Hollywood Popular Artists

There is not a single film coming out in 2012 that I am looking forward to more than "Prometheus." It's not just Ridley Scott's return to science fiction that has me jazzed, or the fact that we'll once again dive back into the "Alien" universe — the same universe that made me fall in love with movies, for what it's worth — but also the all-star cast that's on board: Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender… and perhaps my favorite of the bunch, Guy Pearce.

Pearce, starring in this weekend's sci-fi thriller "Lockout," appears in "Prometheus" in what sounds like a small but pivotal role. He'll play Sir Peter Weyland, founder of the infamous Weyland-Yutani Company that's played a central role in the "Alien" mythology to date. We've already enjoyed a glimpse of Weyland in a fictional TED Talk, part of the "Prometheus" viral marketing strategy. According to Pearce, however, that might be the last we'll see of Weyland — the actor's take on the character, anyway — until the film hits theaters in June.

"You've seen everything you're going to see out of [the TED Talk], but there were some sections of the speech that were trimmed out, just for economics," Pearce told MTV News about shooting the viral video. "But there are other viral videos that are going to come out that involve the other characters from the film, with Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. Mine was just the entrée to bigger and better things."

Even if we don't see him again until the movie hits, there's certainly a lot of attention on Pearce's character, given Weyland's behind-the-scenes prominence in previous "Alien" movies and official tie-ins. The actor himself didn't feel the pressure while playing the character — though that's changed in the weeks since the TED Talk hit.

"To a certain extent I'm feeling it more and more now! Every time I do an interview, and someone goes, 'Sooo... Peter Weyland!' And I go, 'Oh god!'" he laughed. "Yeah, there's a bit of pressure. But look, you're standing there in front of Ridley, and you're offering up whatever you can offer up. If it's not right, Ridley would say. So I just have to trust Mr. Scott there."

Trust Mr. Scott he did, though as it's often said, trust does not come easily. Pearce admitted that while shooting "Prometheus" was a fun experience, "it was a difficult time as well, and I won't explain why [without spoiling the film], but it was quite rigorous."

"Still, it was amazing to be part of such a historic series of films, ultimately," he added. "It was fascinating."

Are you looking forward to Pearce's "Prometheus" role? Tell us in the comments section below or let us know on Twitter!