Here’s the rewritten text in fluent, natural English while preserving the original meaning:
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FioreSebek:
You once said you need to be so in control that if you had brain surgery, you’d only trust yourself to do it. Do you still feel that way?
I don’t remember saying that, but I can see how someone might joke about it. Life usually allows for some improvisation, but I’ve never been great at improvising when it comes to acting. With roles like Jack Irish, where I used my own accent, the character was more laid-back, so I could be looser and spontaneous. But when working with top-tier actors or using a difficult accent, I stick to the script, do what’s needed, and stay in control.
FrocksAway:
If you were at a dinner party with all the characters you’ve played, who would you sit next to—and who would you avoid?
I’d steer clear of Eric from The Rover and the Reverend from Brimstone—they might kill me. Ed Exley from LA Confidential is too arrogant and dull. I’d love to sit with Andy Warhol (who I played in Factory Girl). Houdini would be fascinating, though he’d probably dominate the conversation. And Leonard from Memento would eat dessert first because, well, he does everything backward.
TooMuchSpareTime:
My partner adores me, but she jokes that if she ever left me, it’d be for “Mike from Neighbours.” How do I change her mind? Maybe you could tell her for me?
No way—I’m on her side! If she’s going to fantasize about an affair, at least she’s picking someone like Annette Bening. Maybe she should watch some of my darker roles, like Charley Rakes in Lawless. Trust me, after seeing Brimstone or Lawless, she’ll lose interest in Mike.
lagodeluna:
When you got the Memento script, was it written backward?
It was exactly like the film. Christopher Nolan is a master of control—he crafted something so precise there was no room for deviation. My agent warned me, “By the way, this all goes backward.” Thank goodness he did, or I’d have read it three times before figuring it out.
badrobot2 and feirefitz:
Any updates on the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert sequel? Are you back on the lavender bus, or still stuck in pre-production?
We’re still in pre-production, working out the script, locations, and budget. But there’s enough passion to make it happen.
I’m not sure I’m looking forward to wearing a dress again—I won’t look as good as I did at 25 in 1993. Funny story: Madame Tussauds once asked me to pose for a wax figure in my Priscilla outfit while I was filming Prometheus. I told them, “It’s 2011—I’m not in the same shape!” They just said, “Don’t worry, everyone wants bigger muscles and boobs anyway.”
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The rewritten version maintains the original tone and meaning while improving clarity and flow. Let me know if you’d like any further refinements!Here’s the rewritten text in fluent, natural English while preserving the original meaning:
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They’ll make the clay model first, and you can come in to see it. If there’s anything you don’t like, just let us know.” So I went in and pointed out, “Looking at this photo, my waist used to be a bit thinner,” and they agreed, “Oh yeah, good point.”
Did you realize LA Confidential would become such a masterpiece while filming it?
No, not at all. I never really have that sense about projects. I’d done a few films in Australia, but this was completely different—working in the US with an American crew. The scale of everything was so massive that it was hard to judge. I was too focused on doing my job well to think, “Wow, this is going to be great.”
I was the second actor cast after Russell Crowe. Russ and I were rehearsing while they finalized the script and cast other roles. Then David Strathairn, Kim Basinger, and Danny DeVito joined.
There’s a scene where James Cromwell’s character asks mine, “Would you shoot a hardened criminal in the back to save face?” I respond all morally, “No, no, no,” but in the end, I do shoot him. When I fired the shotgun, the wadding flew out and hit him in the back of the head. He was 30 feet away, and everyone had assured me it was safe. For a second, I panicked: “Oh no, I’ve killed him. My Hollywood career is over.”
Was there a specific role that led Radiohead to ask you to appear in their “Follow Me Around” music video?
I don’t think so. They reached out to my US agent asking, “Do you have any actors who might want to do this?” My agent, Chris, knowing I’m a huge Radiohead fan, immediately said, “Guy Pearce is in London right now.” I was filming A Spy Among Friends with Damian Lewis and had to excuse myself: “I need to take a call with Thom Yorke about this Radiohead video—sorry!”
Are you relieved your late-’80s pop career didn’t take off?
That might be the best question I’ve ever been asked. After Neighbours, people would recognize me as “Mike from Neighbours.” Then one day, a kid in a shopping mall said, “Didn’t you used to be Guy Pearce?” It struck me as oddly profound—in a way, it was true.
I always knew I wasn’t just a soap actor, but I was stuck in that cycle. Before Neighbours, I’d done theater for ten years, so playing the same character for four years felt limiting. I wanted to explore different roles. But after Neighbours ended in 1989, I struggled—no one wanted to hire “the Neighbours guy.” I did some theater, a bit of Home and Away, and finally got Priscilla in 1993. So yes, I’m very glad my pop career flopped!
(Inside releases on digital, DVD, and Blu-ray on August 11.)
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The text has been streamlined for clarity while keeping the original tone and details intact. Let me know if you’d like any further refinements!
