![]() ![]() Because in that universe Mr Simon Pegg has three million followers and rising. There’s one thing however that the affable actor can’t resist talking about, and that’s social media. I could move to LA tomorrow and not work there for five years – all the ensuing films could be made at Pinewood”) to mischievously batting off standard opening questions such as, “When does this schedule end for you?” with a slightly awkward pause, steely-eyed stare and, “When am I going to die? I don’t know.” Yet he takes it in his stride with ease, as happy talking about his preference for Britain over Los Angeles (“I live in Hertfordshire. “This, then a phoner in the car on the way home and I’m done”) Pegg shows none of the weary fatigue your average A-List celebrity would display, having just spent an afternoon being cajoled by a photographer to leap about in a variety of near impossible poses. On the last leg of interviews for Trek (“This is the end of it,” he smiles, leaning back in his chair. Simon is in fine form when we sit down with him above a small photo studio in London’s not-so-plush North West suburb of Harlesden. The man can also write, and proved his big screen credentials alongside long-time writing partner Edgar Wright (whom he met on 1996 Paramount comedy, Asylum) with zombie comedy Shaun Of The Dead, then cop caper Hot Fuzz, and ultimately The World’s End, a tale of a long overdue pub crawl and the final film in their so-called Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, due for release in July. Pegg’s talents don’t just reside within that rare combination of comedic timing and acting ability. And would it be too much to ask for a role in the new Star Wars? More on that later… Abrams, first alongside Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible series, then as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in Star Trek and now Star Trek Into Darkness, out this month. It’s a journey that has also resulted in a remarkable collaboration with director J.J. But with its unmistakable air of inspiration, a life-affirming production like Simon Birch could fairly be called a self-help film.When the surreal big train appeared on bbc2 back in 1998, it was easy to lose the twenty eight year-old Simon Pegg amongst the surge of new comedic talent fighting for recognition.Īnd although Catherine Tate, Julia Davis, Mark Heap and Kevin Eldon can now all confidently stamp “Household Name” across their business cards (ok, perhaps not Kevin but he’s doing his best), it’s the solitary Pegg who has ultimately capitalised on a relentless output of British film and television to conquer Hollywood. Rounding out the cast are Oliver Platt as Mom’s beau, David Strathairn as the town reverend and Jan Hooks as a Sunday-school teacher.Īppearing in a cameo as the grown-up Joe is none other than Jim Carrey, who surely has his pick of scripts and who, I’ve always heard, is a major fan of self-help books. And Ashley Judd (Kiss the Girls), as his perfect mom, is just dreamy. Joseph Mazzello (Jurassic Park), one of the best kid actors around, makes a pleasant Joe. Johnson is fortunate in his cast, especially in young Ian Michael Smith, who brings a surprising measure of dignity to the title role. (Simon and Joe sometimes sound like grumpy young boys.) The movie’s writer and director is Mark Steven Johnson, who also wrote the Grumpy Old Men comedies. Much of this redemptive acid must flow from John Irving, whose novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany, inspired this film. ![]() ![]() ![]() “I look like a burn victim,” fumes Simon in his cartoon-mouse voice. Dressed as the baby Jesus for the class Christmas pageant, he complains about his swaddling clothes. The movie’s mean streak also expresses itself in its attitude toward organized religion (ambivalent at best) and finds a more obvious humorous outlet in Simon’s unrelenting sarcasm. Director: Christopher McQuarrie Stars: Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg Votes: 342,821 Gross. And they happen with a randomness that is shocking and even, at times, perversely funny. Horrible things – like the baseball-game tragedy – happen to people here. Although the tone often verges on saccharine, it isn’t always that way. When I say that Simon Birch is more emotionally challenging than the typical life-affirming flick, I suppose I mean that it’s somewhat more cruel. It is also about what happens in the wake of a baseball game that ends in tragedy. Simon Birch is the story of how Simon fulfills his destiny and helps Joe to uncover the truth about his dad. ![]()
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