Pegg Wins Brit Comedy Award – Talks A Little Trek December 6, 2007
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: ST09 Cast , trackback
Last night the new Scotty, Simon Pegg, picked up the Ronnie Barker Writers’ Guild Award at the British Comedy Awards (but his cop movie parody Hot Fuzz lost out to The Simpsons Movie for Best Comedy Film). Sky Showbiz also got the actor to talk a bit about the new Star Trek film. Apparently he hasn’t started shooting yet and doesn’t even have his own copy of the script.
Pegg told Sky Showbiz:
I don’t know much about it yet, I’m just about to set out and start doing it, it’s going to be great. It’s very hush-hush; when I read it, I read it with a security guard near me – it’s that secretive.
Pegg shouldn’t take it personally, it appears that the only actor who was given a copy of the script before being signed on was Leonard Nimoy (and possibly Eric Bana)
When accepting his award, Pegg was quite gracious. Chortle.UK recaps the event:
Bill Bailey presented the Ronnie Barker Writers’ Guild award to Simon Pegg. Bailey said: ‘You sort of forget, because he makes it very easy, how good a performer he is.’ Pegg said: ‘I feel slightly fraudulent as I’ve got here on the shoulders of other people: Jessica Stevenson, Edgar Wright, Nick Frost.’
Facial Hair On Scotty?
In the picture from the awards show below, it is clear that Pegg is still sporting his beard. On The Original Series Scotty was clean-shaven. However for the TOS films the original Scotty, Jimmy Doohan sported a mustache. It is likely that the beard will have to go, but then again this is a “new vision” of Star Trek. VOTE in the latest poll (right sidebar) on your thoughts: should they keep the beard, go with the stache, or the classic clean look?
Pegg…still got the whiskers
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Comments»
I like this guy!
Simon Pegg is a comedy genius and a really good actor. People who are worried will be relieved next December.
Actors involved in the film not having their own copy of the script – is it just me or is this getting quite ridiculous?
I think that he will do just fine.
his hair looks fuller…
Fasinating.
Perhaps he’s had a little bit of work now he can afford it – some replacement at the front. I am still unconvinced by him as Scotty – too much baggage of previous roles.
#6
No offense, but that is something that is our problem to get over, not his. Anyhow, would you prefer it if he had no previous acting experience?
If he approaches it as any actor should, he will put all his effort into the role. And he is a good actor, so I am hopeful.
Riker had a full beard. Besides, he hasn’t even started shooting yet so, like most of us with goatees, I’m sure he isn’t going to shave it until he absolutely has to.
I like this guy! I was wondering if they are going to dye his hair black or are the powers that be going to allow minor things like hair color to be changed?
Personally I wouldn’t care too much as long as the story and acting is good, the new actors are (as far as I’ve heard) not going to imitate the original actors down to the smallest detail.
IF PEGG WAS TO SHAVE HIS GOATEE…
…and dye his hair dark brown or black, he’d actually look a lot more like James Doohan than you’d initially think.
If Scotty ends up looking exactly like Simon Pegg does today, then yeah, that’ll take some MAJOR getting-used-to.
I smell a boycott!
He can shave his beard, wear a red shirt, say, “I canna…” and crawl up Jeffries Tubes until he is blue in the face and I will STILL believe he
is……………..Simon Pegg
#7 disagree: someone with an established persona in comic roles will inevitably “take you out” of the picture
He can only keep the goatee if he is the Mirror Universe Scotty. And he might well be.
Keep the beard. Why counldn’t Scotty have sported a beard in his younger days? All we know is that he didn’t have it in the first episode of TOS. Its very fetching and, imo, makes him look more Scotty-ish.
Oh get over it. This was bound to happen. We knew that there would eventually be a redux of Star Trek. So get over it. If it’s a good movie, it’s a good movie. Let it stand on its own merits. After all, if James Bond can go blond………
The beard issue is quite silly. Actors frequently grow facial hair between films. We’ve seen Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Jim Carrey, etc. all with full beards in public. During filming they are so often in the makeup chair it must be a relief to just do nothing sometimes.
#3:”Actors involved in the film not having their own copy of the script – is it just me or is this getting quite ridiculous?”
