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Simon John Pegg (born February 14, 1970) is an English stand-up comedian, writer and film and television actor. He is best-known for his title role in Shaun of the Dead and for the British sitcom Spaced. Much of his major work has been in collaboration with some combination of Jessica Stevenson, Edgar Wright and Nick Frost.

Biography

Pegg was born in Gloucester and studied drama at the University of Bristol. In 1993 he moved to London and gigged on the stand-up comedy circuit before breaking into television comedy in Asylum, Six Pairs of Pants, Faith in the Future, Big Train and Hippies. From 1998 to 2004, Pegg regularly featured on BBC Radio 4's The 99p Challenge.

In 1999, he created and co-wrote the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced with Jessica Stevenson. For this project Pegg brought in Frost, his best friend. For his performance in this series Pegg was nominated for a British Comedy Award as Best Male Comedy Newcomer.

Pegg co-wrote (with Spaced director Edgar Wright) and starred in the "romantic zombie comedy" (rom-zom-com) film Shaun of the Dead, released in April 2004. At George A. Romero's invitation, Pegg and Wright made cameo appearances in Romero's latest zombie film, Land of the Dead.

Other roles

Pegg's other credits include the World War II miniseries Band of Brothers, guest appearances on Black Books, Brass Eye Special, I'm Alan Partridge , The Parole Officer and in the Factory Records story 24 Hour Party People. He also played the mutant bounty hunter Johnny Alpha, the Strontium Dog, in a series of Big Finish Productions audio plays based on the character from British comic 2000 AD.

Pegg appeared in the Big Finish Productions Doctor Who audio story Invaders From Mars as Don Chaney, and portrayed the character of the Editor in the 2005 Doctor Who episode The Long Game. He also narrated the first series of the documentary series Doctor Who Confidential.

Pegg auditioned for a part in the romantic comedy, Love Actually. The part he auditioned for was taken by the actor Rowan Atkinson.

Upon completion of Shaun of the Dead, Pegg was questioned on whether he would be abandoning the British film industry for bigger and better things, to which he replied "It's not like I'm going to run off and do Mission: Impossible III!", which he then promptly went on to do, playing Benji Dunn, an I.M.F. technician who assists Tom Cruise's character, Ethan Hunt.

In 2006 he played an American character, Gus, in Big Nothing alongside David Schwimmer.

Forthcoming work

Pegg and Wright have written their second film, Hot Fuzz, which will be released in 2007. The film is a police-action movie homage and will also star Nick Frost. Pegg will play Nicholas Angel, a London policeman who is transferred to rural Somerset, where grisly events start taking place.

Pegg will also appear in The Good Night and is currently filming Run, Fat Boy, Run directed by David Schwimmer and co-starring Thandie Newton and Hank Azaria.

Personal life

Pegg married Maureen McCann on 23 July 2005 in Glasgow. Nick Frost was the best man. Both Pegg's mother and sister briefly appeared in Spaced. His half-brother is Jason Pegg, lead singer of Clearlake.

Selected TV

• Asylum (1996) TV Series - Simon
• Is It Bill Bailey? (1998) TV Series - Various Roles
• Big Train (1998) TV Series - Various Roles
• Spaced (1999, 2001) TV Series - Tim Bisley
• Hippies (1999) TV Series - Ray Purbbs
• Band of Brothers (2001) Mini Series - 1st Sgt. William Evans
• Look Around You (2002) - Sleeping guard in episode "Maths", Toothpaste Guy
• Black Books (2004) TV Series - Evan
• Doctor Who (2005) - The Editor in episode "The Long Game"

Selected filmography

• Guest House Paradiso (1999) - Mr Nice
• The Parole Officer (2001) - Deflated Husband
• Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Shaun
• The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse (2005) - Peter Cow
• Land of the Dead (2005) - Photo Booth Zombie
• Mission: Impossible III (2006) - Benji Dunn
• The Good Night (2006) - Paul
• Big Nothing (2006) - Gus
• Hot Fuzz (2007) - Nicholas Angel

External links

• Peggster(dot)net

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