Simon Pegg
Date of birth
14th February, 1970
Occupation
Actor
Sex
Male
Height
1.78
Simon Pegg (born Simon John Beckingham, 14.2.1970) Simon Pegg is a British comedian, actor, writer and director. His career hit a high with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, though he had previously gained a following from the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced.
Childhood: Simon Pegg was born to Gillian and John Beckingham, in Brockworth, Gloucestershire. His father was a keyboard salesman and jazz musician and his mother a civil servant. John and Gillian divorced when Simon was seven years old and he took the surname Pegg when his mother re-married.
After attending a number of primary and secondary schools, Simon Pegg attended Stratford-Upon Avon College in order to study English literature and performance studies. He then graduated with a degree in drama from the University of Bristol. Whilst in Bristol, he appeared in a production of Victory by Howard Barker, alongside the playwrights Sarah Kane and David Greig.
Career: Simon Pegg moved to London in 1993, where he started performing on the stand-up comedy circuit. Two years later, he went to the Edinburgh festival with his one-man show. As a result, he was invited to perform around Australia and New Zealand in 1996 and 1997.
Pegg's stand-up performances also led to him appearing in Asylum, for the Paramount Comedy Channel, along with Jessica Stevenson, Julian Barrett and Edgar Wright. He also appeared in Six Pairs of Pants, Faith in the Future, Big Train (with Mark Heap and Kevin Eldon) and Hippies (with Sally Phillips).
During this time in his career, Simon Pegg also wrote for the Radio 4 show The 99p Challenge.
Pegg created and co-wrote the sitcom Spaced with Jessica Stevenson from 1999. Pegg's close friend Nick Frost was brought in to the show, which also starred Julia Deakin and Mark Heap.
Along with the Spaced director, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg went on to co-write Shaun of the Dead, a comedy zombie film. The film starred Nick Frost, Lucy Davis, Peter Serafinowicz and Dylan Moran. Out of respect, the notorious horror movie director George A. Romero invited Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright to make cameo appearances in his film Land of the Dead.
Simon Pegg has also had a number of small roles in a variety of TV shows, including the comedy Black Books, starring Bill Bailey and Dylan Moran. He also had a minor role in 24 Hour Party People, playing the journalist Mick Middles. The film also starred Steve Coogan.
Following the success of Shaun of the Dead, Pegg started working in Hollywood. He appeared in Mission Impossible III, with Ethan Hawke and Tom Cruise. In 2006, Pegg worked alongside David Schwimmer in Big Nothing. That same year, Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright finished their second feature film together. Entitled Hot Fuzz, the film starred Nick Frost once more, as well as Pegg, Jim Broadbent and Timothy Dalton.
The next film to star Simon Pegg was the 2007, David Schwimmer-produced Run, Fatboy Run, which also starred Thandie Newton and Hank Azaria.
2009 was another pivotal year for Simon Pegg, as he played the role of Scotty in Star Trek. The film also featured Chris Pine, Zachary Pinto and Karl Urban and was directed by JJ Abrams.
Personal Life: Simon Pegg and Maureen McCann married in 2005 in Glasgow. They have a daughter named Minnie, born in 2009.
Simon Pegg is godfather to Chris Martin (of Coldplay)'s daughter, Apple.
Simon Pegg Gets Political With Monster In Upcoming Movie 'Slaughterhouse Rulez'
By Daniel Falconer in Movies / TV / Theatre on 26 May 2018
Simon Pegg's working with Nick Frost once more for upcoming horror-comedy movie, Slaughterhouse Rulez.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's collaborations on horror-comedy movies have gone down as some of the best within the subgenre. Having fought against zombies in 'Shaun of the Dead' back in 2004, and facing off against an alien invasion in 'The World's End', they reunited last year and co-founded their production company Stolen Picture.
Having announced the first movie to come from that production company - 'Slaughterhouse Rulez' - fans of the comedy duo have been waiting in anticipation to find out more details about exactly what they should expect. Taking place in an elite boarding school, we know the movie will see teachers and students come together to battle against some form of monster, and now Pegg has given some more details about what they will be.
Continue reading: Simon Pegg Gets Political With Monster In Upcoming Movie 'Slaughterhouse Rulez'
Simon Pegg "Excited" About Working With Director S.J. Clarkson On 'Star Trek 4'
By Daniel Falconer in Movies / TV / Theatre on 12 May 2018
Simon Pegg has said he's "very excited" about working with female director S.J. Clarkson on 'Star Trek 4'.
