Interview: Simon Pegg shares intel on his cyberthriller series The Undeclared War

Simon Pegg is a fan favorite actor here at JoBlo.com. From the unparalleled awesomeness of The Cornetto Trilogy of films made with Edgar Wright and Nick Frost to his turns in J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek franchise as well as alongside Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible series, Pegg has dabbled in everything from genre fare to comedies, big screen and small. His latest project is the thriller series The Undeclared War.

Set in 2024, The Undeclared War is a cyberthriller about a confrontation between the UK and a foreign power that results in the infrastructure of the Internet being compromised. Told from the vantage of the agents who work for the Global Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the series is a six-part look at a very frightening possible future that is not too far from where we stand today. Starring Hannah Khalique-Brown and Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg plays a pivotal role as GCHQ expert Danny Patrick.

I got the chance to chat with Pegg about his role in the series and how he doesn’t view it as a cautionary tale but rather a glimpse into a very real scenario that could play out any day now. We also talked about working alongside the great Mark Rylance and newcomer Hannah Khalique-Brown as well as the unique way Peter Kosminsky’s series showcases code-breaking in a visual medium. Pegg also touched on tackling this more grounded and realistic project compared to some of his more intense and genre fare. You can check out our full conversation in the embed above.

The Undeclared War premieres on August 19th on Peacock.