Simon Pegg has carved out one of British entertainment’s most remarkable careers, transforming from a cult comedy figure into a globally recognised actor, writer, and director. Born in Gloucester, a town he colourfully describes as “feeling like the furthest star from the centre of the universe”, Pegg has defied the odds with tenacity, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to his craft.

Beginning in the alternative comedy scene of the UK, Pegg made his name in television before collaborating with director Edgar Wright on groundbreaking projects. His partnership with Wright yielded the cult classics Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End – films that proved comedy could carry emotional depth and real thematic weight. Beyond these collaborations, Pegg has established himself as a versatile performer, lending his talents to big-budget franchises including Star Trek and Mission: Impossible, while continuing to write and develop original material.

What sets Pegg apart is his refusal to be pigeonholed. While critics sometimes reduce his work to “comic relief,” he has consistently fought for more complex, nuanced characters. In recent years, he’s focused heavily on dramatic roles, proving that comedic timing and serious acting are not mutually exclusive – in fact, the skills required for one often enhance the other.

In this interview, conducted at PÖFF, Pegg discusses his career philosophy, his collaborations with some of cinema’s greatest directors, his thoughts on the future of acting in the age of AI, and the dreams that continue to drive him forward.

Q: You seem to have completely immersed yourself in your work. How do you balance that with having a normal life?

I do live a somewhat unconventional existence compared to someone like Tom Cruise. Tom has dedicated himself entirely to filmmaking in a way that’s genuinely awe-inspiring. There’s something remarkable about the level of commitment required to be Tom Cruise. Personally, I’m glad I have a normal life where I can go to the shop, take my dog for a walk – those everyday things. I’ve been fortunate to maintain some semblance of normalcy while still pursuing my passion for storytelling.

Q: You’ve done your own stunts for Mission: Impossible films?

Actually, I’ve never had a stunt double for the Mission films, and we do extensive training just in case. The thing about those films is that stunts are central to the experience—that’s the mantra: “stunts are real.” We prepare extensively, and since we often don’t have a completed script when we begin, we train to handle whatever might be required. My role, particularly as Benji Dunn, has evolved over the films to be more technical, but I’m really just a human GPS at the end of the day.

Q: European actors coming to Hollywood often get typecast. Did you worry about being relegated to comic relief roles?

I came from a strong comedy background and made my name in comedy, so I knew those skills would be valuable. But I have to thank the directors I’ve worked with – Brad Bird, J.J. Abrams, and others – for allowing me to do more than just provide laughs.

When reviews described Benji as simply comic relief, it genuinely frustrated me. Benji is funny, yes, but he’s a human character. His purpose is to serve as the audience’s entry point into this world of espionage and high-tech operations. He’s an ordinary person in extraordinary situations, constantly questioning everything with “what the fuck?” and “are you crazy?” That creates comic tension, but it also makes him relatable. In the later films, his character developed into something more complex and layered, which has been satisfying to play.

Q: You’ve become a screenwriter alongside your acting career. What drew you to that?

If you’re an actor and can generate your own material, you create more opportunities for yourself. Edgar and I wanted to make a zombie film, and nobody else was funding them, so we wrote one. We wanted to make a Hollywood action film set in the English countryside, and again, we had to create that ourselves.

Writing is genuinely fun and a different discipline altogether. There’s nothing quite like finishing a first draft and knowing that what remains is just refining and perfecting what you’ve created. I’m currently working with other producers on adapting a book into a film, which has been a rewarding experience—taking someone else’s story and translating it from a literary work into a visual medium.

Q: Many comedic actors struggle to be taken seriously as dramatic performers. How have you navigated this?

Edgar and I have always tried to infuse our comedies with emotional depth, so they’re never just joke machines. In Shaun of the Dead, when Sean has to shoot his mother, that’s not funny—and it shouldn’t be, because the situation isn’t inherently comedic. With The World’s End, we told the story of a suicidal alcoholic trying to complete a pub crawl. Gary King’s pain and emotional turmoil were absolutely real and played seriously. He was a damaged, vulnerable human being hiding behind bravado, and that vulnerability came from personal experience.

