The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
(Stephan Elliott, 1994)

The former square-jawed soap star was unexpectedly effective in this road movie about three drag queens trapped in a transcontinental school bus, playing the loud and obnoxious Felicia opposite Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp.

LA Confidential
(Curtis Hanson, 1997)

The movie that broke Pearce in the United States. He stars as the righteous and bespectacled detective Ed Exley who joins forces with the bullying Bud White, played by Russell Crowe. The pair, as good cop-bad cop, investigate a diner massacre that may involve the LAPD itself.

Memento
(Christopher Nolan, 2000)

It’s easy to forget how funny Pearce can be. Playing Leonard, an amnesiac avenger hunting his wife’s killer, his scenes often start with quirky voiceover as he tries to figure out his predicament. For example, holding a whisky bottle he muses: “Mmm, I don’t feel drunk.”

The Count of Monte Cristo
(Kevin Reynolds, 2002)

Pearce clashed with the producers, who wanted more action. Yet, as the evil Fernand Mondego, he remains a camp joy and a forebear of Captain Jack Sparrow. “The combination of Paris and me is hardly a recipe for fidelity, is it?” he says to his wife, with a broad wink.

The Proposition
(John Hillcoat, 2005)

This revisionist Australian western casts Pearce, with a soft Irish brogue, beard and intransigent stare, as an Outback outlaw who can save his younger brother (Richard Wilson) from execution if he can find and kill his savage older brother (Danny Huston). Much bloodshed ensues.

Factory Girl
(George Hickenlooper, 2006)

The movie had to be reshot and the cast clashed with the director, but Pearce’s turn as a mercurial, childlike Andy Warhol is definitive. A hard-nosed journalist grills Warhol: “Some say your work is pornographic.” “Isn’t that great?” comes the soft singsongy reply.

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