Actor Simon Pegg has slowly become a household name and kind of a beacon for geeks everywhere throughout the years. Starting with the British show Spaced he began to make his persona known and after Edgar Wright's SHAUN OF THE DEAD it was all over. Since that time Pegg has appeared in a number of roles, large and small, that have solidified his place as every bit the cultural icon that he has grown up worshipping himself. Starring as Scotty in J.J. Abrams rebooted STAR TREK franchise and finishing out Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy this month with THE WORLD'S END, the prolific actor talked with Huffington Post about his passion for STAR WARS and disdain for STAR TREK haters, using some choice and colorful words.
On the hate from STAR TREK fans and a recent convention poll that rated the latest adventure as the worst, Pegg said:
“I think they haven't had time to live with it. They haven't had time to review it. I think there's a degree of stuck-in-the-mud — there's a faction within the "Star Trek" community of kind of like, "Well, I don't want to watch anything anymore." Which is fine. And, absolutely, they are entitled to that. You know, it's not for them, really. It's kind of for everyone.”
On why he thinks some TREK fans are so beligerent about the franchise:
“I think it's like when you tire of an indie band that you love because, suddenly, they get a number one single. You don't necessarily start disliking their music, but you stop liking them because you're pissed off that they're famous, or whatever. "Star Trek Into Darkness" is the most successful "Star Trek" movie ever made. It is, in terms of what it took at the box office and how many people went to see it. More people saw that film than any iteration of "Star Trek" that existed before. That is probably slightly annoying to some "Star Trek" fans — which I totally understand.”
His response to those who think INTO DARKNESS is the worst of the franchise:
“…And you know what … it absolutely isn't the worst "Star Trek" movie. It's asinine, you know? It's ridiculous. And frustrating, as well, because a lot of hard work and love went into that movie, and all J.J. wanted to do was make a film that people really enjoyed. So, to be subject to that level of sort of, like, crass fucking ire, I just say fuck you. Not you, but the people who said that. It's also that thing, as I say, that it hasn't been around long enough. It's the newest one. It's the one people least recognize. If you look back at things you really love, there's a big list: The things that you've got to re-watch and enjoy, they are going to be more up there. The thing that you know the least will be at the bottom. So it might be that, too, you know?”
On his love/hate relationship with STAR WARS:
“I don't hate "Star Wars." I love "Star Wars." "Star Wars" is an incredibly formative film for me as a human being and formed so much of who I am. It encouraged a love of classical music in me, because of the score. It encouraged literature and language and my imagination. It formed who I was as a child and it was something that I was incredibly passionate about. The prequels I didn't like at all, because they felt contrary to everything that made the first films great. When I was a kid, I was very protective of "Star Wars." When "The Black Hole" came out, some kids were going on that it was better than "Star Wars," I said, "No, it fucking isn't!" It upset me that they would say that.”
On his disdain for the prequels and how it could affect him being in the next STAR WARS film:
“I think, then, because I was so impassioned about "Star Wars" I was the most offended by its sort of portrayal of its own ideals. The very talents of Lucas's creative process were thrown out. There's footage of him talking about special effects were a tool to tell a story. And then he makes films where it's just special effects. And I've been very outspoken about that. So I think for me to suddenly go running back to "Star Wars" would be an act of massive hypocrisy.”
We're all big fans of Pegg in these parts and it's always interesting to hear him talk about these types of properties. I think some will take offense to his comments about those that hate the new STAR TREK, but I think it's important to keep in mind that Pegg is every bit a fan of these films as we are. He's "one of us" in that sense and I think it's refreshing that he expresses himself as such, rather than giving vanilla answers. Pegg speaks like a fan and as a professional, which I dig.
Pegg will next be seen in THE WORLD'S END, opening this Friday (go see it!) and will be rockin' an American accent for Frank Darabont's new AMC series Mob City in December.