“Memento” actor Guy Pearce issued a lengthy apology Tuesday for his tweet proposing the idea that only trans actors can play trans characters in movies and vice versa.
After receiving pushback for the politically incorrect tweet – which he actually made as an argument in defense of trans actors’ careers – the Australian actor wrote a thorough apology letter, in an attempt to soothe anyone offended by the social media post.
He also explained the point of view published in his offending tweet, noting he believes keeping certain actors limited to certain roles “annihilates our imagination.”
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Guy Pearce speaks during the 2022 AACTA Awards Presented By Foxtel Group at the Hordern on December 07, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for AFI))
The “L.A. Confidential” star posted his controversial tweet Monday, which read, “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. Surely that will limit ur career as an actor? Isn’t the point of an actor to be able [to] play anyone outside ur own world?”
After posting, Pearce debated with several users over the point he was making, though the actor eventually found himself regretting his comments and later deleted the post.
The next day, he composed a long apology letter, expressing regret over tweeting his opinion about the “complex and sensitive” topic.
He opened the apology, saying, “I see that raising the question of gender identity within the casting process on a platform like Twitter was not a good idea. For that, I apologise, enormously. I acknowledge it has only stirred up and inflamed attitudes that made us all dig our heels in. I take responsibility for that and again, apologise for starting a fire.”
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A woman’s shoes under a trans flag during a concentration of the Trans Platform Federation, at the PSOE headquarters in Ferraz street, on 28 October, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Alejandro Martinez Velez/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Pearce noted, “I understand how my question… is insensitive,” though he did try to clarify the point he was trying to make.
“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. I’m in no position to complain about fairness, at least not on my own behalf,” he said.
The actor also claimed he raised the question because he once played a drag queen in his breakout role, “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”
Pearce stated, “I raised the question because for 30 years now I’ve had many people ask me since doing Priscilla ‘Don’t you think gay people should’ve played those roles?’ and now many similar discussions are occurring about trans actors and trans roles.”
He admitted his belief that “a great many minority communities are underrepresented on screen and that so too are actors from those communities,” but again claimed that limiting who can play what based on their identity inhibits the art of acting and actors in general.
A protester holds the trans flag and snaps in solidarity with other speakers, during a demonstration at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, on June 25, 2021. (Stephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
He added, “I believe that to suggest ‘acting’ can only come from our own lived experience annihilates our imagination. I wouldn’t want that restriction placed on a minority actor or any actor for that matter, myself included.”
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The actor signed off with one more apology, writing, “And again, sincere apologies for crassly [focusing] on just one already harassed minority in my original tweet.”