Guy Pearce swerved starring in big budget studio productions as he hates being "told what to do" by executives "afraid to lose their jobs".

The 'Memento' actor, 57, has spent decades starring in indie films, with his last franchise blockbuster part in 2013's Marvel movie 'Iron Man 3'.

He has now told GQ why he has steered clear of the likes of superhero movies: "The process of it felt way too big for me. I can't make (sense of) this idea of studio films where you just get told what to do by people afraid to lose their jobs.

"I remember there were discussions at the beginning about how I was going to look.

"A couple of the executives say, 'No, he'll just cut his hair and he'll just do this and he'll do that'.

"And I'm in the room going, 'Hello?'

"I'm immediately feeling like my intuition doesn't mean anything here. That's a killer for me."

Guy was at the centre of an attempt by Hollywood to mould him into a studio leading man with projects such as 2002's 'The Count of Monte Cristo' and 'The Time Machine'.

But the latter film, based on H G Wells' novel of the same name, was a notorious critical flop and the movie that turned him off blockbuster fare.

He added about the experience: "It was the first time I really felt that there was not just a disconnect, but a kind of greater power up there that you couldn't even really talk to."

After the film, Guy stepped away from Hollywood for two years and when he returned he took on indie projects such as Western drama 'The Proposition' and playing Andy Warhol in 'Factory Girl'.

The actor recently told Vanity Fair he met with 54-year-old 'Oppenheimer' filmmaker Christopher Nolan - who directed him in the 2000 cult classic 'Memento' - to talk about taking a role in 'The Prestige', but a studio executive at Warner Bros allegedly had no interest in working with the actor.

Guy said: "(Christopher) spoke to me about roles a few times over the years. But there was an executive at Warner Bros who quite openly said to my agent, 'I don't get Guy Pearce. I'm never going to get Guy Pearce. I'm never going to employ Guy Pearce'.

"So, in a way, that's good to know. I mean, fair enough; there are some actors I don't get. But it meant I could never work with Chris."