English actor, comedian and screenwriter Simon Pegg is heading back to Australia this weekend, ahead of his return to the Supanova Comic-Con and Gaming Expo.
Recognised for co-writing Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World’s End (2013) with his collaborator, Edgar Wright, plus co-writing and co-starring in the 2011 science fiction comedy Paul with Nick Frost, Pegg’s career achievements certainly don’t stop there. Instead, they continue and only grow more illustrious.
According to Radio Times, Pegg has achieved something called the “Holy Grail of Nerd-dom”, having starred as popular supporting characters in franchises such as Doctor Who, Star Trek (as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Plus, he’s portrayed Benji Dunn in six Mission: Impossible films, starting with 2006’s Mission: Impossible III and concluding nearly a decade later in 2025’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Additionally, he’s voiced Buck in the Ice Age film series.
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
Pegg wrote the introduction to the first bound series of The Boys’ comics after his likeness was used to depict Wee Hughie in previous editions of the graphic novels. For fans of The Boys, he then appeared as Hugh Snr in the popular Amazon Prime television series.
If it sounds like Simon Pegg is always busy, that’s because he is. And now, he’s catching up with fans as a Supa-Star at this year’s Supanova Comic-Con and Gaming Expo, appearing in Sydney this weekend (Friday, 19-Sunday, 21 June) and Perth next weekend (Saturday, 27-Sunday, 28 June).
Ahead of his return to Supanova, The Music caught up with Pegg for a chat about The Boys, Ice Age, Mission: Impossible, his relationship with Australia, and more.
The Music: Two of your most recent projects, Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning and The Final Reckoning, and The Boys, couldn’t be more different. How did you feel about farewelling both franchises – particularly your character’s final arc in The Boys?
Simon Pegg: I was happy. My involvement with The Boys had been a long journey, from being in the comics as Wee Hughie and in the series as Hugh Snr. It felt right, and I got to go out with a bang, which was fun.
With Mission, I have learnt never to say never. I’m not 100% sure I won’t be called back for reshoots on Final Reckoning, even though it came out last year.
TM: Speaking of The Boys, how did you find the experience of working with Jack Quaid and Eric Kripke?
SP: I love them both. Jack is such a good person. He’s grounded, extremely likable, and supremely talented. I loved working with him. We had such a good time. Eric, similarly, is a sweetheart. He never forgets my birthday, and I’ll always be grateful to him for reaching out to include me in the show. He really didn’t have to.
TM: The premiere of Only What We Carry was just at the Tribeca Film Festival. What can you tell fans about your role or the film itself if they don’t know much about it?
SP: Only What We Carry is a film I shot in six days in Deauville in France in late ‘25. It was entirely improvised from a story by director Jamie Adams and stars Sofia Boutella, Quentin Tarantino, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lizzie McAlpine, Liam Hellman and me.
It’s a hangout movie about a dancer who confronts her former choreographer about past abuses over a weekend in an empty hotel. It was an amazing experience, and I’m so proud of the work we did.
TM: Next year, fans will hear your voice again in Ice Age: Boiling Point. What have you enjoyed the most about your role as Buck, and how do you resonate with the films as a father?
SP: I love playing Buck. He’s such an agent of chaos, but incredibly sweet with it. I’ve been playing him since the year my daughter was born. I took the job specifically because I was about to become a dad, and I wanted to have something she could watch. I have a picture that BlueSky did for me of Buck with a baby weasel to celebrate her birth. I’ll always treasure it.
TM: Voicing Headmaster Black in Hogwarts Legacy would have been cool – did you get to see the development of the game and the mission where the main character drinks Polyjuice Potion to look like your character? It’s definitely a fun moment in the game.
SP: I saw some footage when I did the voice, and have seen some since. I haven’t played it, to be honest. I’m not much of a gamer these days.
TM: You’ll be back in Australia for Supanova soon. Of course, your relationship with Australia extends beyond the convention, since you starred in the black comedy film Kill Me Three Times. Do you have any stories from that movie you’d like to share?
SP: I’ve been coming out to Oz for thirty years. I have a huge affection for the country and the people. KM3T was the first time I visited Perth, and it was a blast working with [director] Kriv [Stenders] and the cast. All stories remain my own to protect those involved, especially Sullivan Stapleton.
TM: What are you most looking forward to about this year’s Supanova?
SP: Just being back in Oz. There’s something magical about being on the other side of the world to your home. I’ve always loved that about travelling here. I can’t wait to see Perth again. I have so many great memories of being there. Maybe I’ll remember some stories when I get back in amongst it in the world’s most remote city.
Simon Pegg appears at the Supanova Comic-Con and Gaming Expo in Sydney and Perth. Tickets and more information about this year’s event can be found on the Supanova website.
