An Oscar-nominated actor has joked about wanting to punch a ‘snobby’ actress who looked down on him.
Guy Pearce, 57, rose to fame in the 1980s in a recurring role as Mike Young on the Australian soap opera Neighbours.
He went on to enjoy a huge career in Hollywood, earning acclaim for his roles in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, LA Confidential, Memento, The Hurt Locker and The King’s Speech.
And the star — who just earned an Academy Award nod for The Brutalist – has revealed that a fellow actor criticised how he started out on the Aussie soap opera, which also launched the careers of Margot Robbie, Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan.
He told The Times: ‘I did a play a year after I left [Neighbours] and this snobby actress said, “How could you even do that?” I wanted to punch her’.
‘Now, obviously, I didn’t punch her. But it was such a horrible attitude,’ Pearce said.
Revealing what had happened to the actress who slighted him, he said: ‘Five years later I saw her on some s**t ad on TV. I so wanted to go and find her and say, “Okay…”‘
Guy, whose split from his longtime girlfriend Carice van Houten was confirmed in January, was proud to reprise his character Mike on the original series’ 2022 finale and later in its 2023-2024 comeback.
Oscar-nominated actor Guy Pearce has dished on a ‘snobby’ actress who judged his soap opera past; pictured in December
Guy Pearce, 57, rose to fame in the 1980s in a recurring role as Mike Young on the Australian soap opera Neighbours
Guy said of appearing in Neighbours, much loved in Australia but also in the UK: ‘It was really frowned upon.’
He explained: ‘In the old days you were either a theatre actor or a film actor, and if you got stuck in a soap you were the lowest of the low — but what an opportunity.’
When he scored his first onscreen role in Neighbours, he said: ‘I had no clue what I was doing but learnt a lot. When young actors ask me for advice, I shrug and say, “Get lucky?” Because I got lucky.’
Last month the veteran actor earned his first-ever Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for his critically acclaimed performance in The Brutalist.
Pearce stars alongside Adrien Brody in the post-World War II drama, with Adrian also securing a Best Actor nomination.
The Oscar nod continues a run of nominations for Pearce including the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards.
He is competing against Keiran Culkin for A Real Pain and Edward Norton for A Complete Unknown for the Oscar.
Guy went on to reprise his character Mike on the original series’ 2022 finale and later in its 2023 comeback; pictured with Jane Harris
Pearce recently earned an Academy Award nod for The Brutalist, which stars Adrien Brody
Guy said he harnesses ‘an instinctual response’ when selecting his creative projects.
‘For story, character, director,’ he shared. ‘But I probably only do 5% of what I read — I start every script hoping it will be another LA Confidential, that feeling you’ve been sucked into a vortex. But a lot of times, by page 20, I think, “Ah, damn.”‘
Guy’s Oscar nomination came on the heels of news of his split from partner Carice van Houten, with whom he shares nine-year-old son Monte.
The Dutch actress confirmed their status via her Instagram account, revealing the pair haven’t been a couple for ‘years.’
She wrote, ‘I don’t usually engage in discussions about my personal life, but because of a number of conclusions in the media last week regarding my relationship with Guy, I wanted to make something clear.
‘He and I are great friends and love each other very much, but we haven’t been a couple for years.
‘I am however, very proud to say we are in a wonderful partnership raising the true love of our lives — our beautiful son and his hamster. The end.’
