Interview by Paul Salfen
In the blistering expanse of 1849 Arizona Territory, where dust devils dance like omens and every horizon promises peril, Killing Faith unfolds a tale as raw as the land itself. Guy Pearce, no stranger to morally tangled characters, steps into the boots of a doctor escorting a former slave (Dewanda Wise) and her ailing daughter (little Emily) through hostile country. What begins as a mission of science—treating the girl’s mysterious illness—spirals into superstition when locals brand the child cursed. Science versus faith, good versus evil, redemption versus damnation: the film, penned and directed by first-timer Ned Benson, is a gritty, funny, and unflinching ride.
Pearce, speaking from what he calls “the gray background” of a video call, lights up when recalling the shoot. “It was great fun—primarily because of the people,” he says. “Dewanda, Ned, Jack [presumably Jack Reynor], Bill Pullman, and our girl Emily. Fantastic humans. Then Ned wrote a pretty funny but dark script, so we were laughing even when I was covered in blood.”
The desert, unpredictable as ever, tested the crew, but Pearce shrugs it off. “We’ve got tents, water, the works. Ned’s blind optimism kept us going: ‘We got this.’” That buoyancy extended to the collaboration. Benson, aware of Pearce’s veteran status, set the tone early: “You’ve done tons more movies than I have. This is a collaboration.” Pearce reciprocated. “I’m not here to step on your toes or make a different movie. I love what you’ve written.”
The Craft: Staying True
Pearce’s advice to aspiring actors is characteristically blunt: “Learn your lines.” Pressed further, he digs deeper. “Be sure of why you want to do this. If it’s fame or money, own it. But stay true to that initial drive.” He’s walked the other path—taking paychecks for projects that left him halfway through asking, Why am I here? “I’d rather have an honest experience on a film that doesn’t work out than be on one where I don’t believe I should be there. Authenticity to the craft—and the validity of the movie itself—matters more.”
Good, Evil, and the Space Between
Killing Faith doesn’t shy from the big questions. “We all live with both good and evil,” Pearce reflects. “Doing a bad thing one day doesn’t make you a bad person; it might just mean you had a bad day.” His doctor grapples with redemption—whether to bother trying. “It’s always worth it,” Pearce insists. “If someone watches this and feels inspired to redeem something in their own life, that’s the hope.”
Music on the Horizon
Between takes, Pearce was already sifting through old demos. “I’m turning crappy ones into better ones,” he laughs. At 57, the album still means something cohesive to him. “I come from that world. I just love making music. I won’t put out another record unless it’s good.” Twenty to thirty songs are in play; an album’s worth feels close.
What’s Next
Fresh off the festival circuit, Pearce has two projects looming: the hard-hitting Australian prison drama Inside and Netflix’s The Woman in Cabin 10 opposite Keira Knightley, opening October 10. But for now, he’s all in on Killing Faith. “See it on the big screen,” he urges. “It’s so much fun.”
In a career built on leaps—like the 1994 jump to L.A. that landed him L.A. Confidential—Pearce knows the desert doesn’t forgive hesitation. Killing Faith is his latest testament: sometimes the curse isn’t the girl. It’s the mirror.
