Guy Pearce rose to prominence in films like L.A. Confidential and Christopher Nolan's Memento. The actor went on to appear in mutliple high-profile productions, such as The Hurt Locker, The King's Speech, and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. In 2013, he starred as the villainous Aldrich Killian in Marvel Studios' Iron Man 3. A loose adaptation of the Marvel Comics character that debuted in 2005, Killian created the "Mandarin" persona as a front for his criminal activities.
Pearce has now come under fire for allegedly making multiple antisemitic comments posts on social media. Jewish News (via The Hollywood Reporter) provided various alleged screenshots of the actor's posts. Pearce reportedly wrote on November 21 on X: "I've never been so disgusted by a group of people in my life as I am by Israelis. Everyday I witness their utter disregard & disdain for Palestinian life. It is shameful & sets humanity further backwards with every vile act like this."
Pearce is also claimed to have shared a video from far-right commentator Nick Fuentes. Per Jewish News, the actor reportedly shared a post from another account claiming that far-right commentator Charlie Kirk had been offered, "more than $150 million in cash to adopt a more supportive stance on Israel, but Kirk refused the offer so as not to be associated with the genocide in Gaza [...] American broadcaster Harrison Smith stated Kirk said 'I think Israel will kill me if I turn against it', which is what ultimately happened."
Pearce reportedly captioned the post with, "Gosh, what a surprise..." Following the purported posts, the Iron Man 3 actor issued the following apology to Jewish News:
"It has been brought to my attention that, in my support of Palestine, I have inadvertently re-posted articles, and/or statements, that have contained misinformation and falsehoods. I am aware how sharing inaccurate content can cause confusion and distress; for this I am deeply sorry. I will certainly endeavour to be more diligent in future to verify anything I share online."
In a statement released to the site, a spokesperson for the Campaign Against Atisemitism alleged that Pierce had a history of "amplifying material that pushes [...] toxic antisemitic conspiracies." They also cautioned that people in the industry, "must think very carefully about the figures they endorse":
"Guy Pearce has a long track record of amplifying material that pushes some of the most toxic antisemitic conspiracies. His posts have not been harmless activism; they have spread ideas that sit firmly within the canon of classic antisemitism. His apology is a step in the right direction, and it is right that he acknowledges the damage that misinformation can cause. But apologies are easy to give after the fact. What matters now is whether he genuinely changes his behaviour and stops promoting this kind of content. Agents, studios and commercial partners will be watching closely. They must think very carefully about the figures they endorse, and whether Guy Pearce's actions—not just his latest words—demonstrate that he is a responsible person to be associated with."
After issuing his apology, Pearce took to X to back up the statement, confirming he had shared "misleading" posts. He also revealed that, in order to prevent "any further hurt," he'd be stepping back from social media for the time being:
"Earlier this week, I issued an apology for sharing misleading and inaccurate posts commentary on social media. I meant every word of that apology but I recognise that meaningful action must accompany an apology. To prevent any further hurt, confusion or damage to others, I will be stepping back from social media for the time being."
The actor also deleted his social media posts, keeping up only the statement above.