Following news that Quentin Tarantino would be directing a 'Star Trek' movie came the announcement that the series' first ever female director would come in the form of S.J. Clarkson, for 'Star Trek 4'. With past work including her directing episodes of 'Marvel's Jessica Jones', 'Dexter', 'Banshee' and more, she's more than qualified for the role, and it would seem Simon Pegg is looking forward to working with her when she makes her 'Star Trek' debut.
Pegg played Montgomery Scott in 2009's 'Star Trek' and its follow-up, the 2016 release 'Star Trek Beyond'. Since confirming he'll be making a return for both upcoming 'Star Trek' movies, he's been opening up about his future within the franchise, and those who he'll be working with.
Continue reading: Simon Pegg "Excited" About Working With Director S.J. Clarkson On 'Star Trek 4'
Simon Pegg Confirms Work Underway For Another 'Star Trek' Movie
By Daniel Falconer in Movies / TV / Theatre on 16 April 2018
Simon Pegg thinks he and his fellow 'Star Trek' cast will be returning for another movie.
Despite there being no official announcements surrounding the current 'Star Trek' movie franchise and its future, star Simon Pegg says that he knows there will be more coming to the series when asked if his cast would reunite.
Ever since 2009, Pegg has taken on the role of the Enterprise's chief engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott, returning to the character in 2013's 'Star Trek Into Darkness' and most recent release, 'Star Trek Beyond', even picking up a screenwriting credit in the latter.
Continue reading: Simon Pegg Confirms Work Underway For Another 'Star Trek' Movie
Ready Player One Trailer
It’s the year 2045 and the only way to survive on Earth is to escape it, by living in a virtual reality game called the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation). Based on Ernest Cline’s bestselling novel and directed by Steven Spielberg, ‘Ready Player One’ hits theatres this spring.
Tye Sheridan stars in ‘Ready Player One’
Wade Watts is an orphaned teenager whose parents gave him a name that sounded like a superhero’s alter-ego. But in the reality of 2045, Wade is living in the ‘stacks’, an overpopulated, poverty stricken area of Columbus Ohio,
Continue: Ready Player One Trailer
Maureen Pegg and Simon Pegg attend Jonathan Ross' annual Halloween party held at his home - London, United Kingdom - Monday 31st October 2016
Simon Pegg attends Jonathan Ross' annual Halloween party held at his home - London, United Kingdom - Monday 31st October 2016
Maureen Pegg and Simon Pegg attend Jonathan Ross' annual Halloween party held at his home - London, United Kingdom - Monday 31st October 2016
Simon Pegg at the 2016 GQ Men of the Year Awards in association with Hugo Boss held at the Tate Modern, Bankside, United Kingdom - Tuesday 6th September 2016
Simon Pegg - BAFTAs: BAFTA fundraising gala dinner & auction at BAFTA - London, United Kingdom - Thursday 11th February 2016
The Enterprise Crew Face Their Worst Fate Yet In 'Star Trek Beyond' - Trailer
By Holly Williams in Movies / TV / Theatre on 15 December 2015
Their starship can take a lot of damage, but not that much.
The crew of the USS Enterprise are, by now, adept at overcoming life-threatening situations, but the upcoming third instalment of the re-boot 'Star Trek' film series sees them facing a threat much more serious than ever before. 'Star Trek Beyond' unveils a new adversary for Kirk, Spock and company.
The USS Enterprise has suffered a fair share of damage during the team's various adventures, but this time it gets utterly destroyed by some unidentified aliens. Without their starship, they are completed stranded on a strange planet with no way of getting help. And not only that, but, surprise surprise, this planet happens to be home to a new mortal enemy. But how are they going to defeat them without their beloved Enterprise?
Continue reading: The Enterprise Crew Face Their Worst Fate Yet In 'Star Trek Beyond' - Trailer
The Hotel That Inspired 'The Shining' To Become World's First Horror Museum
By Ed Biggs in Movies / TV / Theatre on 24 October 2015
The Colorado hotel that inspired Stephen King to create 'The Overlook Hotel' in the horror classic is planning a $24 million development.
The owners of the iconic Stanley Hotel in Colorado – better known as The Overlook Hotel in the classic horror novel 'The Shining' – are planning to open the world’s first horror-themed museum inside the building, according to a new report.
Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 classic movie, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duval, based on Stephen King's book, was inspired by the vast hotel. Though the interior of the hotel you see in the movie itself was constructed in Elstree Studios in Britain, and the exterior shots are of the Timberline Lodge in Oregon, the Stanley Hotel in Colorado was the inspiration that King used for his 1977 novel.
