Inside Guy Pearce and Cate Blanchett's Twitter spat

Inside Guy Pearce and Cate Blanchett’s Twitter spat: As Australian soap star unleashes (and deletes) a string of barbed tweets – did a 15-year old gripe over money result in simmering feud?

  • Blanchett has received critical acclaim for her starring role as a fictional composer in Tár, a bleak assessment of cancel-culture in the modern age
  • But Pearce hinted at a simmering feud following her nomination and subsequent triumph in the category for Best Actress at this year’s Critics’ Choice Awards 
  • Pearce has since deleted his tweets, but their barbed tone points to an issue dating back some 15-years and their time with rival theatre companies 

Everybody needs good neighbours, but Guy Pearce appeared to forget that famous  adage while passing judgement on Australian compatriot Cate Blanchett’s latest accolade on Monday. 

The actress has received critical acclaim for her starring role as a fictional composer in the Todd Field directed Tár, a bleak assessment of cancel-culture in the modern age. 

But Pearce hinted at a simmering feud with far reaching roots following her nomination and subsequent triumph in the category for Best Actress at this year’s Critics’ Choice Awards by initially championing one of her rivals. 


Speaking out: Everybody needs good neighbours, but Guy Pearce appeared to forget that famous adage while passing judgement on Australian compatriot Cate Blanchett’s latest accolade on Monday

‘Please be Ana De Armas! Incredible performance!’ he tweeted, referencing her divisive portrayal of screen icon marilyn Monroe in box-office flop Blonde. 

When Blanchett won the award for her role as troubled female composer Lydia Tár, the actor retweeted the announcement with the flippant message: ‘Fascinating choice…’ 

He later retweeted a post from a Blanchett fan account that included images of the actress posing for a bondage-inspired photo shoot, captioning it: Ah, no thanks.’ 

Pearce has since deleted his tweets, but their barbed tone hint at a simmering feud that dates back some 15-years and suggests the potential wounds caused by a conventional pay dispute are yet to heal. 

In 2008, the actor – riding high following the box-office success of Memento and LA Confidential – offered a less than enthusiastic response to earning less than Blanchett after agreeing to star in a Melbourne Theatre Company production of Poor Boy. 

Odd: Pearce hinted at a simmering feud with far reaching roots following her nomination and subsequent triumph in the category for Best Actress at this year’s Critics’ Choice Awards

Barbed: When Blanchett won the award for her role as female composer Lydia Tár, the Memento actor retweeted the announcement (left). He then retweeted images of Blanchett posing for a bondage-inspired photo shoot (right)

Running from January 2009, the musical served to inaugurate the Melbourne Theatre Company’s $55million theatre complex – at the time an ambitious new venture. 

Meanwhile Blanchett was settling into what would be a three-year stay as co-Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company, where she would win further accolades for a stand-out performance as Blanche Dubois in an STC production of A Streetcar Named Desire. 

Under Blanchett’s stewardship the STC was also responsible for scheduling a summer run of Pretty Boy, with Pearce in a lead role, in Sydney from July 2009 – only for the actor to rule himself out, cing money as a mitigating factor. 

Accolades: The actress has received critical acclaim for her role as a fictional composer in the Todd Field directed Tár, a bleak assessment of cancel-culture in the modern age

‘I’ve been talking to the (STC),’ he told the The Age at the time. ‘But I’m not committing to do a Sydney season in July this far out. I love the piece and I’ve been practising my songs in the shower.

‘I’m very psyched about doing it in Melbourne with the MTC because I’ve worked with them before and this is important for them. I’ll get to spend summer at home and be working like a regular actor.’ 

He added: ‘OK, I could make a lot of more money doing a movie in the same time frame but being at home is kind of priceless. But then to come back to it in Sydney later in the year after a gap of several months …

Old times: Pearce has since deleted his tweets, but their barbed tone point to a 15-years old pay dispute

‘I’d certainly do it if I didn’t have any other projects coming forward but it’s way too early to tell. If I’m not at home I might as well be doing something like a movie that pays a decent amount. 

‘I mean it would be hard to say: “Sorry, I don’t want to do your movie because I want to work for nothing in Sydney for another three months.”

‘Ms Blanchett’s fantastic, absolutely, but I’ve got to make a living. Unless she wants to pay me what she earns. If she does it’ll be the most the STC ever paid an actor, I guarantee.’

Nothing to see here: When his followers asked what his problem with Blanchett was, Pearce deleted all of the offending tweets on Monday and assured fans there was no feud 

Surprise: Pearce and Blanchett, two of Australia’s most famous actors, appear to be locked in a long-running rivalry, leaving fans shocked as they had no idea there was ‘beef’ between them 

Melbourne Theatre Company Creative Director Simon Phillips later defended the actor, telling the publication: ‘Guy has to wait until his film schedule falls into place before he commits to the (Sydney) season and that’s perfectly understandable.

‘But we’ve all got our fingers crossed. We’re just stoked he’s lent his talents to us at this historic moment for the MTC.’ 

MailOnline has contacted a representative for further comment.  

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