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Born in Cambridgeshire, Guy Pearce, 57, grew up in Australia and was in Neighbours. He starred in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in 1994, and in LA Confidential in 1997. He won an Emmy for the 2011 TV adaptation of Mildred Pierce. His other films include Memento, The Hurt Locker, The King’s Speech, Iron Man 3, The Convert and The Brutalist, which won three Golden Globes and is in UK cinemas from 24 January. He lives in the Netherlands with actor Carice van Houten and their son.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My fear of confrontation.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Lying.
Aside from a property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?
A guitar – a 1959 Gibson 335.
Describe yourself in three words
Anxious, honourable and curious.
What makes you unhappy?
If I let myself down.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My smile. I see photos of myself and go: “Ooh I needed to pull back that smile.” Not for any justifiable reason, I just feel self-conscious.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
John Lennon.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Finding an easier way to do something rather the most thorough way.
What do you owe your parents?
Absolute gratitude, which I am realising more and more as my son gets older.
What scares you about getting older?
My knees are in really bad shape.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Kate Bush.
Would you choose fame or anonymity?
Anonymity.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Watching UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship]. Mixed martial arts are so violent, it’s like watching a car accident.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My ex-wife, Kate, was the greatest love of my life, but I’ve moved on from her now and the greatest love of my life is my child, Monte.
Have you ever said ‘I love you’ without meaning it?
I might have blurted it out when I was in my 20s and realised later that it was more about lust and infatuation.
Which living person do you most despise and why?
Netanyahu.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
I felt like I messed up my marriage. I don’t feel that way any more, but at the time I was devastated.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I wish I could go back and not be the anxious child that I was. I spent the first 25 years of my life just trying to survive human interaction.
If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
I don’t know that I want to be them, but I envy other artists like Jeff Buckley, Edward Norton and Gary Oldman.
How often do you have sex?
Because we’re trying to get Monte to sleep in his bedroom, I’m sleeping above his bunk bed so not a lot at the moment.
What keeps you awake at night?
If I’ve spent money that I shouldn’t have or treated someone badly.
Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?
More sex.
What happens when we die?
I believe in reincarnation.