Because of this approach, I’ve been offered plenty of dramatic roles in recent years. Honestly, I find comedy easier than drama. But I don’t think there’s really such a thing as “a dramatic actor” or “a comic actor”—acting is just acting. What I have noticed is that good comedians often transition well to drama because to do comedy effectively, you need to understand the entire emotional spectrum. You have to be able to find truth in every shade of human experience.

Q: Who were your comedy influences growing up?

I grew up in the 1980s during the alternative comedy scene in the UK. I loved people like Rik Mayall, Ade Edmondson, and of course Monty Python—Python was everything to me as a kid. Going further back, I admire Will Hay and so many other British comedy actors. What’s remarkable about all these performers is that they weren’t just good comedians; they were genuinely good actors.

The best advice I’ve ever received about acting is simple: find the thing you love to do, then try to get somebody to pay you to do it. I’ve told my daughter this her entire life, because if you can make your hobby your job, you’ve won.

Q: What makes a director great to work with?

As an actor, I like to be directed. I don’t appreciate directors who expect me to just pull a performance out of thin air. I want the director to tell me what they’re looking for so I can shape my work to serve their vision. It’s not my film—I’m part of the process of creating theirs.

Communication is everything. The best directors I’ve worked with—Jamie, Edgar, Brad Bird—have a crystal-clear idea of what they want. Brad was particularly impressive because he came from animation, where you have control over every pixel. When we were shooting a scene in Prague meant to look like Red Square in Moscow, Brad used a metaphor to help me understand his vision. He said something like, “Imagine a teapot boiling—every now and then a little steam comes out.” That’s directing at its finest—not just telling actors what to do, but giving them tools to understand what you’re trying to achieve.

Q: Do you have a dream role or film you always wanted to be in?

Absolutely. When I was younger than many of you here, I was about ten in 1980, The Empire Strikes Back had just come out. I had the Star Wars soundtrack record, and I’d imagine myself as Luke Skywalker’s younger brother, creating scenarios in my headphones. Thirty-four years later, I found myself in the desert of Abu Dhabi dressed as a stormtrooper, surrounded by actual stormtroopers and droids. I’d somehow managed to get myself into Star Wars, which was extraordinary.

Actually, being on set was more enjoyable than watching the final film. There was something destined about it. That film meant everything to me as a child, and to participate in it, even in a small way, felt like a full-circle moment.

I also had similar feelings about Star Trek, which I watched as a kid. If I just say things out loud with enough conviction, they seem to happen.

Q: Are there directors you’re still hoping to work with?

Absolutely. Wes Anderson fascinates me – his work has such a particular aesthetic and sensibility. He hasn’t called me yet, but I’d be delighted to work with him. Paul Thomas Anderson is someone whose work I deeply admire, and there are emerging filmmakers doing remarkable things, too. Ari Aster is brilliant, Robert Eggers is fantastic, and there’s real talent constantly emerging in horror and beyond. Zach Craig’s work is excellent.

I do get to collaborate with Steven Spielberg, which is an honour. I’ve worked with him multiple times, and I genuinely love him. After finishing Star Trek, I told my agent not to call me unless it was Spielberg. Three weeks later, the phone rang.

Q: Is there hope for another Star Trek film with your cast?

Unfortunately, Paramount is going through governance changes and will likely reboot the franchise entirely. Until last week, I thought we’d be doing another film, but apparently not. I’m sad about it because I love those people – we built something special together.

There is one complication: we lost Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov, and he was a beloved cast member and friend. Coming back together without him would have been bittersweet, but it would have been nice to do. It seems there will be a new Star Trek, but it won’t be with us.

Q: With AI changing visual effects, do you think it will replace actors?