It’s just you. This is certainly not an unheard-of practice. It’s not clear right now that Scotty, Sulu, Uhura et al have more than brief appearences in the movie and security concerns certainly outweigh whatever natural curiosity they may have.
Facial hair is gross, plain and simple. Lose the beard.
#18 – I’m pretty sure it’s not ‘plain and simple’, as I know plenty of guys and girls that would disagree with you ;)
That aside, the most outrageous bit in the article for me was Hot Fuzz losing to SImpsons movie for best comedy! Did anyone who voted actually watch Simpsons? It was about as funny as putting your hand on a stove.
You can grow a half-decent beard in about a week! Who’s to say Scotty couldn’t have a beard for a while?!!
Maybe I’ve changed my mind about him. I think he might can pull this.
I say he should shave it simply to help with the idea that this is a young version of the crew. A beard tends to make one look older.
I think he can definitely pull this off. His eyes are a near-match for James Doohan’s.
I remember Scotty as having an honest sense of humor. Nothing extreme and nothing stale. The role will be in good hands with Pegg.
#20 exactly
Pragmaticus (#23), I was thinking exactly the same thing! Look past the lighter hair and the beard and note the expression on Pegg’s face. That is pure smilin’ Scotty!
Just about all of the casting choices (except for the women…hmmm, that’s interesting) have gotten flak from some fans, but I think Simon Pegg is one of the strongest choices made so far. Yes, he’s primarily known for comedies, but if you look at the two high-profile films he’s made (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) the characters he’s played haven’t been comedic. They’re realistic characters thrown into comedic situations. Both films had downright serious dramatic moments and Pegg was great in them. I have no problem at all with him playing Scotty. I’m sure he’ll do the character (and James Doohan) justice.
He should keep the beard, as long as he combs out the haggas occassionally. I’m not surprised he hasn’t begun filming yet. I would love this to be an all E and crew movie, but obviously they’ve got a lot of back story to get through. We’ll likely only get a few scant scenes of Kirk and company, after we get a movie of Pike & Spock and Spock & Spock and Spock & Kirk.
Hmmm… how long before the release of XII?
Gaaah, I can’t look…
I hope the makers DO want him to be clean-shaven, and with darker hair, so that ‘Willie the gardener’ DOESN’T seem so much like, well, Simon Pegg…
#26, agreed. I won’t have any trouble taking Pegg seriously in a more dramatic role.
Plus he has this one pained expression he uses that reminds me a lot of the one Doohan used to have on the show, whenever Scotty was imploring Kirk to go easy on his poor, overworked engines. lol
I like the guy, but this casting choice may prove too distracting.
I wonder what was behind their choice- besides the audition?
I think he will make a great Scotty… he looks like him well enough… as long as he gets rid of the beard. Yuck.
As long as his accent is better than the guy on New Voyages, I’ll be happy.
I just want to hear him say….
“And if my grandmother had wheels, she’d be a wagon”
#12
Again that is how you see it, and you are entitled to that opinion. But hopefully most people will be able to put his previous work aside and judge him solely on the performance in this film.
I like this guy but again not a one of them are the TOS characters no matter who or how.
“Actors involved in the film not having their own copy of the script – is it just me or is this getting quite ridiculous?”
At this point, aside from us diehards Trek is a dead issue. Paramount has obviously decided to keep this production as low-profile as possible for now, stoking increasing curiosity amongst the hardcore and (hopefully) general public as the filming and post-production work progresses. Much as I’d like to see cast photos and production designs at this point, their approach to a very challenging bit of marketing seems pretty reasonable to me.
Ronnie Barker- now there was a Comedy giant.
For the first time, to me anyway, he does look a lot like Scotty in that picture above if you dismiss the hair. The smiling eyes are Scotty’s eyes.
In TOS, I don’t recall any member of the crew having a beard (except Mirror Mirror Spock), and they all had short closely cropped hair…because they were in the “Service.” Just like the armed forces today, they would have a very strict dress code. I say nobody should have beards, long hair, or trendy modern hair do’s. I especially cant stand gelled spiky hair, puts us definitely in our own time period.
I can’t see any resemblance to Doohan at all.
