Over two decades the Australian has carved out an impressive career in Hollywood, declining superhero roles that could have made him a superstar in favour of meatier parts.
He's recently been rewarded with Oscar and BAFTA nominations for his scene stealing role as oligarch Harrison Lee Van Buren in the highly acclaimed film The Brutalist which is up for 10 Oscars.
The 57-year-old actor first found fame on the soap opera 'Neighbours' in the late 80s, and although he's also enjoyed significant success in the American movie business, Pearce doesn't have any regrets about rejecting some lucrative career opportunities.
Speaking to Hello! magazine, Guy explained: "I wanted to handle Hollywood, the way I wanted to handle it.
Pearce stars with Adrien Brody in The Brutalist which has 10 Oscar nominations. (AP PHOTO)
"A lot of people would say I messed up my career because I didn't go and do big superhero movies like I should have, but I didn't want to go."
Pearce is also happy to keep working in Australia, even if the roles are less lucrative.
"If I got offered a good job in America, great, I'd do it. And if I wasn't getting work in America, I'd just work at home in Australia."
Pearce previously revealed how he struggled to cope with fame earlier in his career.
"I went to America still carrying this baggage of not believing in myself or the value of my work, so I was extremely picky," he told The Independent.
"I had people around me saying I should do a superhero film, but I was only interested in films that felt heavy and psychological.Â
"I'd done five films back-to-back and was pretty spent, turning up to work every morning and growling at people. I was battling with myself all the time over whether it's just ridiculous and childish, faking stuff for a living."
Pearce ultimately decided to take some time off because he was beginning to feel overwhelmed.
"I was about ready to kill somebody, to be honest, so I took 18 months off, had a big old think about it and a bit of a lie-down and came back thinking actually, this is something that will keep me young.
"It's a wonderful, youthful perspective on life. It was the decision of a thirty-something man, not an eight-year-old boy."
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