Thanks to his impressive filmography, the multifaceted Simon Pegg is one of the most recognizable faces on screen. Known for his razor-sharp wit, Pegg has a knack for incorporating comedy into his roles and characters, irrespective of the genre. With a career spanning three decades, Simon Pegg has earned a devoted fan base from his acting roles and comedy.
From cult classics like Shaun of the Dead to blockbusters such as the Mission: Impossible and Star Trek franchises, Simon Pegg remains an underrated gem in cinema. Pegg’s rise from a small-town English comedian to a Hollywood mainstay is filled with quirky facts, unexpected career turns, and a few personal struggles. Whether a longtime fan of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy or a new admirer of his work, here are 7 lesser-known facts about Simon Pegg.
1. His Real Name Isn’t Simon Pegg
Although he is famously known as Simon Pegg, it is not his birth name. The English actor was born Simon John Beckingham in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, England, on February 14, 1970. His parents divorced when he was seven. After his mother remarried, the actor changed his last name to that of his stepfather. Interestingly, his brother Mike Beckingham retained the last name of their father.
2. Simon Pegg Developed an Early Love for Theater
The actor admitted in an interview that although he loved and enjoyed doing comedy, at a younger age, he pictured himself working at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Unsurprisingly, when it was time for university, Pegg studied Theatre, Film, and Television, at the University of Bristol. He graduated from the university in 1991, where he worked on a thesis, “A Marxist overview of popular 1970s cinema and hegemonic discourses.” He began performing while in school, particularly joining the comedy troupe, David Icke and the Orphans of Jesus. This helped influence and mold his style and storyteller sensibility.
3. Simon Pegg is a Huge Star Wars Fan
Simon Pegg has been a longtime Star Wars enthusiast since he was young. He considered it an “awakening” when he first saw the 1977 Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Like many Star Wars fans, Pegg wasn’t so enthused about the prequel trilogy. However, he admits that he genuinely loves the franchise as a whole.
While he particularly didn’t enjoy The Phantom Menace (1999) and Attack of the Clones (2002), he was first in line to watch Revenge of the Sith (2005) because he just couldn’t help it. As a true Star Wars fan, Pegg had a childhood wish of starring in the franchise. He eventually realized his childhood dream when he was cast in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) as Unkar Plutt.
4. Simon Pegg’s First Public Fan Encounter Turned Out to be Amy Winehouse
Although he made his film debut in 1999, Simon Pegg had a few notable TV appearances on British television. He had played Jools in Faith in the Future (1995–1998) and played various characters in the British television sketch show Big Train. However, Channel 4’s sitcom Spaced was his major breakthrough role. After a successful first season, he was approached by a teenage girl in Camden Market in North London, who idolized him for his portrayal in Spaced. About a decade later, Amy Winehouse approached Simon Pegg during the taping of a music show. Although she asked if he remembered her, Pegg only knew her as the multi-Grammy Award singer and songwriter. Winehouse revealed to Pegg that she was the teenage girl who approached him in Camden Market.
5. Simon Pegg is One of Two Actors to Have Credits in Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who
Besides Kenyan-British actor Deep Roy, Simon Pegg is the only other actor to have achieved the feat. Pegg was first invited to play Rose Tyler’s father in an episode of the first Doctor Who series. Although he wasn’t able to play the role due to scheduling conflicts, he had another opportunity in May 2005 on episode 7 (“The Long Game”) as The Editor. In 2009, Pegg joined Star Trek in the reboot film series as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott. He reprised the role in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016). Between the sequels, he played Unkar Plutt in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
6. Simon Pegg Has Co-written Some of His Biggest Roles
While he’s famously known as an actor and comedian, his impressive credit as a screenwriter is often underrated. Besides co-writing Shaun of the Dead with Edgar Wright, some of Pegg’s earliest screenwriting credits include Six Pairs of Pants (1995), Asylum (1996), and Spaced (1999–2001). He also co-wrote Hot Fuzz, the 2007 buddy cop action-comedy, in which he co-starred alongside his best friend Nick Frost. Simon Pegg also wrote Run Fatboy Run (2007) and the third installment in the Star Trek reboot film series, Star Trek Beyond (2016).
7. He’s a Husband and Father
Simon Pegg has been married since 2005. He married his longtime girlfriend, Maureen McCann, who’s a music industry publicist. The couple married in a quiet ceremony on July 23, 2005, in Glasgow. Unsurprisingly, best friend Nick Frost was Pegg’s best man. The couple had their first child, Matilda Pegg, in 2009. At the time, Pegg refused to state the weight, sex, birth location, and other personal details about the child, believing it was a personal affair that shouldn’t concern the public.
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