Continue reading: The Hotel That Inspired 'The Shining' To Become World's First Horror Museum
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer
It's been thirty years since the Rebel Alliance; led by the noble Luke Skywalker, the intrepid Princess Leia and the lionhearted Han Solo; finally defeated Emperor Palpatine of the Galactic Empire, alongside his redeemed assistant Darth Vader. The second Death Star was reduced to rubble, and the galaxy was free from a tyrannous evil once more. If only that were true. For there can never be good without evil, and sure enough another Dark Lord, Supreme Leader Snoke, has arisen to take the Emperor's place, with even more brutal plans for the civilians across the stars. But this time there are also new heroes, better equipped to deal with the ever looming terror thanks to an example set by the now ageing former Han, Luke and Leia. They are now preparing to help a vindicated former stormtrooper named Finn, an independent scavenger called Rey, and Poe Dameron who is a Resistance X-Wing pilot.
Continue: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer
Simon Pegg Goes From Absolutely Anything Back To Star Trek
By Rich Cline in Movies / TV / Theatre on 14 August 2015
He's incredibly busy at the moment, so he was glad that his new movie provided early finishes.
At 45, Simon Pegg's career is going into overdrive. Not only is he in two of the biggest franchises in cinema (Star Trek and Mission: Impossible), but he's also appearing in this year's Star Wars movie. And in between those blockbusters, he took time to make two smaller British movies, the rom-com Man Up with Lake Bell and the sci-fi comedy Absolutely Anything with the Monty Python gang.
With such a range of films under his belt (he starred in six movies last year), Pegg understandably finds it difficult to pick a highlight from his career. "Anything from going back to when we walked onto the set of Spaced for the first time," he says, "and saw the environment they'd built for us based on the things we'd written, right up to things happening recently, like getting to write Star Trek 3. I feel lucky that my career has been filled with these moments."
Continue reading: Simon Pegg Goes From Absolutely Anything Back To Star Trek
Absolutely Anything Review
Terrible
Simon Pegg continues his rollercoaster career, alternating between superior blockbuster franchises (Mission: Impossible and Star Trek) and awkward British romantic-comedies (Hector and the Search for Happiness). And this might just be his most disastrous move yet. Despite a promising cast, which includes a reunion of the surviving Monty Python members, this madcap sci-fi comedy never finds its tone, veering wildly from nutty slapstick to sentimental silliness. It's hard to remember laughing even once while watching it.
The story kicks off when an American space probe launched in 1972 is intercepted by the Intergalactic Council (voiced by the Pythons). Their investigation into Earth consists of watching YouTube videos, so of course they decide to destroy the planet. But first, they'll give one earthling a chance to save the world: they randomly choose North London schoolteacher Neil (Simon Pegg) and give him superpowers that allow him to do absolutely anything. After a few mishaps, he tries to use his abilities to improve his life, making his his dog Dennis speak (in the voice of Robin Williams) and appearing irresistible to his neighbour Catherine (Kate Beckinsale). Even though she already likes him. But Neil only has 10 days to do the right thing with his powers, or Earth is doomed.
Yes, this is essentially the same plot as Bruce Almighty, but the film never quite settles on an approach. It's produced in the style of an over-wacky child's movie, but the humour is eerily adult-oriented, so it's difficult to see who would enjoy it. The main plot is never remotely coherent, meandering through the story without any sense of direction. There are also a few corny sideroads to pad out the slim running time, including Neil's work colleague (Sanjeev Baskar) becoming an object of religious devotion, while Catherine's American military one-night-stand (Rob Riggle) becomes an obsessive stalker. Neither of these strands goes anywhere funny. Nor do extended cameos by Eddie Izzard (as a gruff headmaster) or Joanna Lumley (as a snooty TV presenter).
Continue reading: Absolutely Anything Review
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation - Spin Cycle Featurette
If you read our story on Tom Cruise working with Simon Pegg on 'Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation', you'll know that the Hollywood star did his own stunts for the film including the seriously dangerous driving - and he was shocked at how much Pegg trusted him.
Looking at this clip - featuring the duo in said car chase - Pegg's acting talent is incredible; either that or he didn't quite trust his co-star as much as Cruise thought and was genuinely scared the whole time. We sure would be.
The latest instalment of the spy franchise, directed by Christopher McQuarrie, is out in theatres now.