SIMON PEGG: Mitigating the ‘Black Dog’, The Tom Cruise Effect & Shaun of the Dead Brotherhood

·1 hr 2 min·5 clips

Simon Pegg explains how a real-life childhood incident with his stepfather became a pivotal scene in Shaun of the Dead.

Michael Rosenbaum interviews actor and writer Simon Pegg on the Inside of You podcast. The episode begins with Rosenbaum promoting his book, podcast support, and discussing his upcoming neck surgery. The conversation with Pegg covers his early life, including being a show-off in school and getting into acting through community theater. Pegg talks about his love for Star Wars and Doctor Who as a child and the surreal experience of later working on those franchises. He shares a touching story about meeting Carrie Fisher and her down-to-earth personality. A significant portion focuses on Pegg's creative partnership with Nick Frost and Edgar Wright, detailing how they met and collaborated on Spaced and Shaun of the Dead. Pegg reveals the real-life incident with his stepfather that inspired a scene in Shaun of the Dead. He discusses his mental health struggles, describing depression as the 'black dog' and his history of using alcohol to self-medicate before quitting at age 40. Pegg talks about his friendship with Nick Frost and how they support each other through dark times. He shares experiences working on big franchise films, including anecdotes about Tom Cruise's professionalism and public magnetism, and his roles in Star Trek and Mission: Impossible. The episode includes a rapid-fire Q&A segment where Pegg answers fan questions about voice work, favorite cinema eras, and career advice. Rosenbaum concludes by promoting upcoming Smallville events and thanking patrons.

As heard by us

Simon Pegg traces how friendship, instinct, and trust helped bring Nick Frost into Spaced.

Simon Pegg frames meeting Nick Frost as the start of a creative friendship built on instinct, trust, and the urge to make room for someone else's comic gifts.

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Why you'd press play

You get the Nick Frost-and-Simon Pegg meet-cute: a party, three weeks of gigs, then the Pink Rupee moment that made the friendship click.

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