Pegg Talks Scotty Stereotype and Pine’s Kirk

Simon Pegg, Star Trek’s new Scotty and self-described Trek geek, kicked off a four city tour today to promote the US release of the DVD for his UK comedy Spaced. In a new inteview with Wired about Spaced and other things, Pegg also talked up Trek, including some very frank thoughts on Scotty as a stereotype and Chris Pine’s performance as Kirk.

 

Excerpts from Wired.com

NOTE: Article contains adult language.

Wired.com: The historical character of Scotty is a bit of a stereotype. He’s a Scottish engineer, named Scotty, who loves to drink. Did you need to update the character at all in the way you played him to make him more PC?

Pegg: In some respects he’s a racial stereotype. But, I know plenty of Scottish people who like a bit of a drink and have the surname Scott.

It’s very important to be sensitive and not make generalizations about groups of people, but you can be oversensitive. Scotty’s a very affectionate stereotype. He’s a popular character in Scotland. He’s not a negative stereotype — he’s a fun stereotype. The differences between ourselves can be very funny. But Scotts are the first people to laugh at the fact that they drink and fight a bit.

It’s also not an accident that the chief engineer on the Enterprise is Scottish. An enormous amount of extremely important inventions came out of Scotland. The Scottish engineer is in the tradition of John Logie Baird, who invented the TV, or Alexander Graham Bell.

Wired.com: So you were OK with playing him as a stereotype without parodying him?

Pegg: Certainly not parodying him. It was just a question of playing him. I approached the part like James [Doohan, the original Scotty] did when he got the part. To look at who he is. He’s an accomplished engineer, a bit cheeky, likes a drink and a brawl.

Wired.com: Right, but it’s hard to imagine how you can play the part without mimicking the original character. The same thing goes for Chris Pine, who plays Captain Kirk in the new film. How do you do Kirk without doing Shatner?

Pegg: Going into it I thought the same stuff. How are all these other actors going to take on characters where the actor is as famous as the character? Shatner and Nimoy, they inhabited those roles with such conviction and such skill. All you can do is play the part in the spirit of those actors — not take it lightly or parody it. Watching Chris Pine, and all the actors, I had skin-tingly moments. I saw them doing their stuff and thought: They’ve got this so fucking right. Chris had that swagger, and confidence, and big-balls-ness, and I think he nailed it.

Sounds good to me. Read the rest of Pegg geeking out about Trek  and more at Wired.

Get the DVD
Spaced: The Complete Series comes out tomorrow.


The DVD set is available to pre-order at Amazon for $34.99

 

Spaced Clip

Pegg shows off his action movie cred.

 

69 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Yay for the Scottish! My mother is a Duncan.

So we get to hear from Scotty! I’m glad that he’s not PC-ing his role up. Scotty needs his drink, and his brawl, it’s part of what makes him Scotty!

Awesome interview. I cannot wait for my copy of Spaced to arrive. An absolutely amazing series.

Big Balls? We will see.

I need this movie. I need it now!

“Big Balls? We will see.”

Really? I sure hope not.

So tired of trolls, anyway…

It seems all the major actors are taking this seriously and wanting to get it right. Glad to hear it.

Love that Pegg pegs a Scot as the inventor of TV. The gadget has a rather convoluted history.

I like Pegg. He will not be Jimmy, but I think he will be good. I hope he’s right about Pine. Kirk is much more than was on the page before Shatner arrived. Think of the two pilots. The Cap’n was a square-jawed hero straight out of anyshow mid-60’s. Shatner took Kirk in a unique direction. Pine cannot go that same exact direction for reasons that would take the rest of the internet to list. What he can do is become a new Kirk. I hope we get that. I’d like to see a new take on this interesting guy that Shatner helped create.

Anyway — make mine ginger ale, and I’d go bar hopping with Simon anytime.

