15th May 2023, Mumbai: Simon PeBB, a prominent actor from the Mission Impossible series, recently opened up about his personal battle with alcoholism. During the filming of Mission Impossible alongside Tom Cruise, PeBB disclosed that he faced the arduous challenge of combating his addiction. He shared that he resorted to being discreet and cunning in order to conceal his struggles from his fellow cast members and the dedicated film crew.
During an interview , Simon Pegg candidly expressed his experience, stating, “When you have something like that in your life, you become incredibly adept at being covert. You acquire the skill of navigating through it without arousing suspicion because it gradually consumes you. It relentlessly seeks to perpetuate itself and will go to great lengths to avoid detection. However, there inevitably comes a time when concealing it becomes impossible, and fortunately, I managed to regain control before reaching that point of no return.
Following his A-level exams and prior to enrolling at the University of Bristol, Simon Pegg encountered a phase of teenage depression that triggered the onset of his mental health struggles. An unexpected resurgence of profound depression surfaced during the filming of Mission: Impossible III in 2006. Coping with this emotional turmoil, Pegg resorted to alcohol as a means to alleviate his mental anguish. However, it was the birth of his daughter, Matilda, in 2009 that served as a profound awakening for Pegg. It compelled him to recognize his reliance on alcohol and the urgent need to pursue proper treatment and support.
During the discussion, Pegg also touched upon his friendship with Tom Cruise, his co-star in the Mission: Impossible series. Having collaborated on four films prior to the fifth instalment, Pegg revealed that he deliberately refrains from engaging in conversations about Cruise’s affiliation with the Church of Scientology. He expressed his belief that delving into this topic would be an exploitation of the unique connection he shares with Cruise, as it grants him privileged access to personal information.
Pegg characterised his rapport with Cruise, who is 53 years old, as “friendly” and emphasised the distinction between encountering the real individual versus the preconceived notions and perceptions one may have built around them. Acknowledging Cruise’s status as a prominent star, Pegg highlighted his enjoyment of fame, which serves as a source of energy and motivation for him.
Regarding his professional endeavours, Simon Pegg’s most recent appearance was in Vaughn Stein’s film “Inheritance,” which premiered in 2020 and featured Lily Collins in the lead role. Since then, he has been involved as a voice actor in several films, including “The Sparks Brothers,” “America: The Motion Picture,” “The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild,” and “Luck.”
By: Tanya Chantola