Explore the best Simon Pegg movies before Star Trek Beyond hits theaters!
Not many people were familiar with the concept of a rom-zom-com (romantic zombie comedy) when Shaun of the Dead hit theaters in 2004. But that film proved to be an unexpected international success and it elevated Simon Pegg into a cinematic leading man. Pegg had previously established himself on the British sitcom, Spaced, and he parlayed that success into featured roles in the Mission: Impossible series, the Star Trek reboot films, and even Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Considering that Pegg’s Unkar Plutt had a history with Daisy Ridley’s Rey, it seems like a pretty safe bet that he’ll also be back for Episode VIII.
Through it all, Pegg has maintained a steady string of smaller films and comedies for the better part of a decade. Now, Pegg is really putting himself on the line with Star Trek Beyond. Many Trek fans were less than happy with Star Trek Into Darkness. That’s why Pegg was given the chance to co-write Star Trek Beyond in addition to reprising his role as Scotty. Whether Pegg can deliver a Star Trek movie that pleases all of the fans remains to be seen, but we wouldn’t bet against him!
Ahead of Star Trek Beyond’s release on July 22, ComingSoon.net is taking a look back at the career highlights of Pegg’s cinematic adventures!
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: Shaun of the Dead (2002)
Shaun of the Dead wasn’t Simon Pegg’s first movie, but it was the first film that he co-wrote with director Edgar Wright; while also continuing his collaboration with Wright and co-star Nick Frost from their time on Spaced. In the film, Pegg played the title character, Shaun, and Frost played his best friend, Ed. As the zombie apocalypse unfolded, Shaun had to salvage his relationships with his girlfriend, his mother, and his stepfather… and not all of them survived! It may have been a comedy, but Shaun of the Dead didn’t pull any emotional gut punches. Perhaps that’s why audiences responded to it so strongly.
After the film hit, Pegg quickly became an in-demand actor in Hollywood.
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: Mission: Impossible III (2006)
The Mission: Impossible movies have been Tom Cruise’s playground since 1996, but now it belongs to Pegg as well! Pegg had a minor role in Mission: Impossible III as Benji Dunn, an IMF technician who didn’t turn his back on Cruise’s Ethan Hunt. Audiences seemed to really enjoy their onscreen dynamic. Consequently, Pegg has had much larger roles in the two sequels that came after it, as well as the upcoming Mission: Impossible 6.
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: Hot Fuzz (2007)
Three years after Shaun of the Dead, Pegg reunited with Nick Frost and Edgar Wright in Hot Fuzz, a film which cast Pegg as Nicholas Angel and Frost as Danny Butterman, a pair of mismatched cops in a deceptively quiet English town.
Hot Fuzz was a parody of buddy cop action films that had plenty of spectacle to go with the comedy. Perhaps that’s why it was an even bigger hit than Shaun of the Dead!
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: Run Fatboy Run (2007)
Pegg also co-wrote his next film, Run Fatboy Run, which cast him in the role of Dennis Doyle, a man who ran out on his pregnant fiancée on the day of their wedding. The rest of the film is about Dennis’ attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of his ex and their son by getting back in shape and running the Nike River Marathon in London.
Oh, and did we mention that Dennis’ romantic rival was played by The Simpsons’ voiceover legend, Hank Azaria? That was a treat unto itself!
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: Star Trek (2009)
For the first of two J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek reboot films, Pegg took over the role of Montgomery “Scotty” Scott from the late James Doohan. Pegg’s performance received the majority of the laughs. While most of the classic Star Trek characters were introduced early in the film, Pegg’s appearance didn’t come until much later in the story. Star Trek Into Darkness continued that tradition by sending Scotty out into his own subplot before he reunited with Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew.
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: Paul (2011)
Pegg once again reunited with Frost in Paul, a sci-fi comedy in which the duo played science fiction fans who befriended Seth Rogen’s title character… who just happened to be an alien. Pegg co-wrote the film as well, and it was a fun adventure as the two leading characters tried to help Paul stay one step ahead of the government and escape Planet Earth with his life.
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: The World’s End (2013)
The collaborations between Pegg, Frost, and Wright have come to be called the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, although some prefer the earlier “Blood and Ice Cream trilogy” name. The films lightly reference Cornetto ice cream and don’t really have much in common at all beyond the previously mentioned trio.
For The World’s End, Pegg and Frost’s characters stumbled across an alien invasion while attempting to recreate an epic pub crawl.
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: Kill Me Three Times (2014)
Can you picture Simon Pegg as a private investigator and a killer? Kill Me Three Times was a black comedy that found Pegg’s Charlie Wolfe at the center of a conspiracy of death and lies, all in the most inept of ways. Sure… a lot of characters died, and some even died at Charlie’s hands! But there was something inherently hilarious about the whole thing, and even the ending plays up the comedic tone with the survivors getting what’s coming to them.
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: Man Up (2015)
One of Pegg’s most recently-released romantic comedies was Man Up, a film which cast him in the role of Jack, a man who inadvertently mistakes Nancy (Lake Bell) as his blind date before emotionally connecting with her. If you’ve seen any romantic comedy before this, then there are no surprises in this film and you can probably guess how it all plays out. But with Pegg, even an average film is still pretty enjoyable to watch.
Simon Pegg Movies Spotlight: Star Trek Beyond (2016)
This summer, Pegg’s geek credibility is on the line in Star Trek Beyond. He co-wrote the film for director Justin Lin, so if the movie isn’t a blockbuster or if fans don’t like it then they could get the majority of the blame. Star Trek Beyond hasn’t been screened for critics yet, but we do know that it takes place about midway through the famous “five year mission” as the crew of the Enterprise is forced to abandon the ship in the face of a relentless assault from Krall, a new adversary played by Idris Elba.
(Photo Credit: Daniel Deme / WENN.com)