The more I hear…the more excited I am at what this movie could be….especially when self admitting geeks like Pegg are saying things like this…will it be the same as TOS..of course not…but to think that the spirit of the characters…with new actors..ones …dare I say, we could grow to love as much as the originals perhaps..not because of the actors…but the characters..like any good character be it Sherlock, or Hamlet, Batman, Bond.. whatever your taste….the prospect makes me hopeful.

No love for Philo Farnsworth. :(

I like how Pegg answered these questions — with respect for old and positive things for the new actors….no “kitsch” , etc. This is the best thing I’ve read so far.

1
half of what I am is Scottish.

….”All you can do is play the part in the spirit of those actors — not take it lightly or parody it. ”

I like that. I also like what I hear about Kirk’s portrayal.

Pegg is the right guy for the role. I’m glad he’s in the cast…
And he’s right about how we should or should not use stereotypes. They often exist because they are in some fashion true to life. As long as the spirit is in fun and love then it’s okay. Stereotypes are only hurtful if they are used to demean or degrade another person or group of people. There is no place for hatred, but I will laugh my a$$ off if you poke a little fun at me!
;-)

AND OUR NEW PHRASE FOR THE WEEK IS…

“Big-balls-ness.”

Love it!

Well, needless to say, I like the sound of Pine playing Kirk with a certain “big-ballz-ness”!

Dad would be so proud!

Sweet! Can’t wait for this movie… now only about nine months to go!

The more and more I see and hear from Pegg, the more and more I think Abrams nailed the casting for Scotty.

SICK MAAATEEE.

I hope Scotty in this one is a cool tech dude that drinks and fights

Synthehol: THAT is a disaster!

Just had to post again to say I love those clips of Spaced.

Clan Leith salutes the tradition of boozing and brawling!

Well give Scotty a bottle of scotch and let him fight. But don’t mess with his poor barrins or he will knock you out with his right hook. can’t wait to see how Pegg Does in engeneering when the ship is attacked. Im given it all shes got Capt. My Barrens My poor poor barrens. Two things scotty loved was his Engeneering and Scotch. Can’t wait to see how pegg does.It is great he has so much respect for and love for star trek. j.J knew what he was doing in getting Pegg.

We are so lucky to have Mr. P. This is the second role we have written for him, and we are grateful to him for trusting us again.

he’s the dogs bollocks …quite funny

I still like Pegg. He’ll never *be* Scotty, but at least I don’t have to shudder and get queasy all over when I read about his approach.

And I must admit, I like the the word of the day “big-balls-ness”, too, and something tells me even The Shat, the authentic Kirk, would rejoice in that term if he was interested in reading such stuff…:) Having said that, we shouldn’t forget that there’s alot more to Kirk than meets the eye…

Big balls? Is full frontal nudity canon? Boom!

Oh, I hope Mark Heap gets a role as one of Scotty’s engineers.

I am Scottish.

They should have picked a Scottish actor. There was loads to choose from.

Loudie
Scotland

Reading these interviews I am beginning to feel a bit more comfortable with these new actors

I like Pegg but I could not see him as Scooty and he prob be good. I will still prefer James Doohan as he made the role but I am sure Pegg will make it good.

Doohan will always be Scotty and Pegg will be playing Scotty.

Pegg is right in that the originals actors are so linked to the characters that the originals will always be those characters.

Sure the new actors will do great stuff but I am so glad that Simon Pegg is respecting Jimmy

Loudie,

You know that James Doohan was not Scottish…He was Canadian Aye. If anything Pegg is closer to the role genetically…

Captain_neill. I cant see him as SCOOTY either. So fortunately he is not playing a character with more ‘T’ to him.

Oops i meant HE IS PLAYING not NOT

Well, EVERYBODY knows that televison was invented by a little old lady from Leningrad…..

Both S.P. and C.P are incredible as S. and K., respectively. You guys are going to LOVE this film!!! Of course, it helped to have an amazing script by B.O. and A.K. not to mention the talented J.J. at the helm. I also had a chance to see some incredible performances by A.Y., Z.Q. and E.B. too. I can’t wait to see the finished product. CD

PS M.F. was great too

35 – great to hear from somebody who knows what he’s talking about. If you give it a thumbs up, I’ll definitely give it a go.

