Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
As told to Rich Pelley

Guy Pearce: ‘I don’t think I’ll look as good in a frock as I did when I was 25’

Guy Pearce wearing a black shirt.
‘I always knew I wasn’t just a soap opera actor’ … Guy Pearce. Photograph: Rebecca Cabage/Invision/AP

You once said you need to be so in control of things that if you had brain surgery, you’d only feel comfortable doing it yourself. Do you still feel this way? FioreSebek
I don’t remember saying that, but I can see how someone might joke about it. There’s usually room for improvisation in life, but I have never been a very good improviser when it comes to acting. When I do things in my own accent, like Jack Irish, he was quite laissez-faire and flippant, so I could be looser and pull stuff out of the air. But when I’m working with high-powered actors and speaking with a tricky accent, I’m learning my lines, doing what’s required and staying in control.

If you were attending a dinner party where all the other guests were characters you have played, who would you sit next to, and who would you avoid? FrocksAway
I’d avoid Eric from The Rover and the Reverend from Brimstone, because they might kill me. Ed Exley from LA Confidential is quite arrogant and boring. I’d like to sit next to Andy Warhol, who I’ve played [in Factory Girl]. Houdini would be interesting, although I don’t reckon you’d get a word in. And Leonard from Memento would start with dessert and finish with the starter because he’s all backwards.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.