Guy Pearce almost passed on theL.A. Confidentialrole that would cement his place in Hollywood history. Cast as the straight-laced detective Ed Exley in the neo-noir film, Pearce, whose breakout role in the Australian comedyThe Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desertbrought him international attention, delivered a performance that elevated the story of LAPD officers in 1950s Hollywood to an enduring legacy in American crime dramas. Despite his later success with films likeChristopher Nolan’sMemento, Pearce’s path to the role was far from straightforward, marked by a near-rejection of Hollywood altogether.
In an interview withBusiness Insider,Pearce revealed that he had no interest in pursuing a career in the American film industry before hisL.A. Confidentialaudition.Following the success ofPriscilla, he begrudgingly met with a Los Angeles agent who convinced him to audition for various projects. This reluctant journey eventually led to his audition for director Curtis Hanson’s neo-noir crime masterpiece. Here’s what he had to say:
No. No.I never had any desire to get to America.I just thought, if I’m going to be out of work, why am I going to be out of work in America? I’d rather be out of work in Australia. What happened was I went to America to promote “Priscilla” and my agent said you should meet some agents in LA. And I said, “I’m not trying to work in Hollywood. I barely can work in Australia. Why would I try?” She said, “Meet this one agent.” I said fine.
We met and I got along great with him, his name is Chris Andrews. He said, “I’ll represent you.” I said, “Fine, but I’m not coming over here and doing pilot season, I’m not going to do that. I don’t have enough money.” He said, “Come stay at my house.” So I came back in 1995 a couple of different times and auditioned for stuff and would stay at his house, and that’s how I got “L.A. Confidential.”
Pearce continued to detail the unusual circumstances surrounding hisL.A. Confidentialaudition, saying:
When I first went in, it was just a reading on tape. Curtis wasn’t even in the room. In fact,it was the last audition I didin late 1995 while I was in LA,so right after, I flew back to Australia.In January, Chris calls and tells me they want me to come back and do a proper screen test. I was like, “No, I’m not f*cking flying back.”
So Curtis called me and said, [speaking in an American accent] “Guy, I think you should come back.” So basically, he had already decided, but he needed me to do the screen test so he could prove to the studio that I was the right guy. But he couldn’t say I had the role. I showed up, and it was almost like shooting a scene; it was on a dressed set, costumes; they cut my hair to look like Ed Exley; it was a crazy thing.
And during filming people would come up to me and say, “You got this off of ‘Priscilla’? How did Curtis see you as Ed Exley in that role?“Turns out Curtis never saw “Priscilla.“The call came from that first reading on tape that I did.
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Pearce’s journey toL.A. Confidentialdemonstratesthe often serendipitous nature of Hollywood casting, where being in the right place, at the right time, can unknowingly transform an actor’s career. Pearce had limited recognition in America at the time of his audition with Hanson.Priscillawas undoubtedly a worldwide hit, but received a limited release in North America. Compared to the grit of Pearce’s following films, his role in the Australian cult classic renders the actor almost irrecognizableas the glamorous and rambunctious drag queen, Felicia Jollygoodfellow.
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L.A. Confidential brought classic noir back into the spotlight in the 1990s, but its complicated finale left audiences with a lot of questions.
Despite studio hesitations about a lack of established stars in the film’s leading roles,Hanson’s conviction behind Pearce’s suitability for the role of Ed—without ever seeingThe Adventures ofPriscilla—was a steadfast decision that paid off.L.A. Confidentialwent on to win two Academy Awards, and secured a nomination for Best Picture (ultimately losing toTitanic). Pearce and Hanson’s work remains one of the most celebrated neo-noir films, and a classic Los Angeles production, with Rotten Tomatoes naming it the best movie of all time.
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Pearce’s reluctance to embrace Hollywood makes his eventual success inL.A. Confidentialall the more compelling. His raw honesty about the industry could resonate with many aspiring actors trying to break through Hollywood’s increasingly competitive media-scape. What’s most impressive, however, ishow Pearce’s natural talent shone through a reluctant audition process, leaving an indelible mark on a cult classic. Fans of Pearce can look forward to seeing him on the big screen once again as a wealthy, European industrialist in Brady Corbet’s epic dramaThe Brutalistandthe upcomingThe Adventures of Priscillasequel.
