Guy Pearce is a man of many faces. This year alone he went from being a space jock hero in "Lockout," to a sneering effeminate baddie in "Lawless" in two wholly different performances. That the actor is talented and versatile, you already know, and his choices tend to be both interesting and eclectic. But he still managed to raise eyebrows this spring when he signed on for a role in "Iron Man 3." Pearce doing a Marvel movie? It seemed like a odd fit for the actor who favors roles that require some research and depth, but as he says, it gave him the opportunity to dip his toes into a franchise that seemed like it could be something looser than he's used to.
"I think that, based on the first two movies, there's a great chemistry between Robert [Downey Jr.] and Gwyneth [Paltrow], and I just think the films have a fun, joyful sort of quality about them. I've just enjoyed them. So I just felt like I wanted to be a part of this," he told Vulture.
While he notes that he's "loosened up, and I feel a little more experimental in what I'll take on these days," he cautions that he's not sure he'd do a superhero movie full stop, but then again, wasn't "Lockout" essentially a superhero movie? Either way, his appearance in "Iron Man 3" affords him the chance to do a big movie, without having to shoulder the burden of a lead role.
"The main difference [from filming big tentpoles] was that, when I did 'The Time Machine,' I was pretty much in all of it, so it was a really gruelling experience. 'Prometheus' and 'Iron Man' are really kind of cameo stuff, so the experience of shooting them … I mean, on some level, it's tricky because you feel like a bit of an outsider," he explained. "You don’t really live the experience that you do when you're there all day every day with everybody. But at the same time, it can be more fun sometimes because you're just working in concentrated spurts.”
He wait, "cameo stuff"? If that's true, we guess that means his role as geneticist Aldrich Killian, the guy who develop the Extremis virus that will be a central part to the plot, will be pretty limited. His character also has a bit of a darker side in the comics, and perhaps that intrigued him as well. And hey! No having to wear a cake layer of make up to look old, right?
So just a nugget to hold onto as "Iron Man 3" continues…or does it? Is RDJ's ankle better? Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall, James Badge Dale, William Sadler, Ashley Hamilton, Don Cheadle and Gwyneth Paltrow star in the Shane Black directed movie that opens on May 3, 2013.
