Guy Pearce Doesn’t Care For His ‘Memento’ Performance: “Nails On A Chalkboard”​on February 1, 2025 at 10:35 pm

Although millions of fans might disagree, Guy Pearce isn’t particularly fond of his performance in 2000’s Memento.

The Oscar nominee recently admitted that he doesn’t care for his performance in the Christopher Nolan-helmed film, which he still thinks is “a good movie” in retrospect, despite his portrayal of memory-addled Leonard Shelby, comparing it to “nails on a chalkboard.”

“I’m having an existential crisis,” he told The Times. “I watched Memento the other day and I’m still depressed. I’m s— in that movie. I’d never thought that before, but I did this Q&A of Memento earlier this month and decided to actually watch the film again. But while it was playing I realized I hate what I did.”

Pearce added, “I was trying to do a flippant attitude, but it was all wrong. John Gielgud once said, ‘You can be good in a good movie, good in a bad movie, bad in a bad movie, but never be bad in a good movie.’ Yet I watched Memento and realized I’m bad in a good movie. F—.”

The actor said he’s yet to debrief Nolan since his re-viewing. “No, because I reckon he’d agree with me. It’s funny; people say I should’ve been nominated for Memento. Now I understand why I wasn’t,” he said.

Pearce previously said of working with Nolan on Memento, “It’s hard to compete with Chris Nolan. He’s such a towering intellect.”

Written and directed by Nolan, Memento stars Pearce as Leonard, a man struggling with short-term memory loss while trying to track down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The film also starred Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano.

Memento grossed $40,047,236 worldwide, and it’s currently Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, holding a 94% Tomatometer and Popcornmeter score.