Reading this story had me thinking about how much attention there has been in the media to Leonard Nimoy in this film, Shatner still not in this film, and some stories here and there for Simon Pegg and John Cho and of course Quinto gets a lot of attention due to Heroes. But almost no mention anywhere for the new Kirk, or the other new actors.
Obviously it’s because Nimoy and Shatner are still very connected to Star Trek in the mainstream public. Perhaps this is good for Chris Pine and the other actors, they can keep a low profile. And they can focus on the work without all the scrutiny.
Speaking of Chris Pine, I saw his father, Andrew Pine guess star on Dirty Sexy Money last night.
I still have my doubts about this dude. I’ll give him a chance, certainly, but if he fails I will have two words for him:
Not.
Scott.
he was really , really great on SotD. I’m hoping he does a good Scotty.
#41 I tend to agree with that, but I am looking forward to his performance.
…even if he has a beard.
Does anyone recall the first episode the character of Mr. Scott changed from the coolheaded engineer to the frantic “my engines are going to blow” kind of guy? Remember the early episodes when the crew of the Enterprise was in a life and death struggle and he was the coolest cucumber on the bridge? Then somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd season his character changed. I hope in the new film returns to the “original” non temperamental Scotty, and not version that has became a parody in so many other venues.
40 – Chris Pine’s father is actor Robert Pine, not Andrew Pine.
I love the rush to judgment before the man has even seen the Trek camera lens. Opinions, sure..have them. Informed opinions are better accepted. Let’s wait and see what comes… on all of the new TOS cast.
11. Stanky McFibberich – December 6, 2007
… yea, we know.
Well, it seems that everyone’s biggest complaint about Mr. Pegg is that he’s too famous and will take you out of the movie. That’s not a problem for me, fortunately, since I’ve never seen a movie with him in it!
47: same here. never seen or heard of him before this.
#17
IMO, it is particularly important that Abrams & Co. enable the supporting actors to comprehend the overall context, as well. The interaction between characters implemented in 4 decades of scifi culture can only work if everybody involved knows his/her meaning within the context.
Apart from that, I don’t think that “natural curiosity” and having the script of the film you’re in are mutually exclusive. There’s surely an endorsement in their contracts which bounds them to secrecy.
#36
What you’re saying makes sense to me where the public is concerned. But I wouldn’t regard the actors involved as “public”. Therefore, I still consider withholding the script from them exaggerated and somewhat counterproductive.
numeros 47 & 48
I have to say, you are losing out. Watch Spaced (the UK version not the soon to be sanitised US version where all the drugs are coffee and all the Star Wars references are taken out for copyright reasons) and watch a fanboy at work when he’s left with the keys to the castle.
He’s very, very good and that’s not getting into Shaun of the Dead.
But yes, we’re raking over an old topic somewhat here, but I’m simply chuffed to bits for him, he’s always worn his geekness on his sleeve and for him to actually be playing Scotty in Trek must still be waking him in the night with a ‘pinch me’ moment.
I was totally sideswiped when he got the role though, I just couldn’t picture it but the more I thought about it the more I liked it and at the end of the day, when we’re there with the popcorn and the 2.4 litre Coke watching the first few scenes, ALL the cast may seem like interlopers but once we’ve watched it all 57 times then we’ll start thinking of these guys as Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty and if the film is good enough, then we’ll buy it.
It doesn’t matter if he has facial hair or wears a skirt… if at the end of the day as long as we’ve not watched “Generations 2″ then we’ll believe in the lot of them through sheer repetitive viewing. Pegg is Scotty. You will believe….
…
You may even approve…
#40, Agreed! It’s astonishing that we haven’t heard one peep out of Pine. I mean, this is the freakin NEW CAPTAIN KIRK!
With all the entertainment shows and magazines out there, you would think SOMEONE would have chased him down for a quick interview by now.
“What you’re saying makes sense to me where the public is concerned. But I wouldn’t regard the actors involved as “public”. Therefore, I still consider withholding the script from them exaggerated and somewhat counterproductive. “
True, if the script had indeed been “withheld” from him. But as he states in the interview, he has read the script–he just doesn’t have his own copy. Entirely understandable, as copies can easily be lost or stolen, and if that were to happen, the next day every interested party on earth would be reading it online. Even worse, given the writers’ strike what they would be reading would be exactly the film’s shooting script, word for word.
