Australian actor Guy Pearce has publicly called on peers in the entertainment industry to speak out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a post to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, May 6th, Pearce urged fellow creatives to use their platforms.
“I call upon everyone in my industry to PLEASE SPEAK UP,” he wrote. “This is not a call to politics, but a call to conscience. By staying silent we ‘normalise’ this genocide and condemn the people of Palestine and Israel to forever suffering. Every day in Palestine, children are being slaughtered, maimed, and starved to death.”
Pearce continued: “We are witnessing the relentless targeting of a people already trapped, and the primary victims are children. It is with utter shame that I admit we are failing our brothers and sisters in Palestine by allowing this atrocity to continue. We must voice our disdain vehemently and do all we can to stop it. It is our duty and honour as conscientious artists. As human beings.”
“Please—let us stand together.”
It’s not the first time the actor has made his stance known. In March, Pearce walked the Oscars red carpet wearing a small “Free Palestine” pin on his lapel—a white enamel dove bearing the words in bold text. The gesture was repeated at several major appearances, including the BAFTAs.
“Showing my support for the oppressed in Gaza is the least I can do to stand with them,” he told media.
The actor has consistently used public appearances to express support for Palestinians. At the 2024 Oscars and other red carpet events including the BAFTAs, Pearce wore a white enamel pin that read “Free Palestine.” Speaking to media, he said, “Showing my support for the oppressed in Gaza is the least I can do.”
Pearce, a best supporting actor nominee for The Brutalist, also wore a Palestinian flag pin at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. A photo of him published by Vanity Fair France reportedly had the pin digitally removed, prompting Pearce to respond via email to CNN: “It is most unfortunate that a reputable publication like VF attempts to eliminate support that I or anyone chooses to offer.”
He has previously posted on X: “History. Humanity. It’s not hard to know how to find your moral centre. #FreePalestine””
Separately, Pearce recently made headlines by telling The Hollywood Reporter that Kevin Spacey “targeted me” on the set of the Oscar-winning 1997 neo-noir crime drama. Pearce called Spacey “quite an aggressive man,” although he added: “Even though I probably was a victim to a degree; I was certainly not a victim by any means to the extent that other people have been to sexual predators.”
Spacey fired back in a video posted on X in which Spacey tells his “LA Confidential” co-star to “grow up.”
