Simon Pegg’s Benji is one of the fan-favorite characters in the Mission: Impossible franchise. He first appeared alongside Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible III and is set to return in the eighth installment in 2025. However, Pegg isn’t a fan of the celebrity status that accompanies the role. He revealed that he cherishes a normal life and doesn’t desire a celebrity life.
Simon Pegg’s other famous works include his roles in the films, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End, collectively known as the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy. Pegg co-wrote these films with director Edgar Wright and starred alongside Nick Frost in all three.
Also Read: Mission Impossible 7 Star Simon Pegg Gives Heartbreaking Shaun of the Dead Sequel Update
Simon Pegg Prefers Keeping A Low Profile Rather Than Embracing His Hype
Working closely with A-list celebrities like Tom Cruise has elevated Simon Pegg to a top celebrity status. During an interview with the Independent, Pegg opened up about his relationship with Cruise and the one mistake he avoids despite this relationship. Pegg shared that he enjoys working with the Magnolia actor in the Mission: Impossible films.
It appears that Cruise also enjoys working with the funny Pegg and has shown grand gestures to express this. Cruise once landed a helicopter in Pegg’s garden in Hertfordshire, where he lives a normal life with his wife Maureen, teenage daughter Tilly, and their three dogs. The Top Gun actor also took Pegg to a seaside location in South Africa to swim with the sharks.
While Pegg has no complaints about the Jack Reacher actor’s gestures, he shared that he relishes his normal life of doing the school run or cleaning up after his dogs. The Star Trek actor revealed that he would not embrace the celebrity lifestyle, adding that celebrity status is a by-product of what he does and not his job. Simon Pegg shared with the Independent:
“It’s great but I do relish normality. I relish doing the school run and picking up dog sh*t. The minute you start to embrace your own hype is the minute people start saying you don’t deserve it. And celebrity is a by-product of what I do, it’s not what I do. People always ask me when I’m going to be on Strictly? I don’t want to do anything like that because it’s not my job to be famous.”
Despite trying to live under the radar, Pegg was open about one of the most challenging issues he faced in his life.
Simon Pegg Went Public With His Struggle With Alcohol Addiction
In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Simon Pegg first opened up about his struggles with alcoholism and depression. He shared that he spent years trying to hide it, and alcoholism nearly cost him his life and everything that mattered to him. Since that interview, he has discussed the issue several times, but it appears he’s done talking about it.
In his latest interview, The Boys actor revealed that going public with his issue helped in many ways. However, he added that he no longer wanted to be the poster boy for mental health. Pegg told the Independent:
“I suppose that’s it. and that’s not to throw it back at you – but it was painful in some respects to suddenly briefly become a poster boy for mental health. Going public helped me in so many ways. It was good to be honest after I had spent such a long time being secretive.”
While it is difficult for the Absolutely Anything actor to watch movies from the time of his addiction, he disclosed that his issues never affected any of his work. He confirmed that he was never drunk on set. Pegg’s battle with alcoholism is ongoing, but he is determined to fight it on his own from now on.
Simon Pegg’s Mission: Impossible movies are now available for streaming on Paramount+.