Given those stakes, Paramount’s concerns about keeping a tight lid on script copies doesn’t strike me as exaggerated at all.
#12 I felt the same way about a comic actor ‘taking me out” of the picture, that is of course, until I watched Good Will Hunting with Robin Williams, Clear and Sober with Michael Keaton and The Majestic with Jim Carrey. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble staying with it, although, if there are any zombies at a bar in Star Trek i might have flashbacks to Shaun of the Dead.
#12…. someone with an established persona in comic roles will inevitably “take you out” of the picture
Someone like Tom Hanks (who was in “Man with One Red Shoe”, “Big” and “Splash” before “Philadelphia” and “Private Ryan”)…
I had trepidations when I heard first heard of return to TOS (particularly since I’m STILL partial to TOS over the other Trek series), but at this point I have to say give Pegg a chance…
53. cw
I don’t know, zombies in ST08 might be interesting.
Kirk: “Scotty, what’s going on down there?”
Scotty: “I’ve got red all over me! S*** just got real!”
Kirk: “Bones, where did these… things come from?”
McCoy: “Beats me. I’m a doctor, not a necromancer!”
#37 – Fork Handles!! :-)
He’s got a great smile. Look at that crinkling around his eyes; there’s a lot of warmth and friendliness there. Critical – absolutely critical – elements for a good Scotty.
100% confidence in this guy, AFAIC.
@55
:-)
I want a running gag with Kirk complaining about his moustache.
# 52
The copy can be stolen from Nimoy, as well – but I think you want to say that the actors involved have full reading access to the script; only Abrams & Co. want to minimize the risk of the script being passed from hand to hand. In this regard, I could understand such a measure and your assumption is comprehensible.
#52 completely agree with you… i read the Nemesis script online before the movie came out, so when Data died… I was like…”Meh, i knew that was going to happen”
He’s definitely got Scotty’s eyes in that pic!
I would agree with the point many have made here with examples of comedic actors who have gone on to become powerful dramatic actors. Tom Hanks is such a good example… the goofball who dressed in drag for “Bosom Buddies” and covorted with Adrian Zmed in “Bachelor Party” would later go on to rivet audiences in “Private Ryan” and “Apollo 13.” Certainly his status as a comic actor did nothing to diminish or “take you out of the movie.” I don’t remember, for one second, watching “Private Ryan” and thinking, “Hey… there’s Rick Gassco!”
One of the reasons why it usually works so well is that, of all the types of acting there are, comedic is the toughest. Miss the timing by a split second and the joke falls flat. Its said that if you can get up on screen and reach an audience and make them laugh, that anything after that is easy. Try it sometime… getting people mad or sad doesn’t take much. But to get them to truly and deeply laugh is hard.
I hope they dye his hair dark for the role.
re post #45 and 51-
Some body read my post! I stand corrected, Robert Pine. I had a brainlock there.
Yes, the new Kirk you’d think would generate some interest. Sort of like the new Bond. But it seems Nimoy/Quinto and Shatner and the controversial selelctions over shadow them all.
Has anyone even speculated that he maybe does a dead on “Scotty” impression? So much so that he doesn’t even have to look like Scotty to be Scotty? It has to be his performance of the character that won him the part.
I am very intrigued.
I don’t really mind about the facial hair as long as he dyes his hair darker, but I think it’d be best for him to be clean-shaven.
re: 47. Dansk – “…since I’ve never seen a movie with him in it!”
& 48. Tony Pieta – “…same here. never seen or heard of him before this.”
Both of you rent “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz” RIGHT NOW!
This is an actor who is funny and can kick @$$ at the same time! And the movie scenes where he’s had a bit to drink are priceless!
Again, I like him and I think he’s going to be a fantastic Scotty!
What’s all this fuss I hear about a Simon Pig being cast as Engineer Scott in STXI? That can’t be right! Of course, a pig would be a serious miscast! Why would the producers cast a pig, of all creatures? Surely they could have gotten a monkey instead of a pig. Capucins are cute. And they look more like Humans than a pig does. Besides, how could a pig…
Oh, wait. That’s Simon *Pegg*?
Never mind.
