ACTOR SIMON PEGG best known for ‘Star Trek’, ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘Mission Impossible’ has revealed that he suffered from alcoholism and depression for a number of years. The actor was speaking to The Guardian while promoting the latest Mission Impossible movie in which he stars alongside Tom Cruise.

Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise promoting the new Mission Impossible movie. SIPA USA / PA Images SIPA USA / PA Images / PA Images

Pegg spoke candidly about battling his demons and revealed just how close he came to losing everything when he started to realise he had a problem back in 2006.

When I watch that film back, I can see where I was then, which was fairly lost, and unhappy, and an alcoholic.”

I hid it. I’m an actor, so I acted … all the fucking time.”

He spoke about being in the throes of addiction and how skilful you become at hiding your problems from those closest to you.

People think junkies and alcoholics are slovenly, unmotivated people. They’re not – they are incredibly organised. They can nip out for a quick shot of whisky and you wouldn’t know they have gone. It’s as if you are micro-managed by it.”

He also spoke about he thought the birth of his daughter would change everything and fix his problems for him but it had little to no effect at all. Pegg eventually entered rehab which he candidly admitted saved his life.

I thought it would fix things and it just didn’t. Because it can’t. Nothing can, other than a dedicated approach, whether that’s therapy or medication, or whatever.”

Simon Pegg with best pal Nick Frost.

One of Pegg’s best-known works is the Cornetti trilogy made up of ‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘Hot Fuzz’ and ‘The World’s End’. In ‘The World’s End’, his character Gary is determined to finish a pub crawl despite the danger the pub crawl is putting both himself and his friends in.

I felt like I was kind of telling people with that movie. Because that’s what addiction is like. It’s like you have grown a second head and all it wants to do is destroy itself, and it puts that ahead of everything else – your marriage, children, your job.”

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Given how little we hear about addiction, it’s refreshing to hear someone like Simon Pegg speak so openly about his addiction problems. He’s been sober for a few years now and admitted that it’s the everyday things in life that keep him going including cleaning up after his dog and bringing his daughter to school.

Good man Simon.

If you’ve been affected by any of the subject matter in this article then please contact one of the following organisations:

Alcohol Action Ireland: 01-8780610.

Alcoholics Anonmyous: 01-8420700

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