIFIC bad guy…
Personally I would have given him an award for his part in the count of monte christo which isn’t even mentioned. His body language and facial expressions were so perfect I have the dvd and watch it regularly.
Hello my name is Mike,
I found that Guy Pearce, I did not like when he was in neighbour’s I did not like the guy. But lately I have been in one of his movies, and seeing another side of him, I can honestly say that he is a likeable guy.( Inside )
I think it was that I was able to see another side of him. And a great guy to talk too.