Will someone please explain to me WHY EXACTLY we’re discussing the follicular thing again?
I had no idea that so many people watched Star Trek for the hair. . .
Re: #69.
I vote for a ban on playground name-calling. Yeesh.
Forget the facial hair. Can he convincingly drink Scotch and beat Klingon a$$? If so, welcome aboard, Mr. Pegg!
70. Trek Nerd Central – December 7, 2007
Will someone please explain to me WHY EXACTLY we’re discussing the follicular thing again?
I had no idea that so many people watched Star Trek for the hair. . . ”
Continuity, perhaps? Imagine if Kirk 2.0 starts wearing a 20th century-style mullet, or Spock 2.0 sports dreds….would fans find something out of character? Yes, and they would be correct to do so.
Some of you hard core Trek fans are idiots and I’m sure you hope the film fails. To you I say get a life.
Good to see we’re keeping the discourse along our well established Trekmovie.com path.
Idiots.
Pigs.
Facial Hair Anxiety.
To complete this circle we will need the following:
Shatner pros and cons.
Sails on the Enterprise.
Quinto.
We ARE of the Body.
#71
Playground? Where? There’s a playground in this movie? Why would they have a playground in a space movie? Are there going to be little space children running about? Why would they let little children go all the way to outer space? It’s too dangerous for them, I tell you! They should be at home with their parents or in school until they’re old enough to…
Oh wait.
Never mind.
I’m very excited by Simon Pegg. I echo recommendations to see Shaun of the Dead & Hot Fuzz, and then see Spaced. I’m a huge fan of his, and the fact that he’s an actual *fan* of Star Trek will see him do justice to the roll.
As for the facial hair thing – what does it matter? It’s the performance that matters, and Abrams has said that he doesn’t want the actors to necessarily look like clones of their counterparts. Just passable. There’s always the make-up department to make things more convincing. If the makers deem it necessary.
In terms of the accent – Doohan’s Scottish accent was shocking (take it from a true Celt). I’m sure Pegg will do it better.
We may not find out much about the new actor/character partnership in this movie – it’s main function, I think, is to re-paint the picture so the fans will find the redux Star Trek universe easier to digest. It’ll be the next movie before we really get to see the new chemistry, provided there will be one. I ask myself why everyone should go to the trouble of doing all this when it would be much easier to move forward into the 25th century rather than back into established canon. But the powers that be behind Star Trek have never done things the easy way. Sometimes for good, sometimes for bad. Based on what I’ve read about the new movie, this will be for the good, I reluctantly admit. I think the franchise is in good hands, in terms of cast and crew.
#75
We aren’t of the body, it’s rather ALWAYS the Red Hour. ;-)
#78-
That’s what I’m talkin’ about! Cocktails anyone?
Scotch, neat……………. :)
I like pegg. I think he will pull off scotty just fine. I mean he does British comady. That is as far away from dumb or slapstick humor as you can get. So I think nobody need fear Scotty being used as an outlet for stupid humor
British comedy is far and away from slapstick?
Never saw much Benny Hill, did you? Or any of Pegg’s own work? “Shaun of the Dead” is practically a Three Stooges movie, fer cryin’ out loud!
Benny Hill rarely falls into the category of “comedy”. And Shaun of the Dead is more spoof than slapstick. In saying that, there is probably more slapstick in British comedy than anything else. And there’s also some excellent cerebral comedy from the ‘States.
Simon Pegg Rocks!
People need to get what they know about Trek out of their heads. This isnt a remake, its a reimagining (whatever the hell that is)
It seems an excellent cast to me, and can hardly bloody wait till its released!
Peace and Long Life!
I am a long time Trek fan and I admit I was a little unhappy about the new cast when it was announced. However, after doing some research on the new cast members, I think J.J. Abrams made some good choices. I really think Simon Pegg will make a good Scotty. Scotty is actually my favorite character along with Uhura. After seeing him in “Shaun of the Dead” and in “Hot Fuzz” (I have both films on DVD) I think he can pull of the role of Scotty. Scotty always had a cheeky since of human and I think Pegg has shown that in his movies as well. Even with the reddish-blond hair, his eyes look a lot like James Doohan’s. I don’t see anything wrong with re-imagining the characters the we know and love so well.