Guy Pearce attends AACTA Awards solo after split with girlfriend Carice van Houten - and makes bold statement in support of Palestine

Guy Pearce elected to go solo at the AACTA Awards on Friday after confirming his split with his long time girlfriend Carice van Houten last month.

And the 57-year-old fan favourite made another kind of bold statement at the film and TV industry event which took place at a lavish ceremony on the Gold Coast.

The much loved former Neighbours star was hit the red carpet wearing a white brooch which featured a white bird of 'peace' and the words 'Free Palestine'.

Looking dashing in a stylish blue lounge suit, button-down white dress shirt and purple paisley neck tie the Oscar nominee smiled and waved at onlookers as he posed for a set of snaps.

Wearing a pair of stylish horn-rims and a light beard flecked with grey, the suave ex-Neighbours wore his short hair in a swept back wave and completed his look with a pair black brogues.

He accessorised with a designer watch and wore a beaded band with Palestinian colours on his right wrist.

It comes after Guy secured his first-ever Oscar nomination just a day after his split with partner Carice van Houten was confirmed.

The Game Of Thrones star confirmed the news on her Instagram account on Wednesday and revealed the pair haven't been a couple for 'years'.

Meanwhile, the former Neighbours star has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his critically acclaimed turn in The Brutalist.

Pearce stars alongside Adrien Brody in the post-World War II drama, with Adrian also securing a Best Actor nomination.

The Oscar nod continues a run of nominations for Pearce including the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards.

He is vying for the coveted statue with Keiran Culkin (A Real Pain) and Edward Norton (A Complete Unknown).

The category is rounded out by Yura Borisov for his turn in Anora and Jeremy Strong for The Apprentice.

The Brutalist features quite prominently this year with 10 nominations including Best Supporting Actress for Felicity Jones and Best Director for Brady Corbet.

It tells the story of an architect (Brody) escaping post-war Europe to rebuild his life in America.

Guy plays a prominent - and fictional - tycoon called Harrison Lee Van Buren who spots the architects talents and 'sponsors' his career - with tragic results.

Despite starring in a range of critically acclaimed Hollywood fare including Memento and L.A Confidential, this is the first time Pearce has been recognised by the Academy.

His nomination comes just a day after his split with partner Carice van Houten was confirmed.

The Dutch actress confirmed the news on her Instagram account and revealed the pair haven't been a couple for 'years'.

The couple share one son, Monte, nine.

'I don't usually engage in discussions about my personal life, but because of a number of conclusions in the media last week regarding my relationship with Guy, I wanted to make something clear,' she began.

'He and I are great friends and love each other very much, but we haven't been a couple for years.

'I am however, very proud to say we are in a wonderful partnership raising the true love of our lives - our beautiful son and his hamster. The end.'

Guy and Carice started dating a few months after he split from ex-wife Kate Mestitz in 2015.

They welcomed their son Monte into the world in 2016.

Rumours of a split were sparked earlier this month when the Aussie actor admitted his ex-wife Kate was the 'greatest love of my life'.

'My ex-wife, Kate, was the greatest love of my life, but I’ve moved on from her now and the greatest love of my life is my child, Monte,' he told The Guardian.

In 2018, Guy revealed his split from Kate after 18 years of marriage had prompted suicidal thoughts.

He credited Carice and their son for supporting him through a 'very challenging period of [his] life'.

The Priscilla, Queen of the Desert star admitted he was blindsided when Kate abruptly called it quits, but said he still loves and respects his ex-wife.

In 2022, Guy revealed in an interview with The Independent that parenthood changed his entire outlook on life and made him more emotional.

'After Monte was born, someone said to me, "You realise you’re now living with your heart on the outside?" And it really is true, isn’t it?' he told the publication.

'When I started acting, I knew if I needed to cry that it could 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 again...'

Earlier that same year, Guy also admitted to Who Magazine that being a new father in his 50s has its challenges.

'Having a young child at the ripe old age of 53 is a lot, but I am focused on spending all the time I can with him and being the best dad I can be,' the Melbourne-raised star said.

Guy, who first rose to fame on Neighbours, added that he hopes to bring his boy Down Under in the future.

'He's seen some Australian animals in the zoo in Amsterdam, but it will be great to show him our wildlife back in Australia,' Guy said.

Carice, who stars as Melisandre in Game Of Thrones, was previously linked to her Black Book co-star Sebastian Koch.

The pair began dating in 2005 but called time on their romance in March 2010.