No. AI has never had its heart broken. It’s never had an absent father. It’s never experienced what it means to be human, and art is fundamentally a human thing. While AI will revolutionize effects and likely impact background artists and certain other roles, genuine actors and storytellers have something AI will never have: real human experience.

Yes, you’ll probably see AI-generated content, but it will be mediocre because that’s all AI can produce. It takes fragments from everywhere and creates a middle ground. It’s a tool, a paintbrush, but a paintbrush can’t paint a picture without someone holding it.

The thing about AI is that I can’t imagine it ever giving a performance with genuine heart and soul, because it’s only ever known processors. To make something feel worth watching, it has to be forged in a human mind. AI might become part of our filmmaking landscape and could help create certain visuals, but those visuals must be fundamentally grounded in human creativity to matter.

Q: You mentioned challenges in making comedy today. Is increased sensitivity a bad thing or natural evolution?

It’s both. I think increased awareness of our biases is genuinely good – it stops people from punching down. What some call “political correctness” is simply people waking up to biases they didn’t realise they had, and that’s growth.

The danger now is that nuance gets lost. You can make jokes about race, sexuality, and gender without being opposed to those groups—as long as you’re punching at the right target. In Shaun of the Dead, when Ed uses a particular word, the joke isn’t the word itself; it’s that he’s a white kid who’s listened to too much rap thinking it’s acceptable. The character is clearly defined as flawed for saying it. The moment we stop depicting characters who say inappropriate things, everything becomes sanitized.

But this danger comes from both sides. The left sometimes shows a lack of humour and jumps on outrage without considering context. There’s a real risk that both excessive sensitivity and excessive defensiveness about that sensitivity could swallow the nuance entirely. Maybe we’re just going through a phase, but comedians and storytellers have to maintain the courage to explore uncomfortable truths.

Q: How are Tom’s famous Christmas cakes?

They’re fantastic! I get two cakes a year—one for my birthday and one at Christmas. The Christmas cake is a gingerbread house because Tom has known my daughter since she was a baby, and even though she’s now 16, he still sees her as a baby. My daughter doesn’t appreciate this—she sees everyone else getting coconut cakes and wants one of those instead.

There’s a funny story about this. When my daughter was very small, I had to go to Morocco to film a movie. I told her I was going to work with Tom Cruise, and she said, “Who’s Tom Cruise?” I said, “Remember that really nice cashmere blanket you got for Christmas?” She said, “Oh, the blanket man!” So for years, my daughter referred to Tom Cruise as “the blanket man.”

He’s lovely with her too—very sweet and encouraging. Though I did have to have a conversation with him when he told her not to do her exams to come see a movie premiere. I was not pleased about that. I said, “What are you talking about? She’s studying.” She ended up staying home, revising, and did very well, thank you very much.

Q: You’ve achieved remarkable success. What advice would you give to young filmmakers from smaller countries or industries?

You have to chase your dreams—and I mean actually chase them, not just want them. It’s not enough to hope opportunity lands in your lap. As an actor, that used to mean waiting for someone to call you in for an audition, which is why Edgar and I started writing our own material.

But here’s the thing: it’s actually a really good time to be a filmmaker right now. We all have an HD camera in our pocket and editing software on our device. You can make something and upload it to a platform where it might be seen. Even if no one watches it, the act of making it gives you skills for your next project.

Never assume you’re the underdog just because you’re from Gloucester or Tallinn. Chase your dreams, go after them, and be tenacious through the setbacks—because there will be setbacks. But persistence matters.

Q: What’s your dream at this point?

My dream is to keep working with interesting people—actors, directors, writers, anyone with shared goals and vision. It’s really important to gather your team around you, the people you collaborate with creatively and technically, people who understand you and whom you understand. Everything is better in a group. I’d love to keep working, keep learning, and keep discovering new creative challenges.

As a side note, I’ve also just done my first paid gig as a DJ, which was amazing. It’s a different set of muscles, and I’m enjoying exploring that too. But primarily, I want to keep making meaningful films with people I genuinely enjoy working with.