Movies

Guy Pearce Slams His Own Performance in Iconic Christopher Nolan Film

Some said Guy Pearce should have been nominated for an Oscar for his work in Memento. It seems the actor understands why he was not.

Guy Pearce in Memento

In most Christopher Nolan rankings his second film, Memento, ranks closer to first place than last. And, among the many things people love about the movie, Guy Pearce’s lead performance also ranks high. But, apparently, Pearce himself doesn’t care for it. The mystery follows Pearce as Leonard, a man who perpetually struggles with short-term memory loss. It’s cumbersome to his final goal: tracking down the man who killed his wife. All Leonard has to go on are a slew of photographs, handwritten notes, and tattoos all of his body. Everything points towards a “John G.” but the question is, have Leonard and this “John G.” already crossed paths? And, perhaps more pressing, is this “John G.” actually the undercover cop John “Teddy” Gammell who’s been helping out with the search?

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It’s a compelling film, and most would agree that the cast, from Pearce and “Teddy” portrayer Joe Pantoliano to his The Matrix co-star Carrie-Anne Moss are all great in it. But what exactly does Pearce not like about his own work in the film?

What Did Pearce Say About His Work in Memento?

Newmarket

As for Memento on the whole, the actor still thinks it’s a “good movie.” But when it comes to his own performance, Pearce compared it to “nails on a chalkboard.” Ouch.

He elaborated by saying “I watched Memento the other day and I’m still depressed. I’m s**t in that movie. I’d never thought that before, but I did this Q&A of Memento earlier this month and decided to actually watch the film again. But while it was playing, I realized I hate what I did.”

What was it specifically about his performance that Pearce felt was off? “I was trying to do a flippant attitude, but it was all wrong. John Gielgud once said, ‘You can be good in a good movie, good in a bad movie, bad in a bad movie, but never be bad in a good movie.’ Yet I watched Memento and realized I’m bad in a good movie. F***.”

The interviewer asked if he’s discussed this matter with director Nolan since that Q&A. The answer was “No, because I reckon he’d agree with me. It’s funny; people say I should’ve been nominated for Memento. Now I understand why I wasn’t.”

Not only does Pearce not like his performance in Memento, but it was also recently revealed that his time spent working on the film is what precluded him from working on other Nolan projects afterwards, such as Batman Begins. Not because of Nolan himself, but because of a Warner Bros. executive’s personal bias against the actor.

The director’s third film, Insomnia, was the first he made at the studio, kicking off a long relationship that included The Dark Knight trilogy, The Prestige, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Tenet, the majority of which had roles Pearce would have been perfectly-suited to play. Here’s hoping the two can collaborate on something in the future, and that Pearce’s performance will be one that he’ll be proud of.

Memento is streaming on Peacock.