"It was a really interesting, really horrible experience"- When Guy Pearce opened up about critical reception of his character in Memento
Starting out in the 1980s, there is hardly anything Guy Pearce has not touched. From a Primetime Emmy Award to an Oscar nomination, few have achieved what the 57-year-old has, and he continues to amaze with new roles every once in a while. He is still on the top of the critics' list this year with his incredible performance in The Brutalist.
Yet, even actors like him often fail to get out of the grasp of sharp criticism. This happened with the actor after his acclaimed performance in Memento, which has since become a cult classic. He discussed this in an interview with The Guardian in September 2021. He recalled:
"A few people said: ‘Wow, look what he’s written about you!...a master at reinventing himself for each new role...I felt myself starting to get a bit big-headed...Paramount asked if I wanted them to send me the other reviews they had. ‘Yes! Send them all!’..."
He continued:
"So these big fat binders arrive, containing millions of reviews, and basically every one of them says: ‘Who does Guy Pearce think he is, trying to impersonate Al Pacino?’ It was a really interesting, really horrible experience. The perspective on the final result shouldn’t be what I’m looking for. Sure, I’d love to win a ton of Oscars, but it should be enough that I can say: ‘I know that’s good’.”"
He admitted that this taught him a lesson. But Guy Pearce has always been someone who has dealt with extremely complex characters, sometimes which are even beyond the scope of the ordinary.
"We’re such a complex mix of drives"- Guy Pearce on his character in Zone 414
Guy Pearce is indeed one of the actors who is renowned for reinventing himself for each role he plays. This comes to the actor because he puts an effort into going beyond the script and visualizes the roles with utmost precision.
Though Zone 414 did not receive rave reviews from critics, in this interview, it was clear that Guy Pearce had done his part and had thought things thoroughly.
Speaking about his character, Pearce said:
"I wanted to play him as a guy who would love to sit down with a police psychologist and bawl his eyes out...But there’s something too typically masculine about him, which just meant the easier option for him was to shut that stuff down. I love it when a character is repressing something."
He continued:
"We’re such a complex mix of drives. We want to be hugged yet at the same time there’s always someone we wanna punch the shit out of. The more people I talk to, the more I realize how complex we are. There’s this endless pit of great characters out there to play."
Zone 414 was quite similar in premise to Blade Runner but did not end up as successful. Still, Pearce delivered a memorable performance like he almost always does.
Over his brilliant career, Pearce has appeared in movies like The Time Machine (2002), The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Bedtime Stories (2008), The Road (2009), Mary Queen of Scots (2018), Animal Kingdom (2010), and has even appeared in the MCU as Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3 (2013).
He will soon appear in Killing Faith and The Woman in Cabin 10, both of which are yet to get a release date.