#29

If Scotty should be played by a Scotsman, who should play Spock?

My bad for thattyping error,

I know its Scotty. I am just so glad that Pegg is honouring Jimmy Doohan.

My main problem is seeing new actors playing the roles we grew up with. I really hope they all do excellent work.

I feel Simon Pegg will do a good job as Scotty, what I meant to say was thet when he was announced I could not see him as Scotty that was all. I love Simon Pegg but it was hard to see him as Scotty. But after hearing his respect for Star Trek as a fan I feel he will be great.

Accepting new actors in these iconic roles is taking time, I am accepting it now more so. I indentify the originals actors in these roles, as Pegg states in his interview. It’s the same with TNG and its cast.

A few years back the thought of recasting TOS would have be sacriledge but if the majority of Trek fans can accept iten so can I.

Am i wrong for saying the new actors can never take the place of the originals but they will add to their legacy? Its no disrespect to the new ones, just changing times in film and television making me feel old at the grand young age of 25.

26 Iowa Girl

I like this comment. I like how he mentions Pine has Kirk’s swagger also.
Feels better that they are honouring the originals.

I am feeling a bit more confident when I hear Pegg or Orci talk, rather than Abrams.

Who is heading to Vegas this year?

#26 I had a Playboy magazine in the late 80’s that featured a Shat interview. They asked him about Turnabout Intruder and whether he’d ever want to switch places with a woman in real life. His response: “No. I’m so content being a man, I’d miss the clanging of my balls.”

I’m glad to hear Pine’s balls are up to snuff, but they can’t possibly be Shat Balls.

39

“Feels better that they are honouring the originals.”

Agreed.

“Who is heading to Vegas this year?

I am. Are we there yet?”

Cool

Hope to meet you there

I can’t wait for the con this year, its going to be amazing

We need to have a trekmovie.com meet and greet.

“Both Simon and Chris are incredible as Scotty and Kirk, respectively. You guys are going to LOVE this film!!! Of course, it helped to have an amazing script by B.O. and A.K. not to mention the talented J.J. at the helm. I also had a chance to see some incredible performances by A.Y., Z.Q. and E.B. too. I can’t wait to see the finished product. – Chris Doohan”

If Chris says they nailed it, then Simon & Chris most certainly have MY vote.

yo doohan, whats up with all the letters and initials, yo?

me brain not dat smart, me nots got the techMology to do the Maffamatiks.

respek.

=h=

#40—“I’m glad to hear Pine’s balls are up to snuff, but they can’t possibly be Shat Balls.”

I certainly hope not. If 28 year-old Pine’s balls were to look anything like what I would expect the 76 year-old Shat’s to look like, then perhaps Pine should see someone about that, or even take it upon himself to change his diet or something. Just kidding, of course.

Seriously, Pegg never fails to disappoint in talking up the film and the actors’ performances.

On another note, it would be near impossible to approach this project with the intention of imitating the original actors without the outcome being parody (whether intentional or not).

Abrams direction to the cast seems to be this:

–Pine, Quinto, Urban, Pegg, Cho, Saldana, and Yelchin are not to pretend to be Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley, Doohan, Takei, Nichols, and Koenig.

–Instead, they are to approach Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, Uhura, and Checkov as written characters and portray them accordingly.

I think this is what we are hearing and IMO, that’s good. I think that is the best professional approach.

I was born in Scotland and I am completely happy with Pegg playing the role.

#40

Yeah, sounds like him… And it‘s perfectly in line with his answer in that recent BBC interview “Unfortunately, you can’t replicate Kirk‘s success. You need to have all my equipment.” Seems like everybody who says Pine shouldn‘t try to imitate Shatner as Kirk is right after all. :D

#44

Sounds good! I say come on over to my house. BYOB and grillable items and I’ll throw on my Trek vids on the big screen.

Or we could meet at Denise’s house.