Simon Pegg: biography

Simon Pegg is mostly well known for appearing in films such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz with his on-screen partner, Nick Frost.

Beginnings

Born in 1970 as Simon John Beckingham, Pegg later changed his name when his mother remarried. Having attended Stratford-upon-Avon College to study Performance Arts and English Literature, Pegg graduated from the University of Bristol after gaining a degree in Drama. During this time, Pegg appeared in many of the university's dramatic productions.

Television Career

Pegg's career began with stand up performances, mostly in the London area. In 1995, Pegg attended the Edinburgh Festival, and his performance lead an invite to perform at comedy festivals in both Australia and New Zealand. Upon returning, Pegg earned several lucrative jobs in television, both in the UK and abroad. During this time, Pegg and writing partner Jessica Stephenson wrote the script for the hugely successful sitcom, Spaced, which was aired on Channel 4 in 1999. Spaced also saw the first appearance of Nick Frost, whom Pegg would go on to work with in the future. Pegg has also made guest appearances in many cult television programmes, including Black Books, Band of Brothers, Dr. Who and I'm Alan Partridge.

Film and Other Appearances

In 2004, Pegg entered the world of film with the critically and commercially successful film Shaun of the Dead along with Frost. Two years later, having had a role in the Hollywood blockbuster Mission Impossible 3, Pegg and Frost returned with Hot Fuzz, another hit. Since then, Pegg has played starring roles in several Hollywood films, including J.J. Abram's reboot of the Star Trek franchise as 'Scotty', and rom-com How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. Pegg and Frost returned to America in 2010 to film Paul, with Seth Rogan. Pegg has also been used as the basis for a character in 'The Boys' comic book series, and famously claims he knew nothing of his likeness being used until he saw the character of 'Wee Hughy' in print. However, he is now a fan of the series and has even written an introduction to the first trade paperback (a collection of individual comics) of the series.