Carice van Houten and Guy Pearce
TV

Guy Pearce excels as Kim Philby in ITVX’s ‘A Spy Among Friends’

Actor stole the show in the soap finale

Guy Pearce is compelling as traitor Kim Philby in the ITVX Cold War drama A Spy Among Friends.

But fans of the actor are asking the same question: is he related to Brad Pitt?

Former Neighbours actor Guy is certainly a dead ringer for the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood star.

So who is Guy Pearce? Here’s everything you need to know…

Guy Pearce in character as Kim Philby in A Spy Among Friends
Guy Pearce stars as traitor Kim Philby in A Spy Among Friends (Credit: ITVX/Sony Pictures)

A Spy Among Friends: When was Guy Pearce In Neighbours?

Guy joined Neighbours back in 1986 as Mike Young. He was 18, and the soap had been running for just a year.

It was his first big break after working in amateur theatre.

But after three years, in 1989, Guy decided to leave the soap and seek out the bright lights of Hollywood!

Then, in 2022, Guy returned for the Neighbours finale, sending fans wild!

Guy Pearce on red carpet
Guy Pearce made the jump from soap to Hollywood (Credit: Brett D. Cove/Splashnews)

Who did Guy Pearce play in Neighbours?

Guy’s character, Mike, was a student and jazz musician who had a tough time growing up at the hands of his violent father, David.

He had a long-running romance with Plain Jane ‘Superbrain’ Harris (Annie Jones) and they were friends with Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charlene (Kylie Minogue).

But, unlike the dream team Scott and Charlene, Mike and Jane split and dated other people.

It devastated Mike when Jane chose Des (Paul Keane) over him.

When Guy asked to leave the soap in 1989, Mike was written out to go and care for his sick mother.

But in the 2022 finale, he rocked up as Mike on his motorbike and reunited with Jane!

Will Guy Pearce return to Neighbours?

In November 2022, Amazon Freevee and Fremantle announced the return of Neighbours for 2023!

Actors Ryan Maloney (Toadfish), Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy) and Jackie Woodburn (Susan Kennedy) have already signed up.

But there’s no word on whether Guy might appear one day. Fans live in hope!

A Spy Among Friends: Is Guy Pearce Australian?

Guy Pearce was born in Cambridgeshire, UK, on October 7, 1967. He is 55.

His father was a test pilot in the RAF and his mum was a teacher.

When Guy was three, the family relocated to Australia.

Tragically, when Guy was eight, his father was killed in a plane crash.

Carice van Houten on red carpet
Guy Pearce is currently dating Game of Thrones actress Carice van Houten (Credit: Splashnews)

Is Guy Pearce married?

Saldy Guy Pearce’s marriage to childhood sweetheart, psychologist Kate Mestitz, broke down in 2015 after 18 years. Kate left him.

He is now dating Dutch actress Carice van Houten and the couple share a home in Amsterdam.

Carice is best-known as supernatural Melisandre – the Red Woman – in Game of Thrones.

In 2016 the pair had a son, Monte.

“After Monte was born, someone said to me: ‘You realise you’re now living with your heart on the outside?'” Guy told The Independent.

“And it really is true, isn’t it? When I started acting, I knew if I needed to cry that I would come out easily.

“Then after 15 years of therapy I became a far calmer and more satisfied human being.

“But trying to cry in a scene became impossible. Since having my boy, though, I cry at the drop of a hat!”

A Spy Among Friends: What else has Guy Pearce been in?

After leaving Neighbours, Guy had a brief stint as David Croft in rival Aussie soap Home and Away.

But his next big break was in the 1994 road movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Guy played cross-dresser Adam, who travels across the Australian desert with drag queen Anthony (Hugo Weaving) and transsexual Bernadette (Terence Stamp).

It led to roles in hit movies LA Confidential and Memento.

Movie fans will also recognise him as King Edward VIII in The King’s Speech alongside Colin Firth, as Sergeant Matt Thomas in war thriller The Hurt Locker, and as Peter Weyland in Alien prequel Prometheus.

Guy also starred in 2013’s Iron Man 3 as Marvel supervillain Aldrich Killian.

From 2012-4 and 2016-21 he played private investigator Jack Irish in the Australian series of the same name.

Fans of Netflix’s 2018 supernatural series The Innocents will recognise Guy as enigmatic Dr Halvorson.

Guy Pearce and Kate Winslet in character in Mare of Easttown
Guy Pearce starred with friend Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown (Credit: Splashnews)

In 2021, he starred alongside his close friend Kate Winslet in hit crime drama series Mare of Easttown as Professor Richard Ryan.

The pair previously starred together in TV series Mildred Pierce in 2010, set during the Great Depression, when Kate admitted she’d had a crush on him in Neighbours!

“I was completely obsessed with him from 11 years old,” Kate told ET.

“I’d skip school so I could watch the midday edition as well as the repeat at 5.30! So when I worked with him on Mildred Pierce, I had to come clean.”

Mare of Easttown filmed during Covid, so Kate and Guy had to quarantine together.

“It meant Kate and I got to spend our birthdays together for the first time on the 5th of October,” Guy told ET.

Now Guy takes on the real-life role of Russian double agent Kim Philby in the ITVX drama A Spy Among Friends alongside Damian Lewis.

Is Guy Pearce related to Brad Pitt?

Fans have speculated about this for years!

The pair look like they were separated at birth!

But ED! can confirm there is no known link.

Read more: A Spy Among Friends – who was Kim Philby? Why did he spy for the Russians?

YouTube video player

All episodes of A Spy Among Friends stream on ITVX from Thursday, December 8, 2022.

Are you a Guy Pearce fan? Leave us a message on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor