Guy Pearce Apologizes After Tweet About Trans Actors

A Spy Among Friends star Guy Pearce has issued a lengthy apology after wading in on the debate around film and television roles for trans actors.

Pearce, who played drag queen Felicia Jollygoodfellow in the 1994 road movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, took to Twitter on Monday, March 27, to share his thoughts on whether non-trans actors should be able to play trans characters.

“A question – if the only people allowed to play trans characters r trans folk, then r we also suggesting the only people trans folk can play r trans characters,” the Mare of Easttown actor wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “Surely that will limit ur career as an actor? Isn’t the point of an actor to be able play anyone outside ur own world?”

Some commenters on the tweet pointed out how few trans roles are available; therefore, those parts should go to trans people. “Ok, so if this debate is actually about Trans actors not getting the opportunities to work like other actors do then let’s be clear about that & state that precisely,” Pearce replied. “That’s a very different point. Good to be exact, I say.”

On Tuesday, March 28, Pearce explained that he had deleted the tweets and offered “sincere apologies for crassly focussing on just one already harassed minority.”

“I see that raising the question of gender identity within the casting process on a platform like Twitter was not a good idea,” he started. “For that, I apologise, enormously. I acknowledge it has only stirred up and inflamed attitudes and made us all dig our heels in.”

I posted a tweet yesterday that I shouldn’t have, which to prevent upsetting anyone else I have now deleted. A fuller apology and explanation of the point I was raising is attached xx Guy pic.twitter.com/bu1vLQcPFm

— Guy Pearce (@TheGuyPearce) March 28, 2023

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He continued, “The point I wanted to raise was one about defending the definition of acting and nothing more. Throwing the subject onto one minority group in particular was unnecessary, especially from a man like me, with a ‘Full House’ of privilege.”

Pearce added that he did not believe artists should have to reveal their “personal identities, sexual preference, political stance, disability, religious beliefs etc” in order to land a role, but also acknowledged, “It’s clear a great many minor communities are underrepresented on screen and that so too are actors from those communities.”

The Emmy-winning actor is currently working on Disney+’s Australian drama series The Clearing, based on the book In The Clearing by J.P. Pomare. His previous TV credits include Neighbours, Jack Irish, Mildred Pierce, and The Innocents.

A Spy Among Friends, Streaming, MGM+