Conversation
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"S ocia l m edia
makes yo«
In c re d ib ly .
narcissistic« I see
people who I know
on social media?
and I d o n 't lik e
lite m on social
media« It's s lig h tly
false? too? because
you're essentially
e d itin g and
redacting your own
existence to make
yourself look as
good as possible»
Xt engenders
sack ego-driven
narcissism th a t It
made m e feel a b it
Icky? so X le f t / '
. sumon
pegg
*wntteh'hyvpeopferwhoweren’t that *ag^speculating
on what people that age did’ and they thought they
just went around drinking in wine bars and saying
the word ‘shag.’
“Jess and I were living the life of Tim and Daisy,
so we thought: Let’s write about our lives, about
smoking weed and playing video games, and what do
you know? Lots of people seemed to feel the same
way. The improvisational skills that I picked up on
the likes of ‘Big Train’ or writing two seasons of a
sitcom with Jess, that helped me self-generate and
write my own stuff and with the can-do attitude
required to get these things made. You learn as you
go.”
As for what’s next, Pegg’s keen to keep things
fresh and redefine audience expectations by staying
true to himself.
“I’m interested in telling stories that mean
something,” he said. “The film I’m hoping to make,
there’s lightness and whimsy in it, but it’s certainly
not a comedy. I try to take inspiration from
everyone I’ve worked with. Watching Edgar (Wright)
and working with ‘Fallout’s’ Chris McQuarrie and
Steven Spielberg, you pick up so much just by
shadowing and getting a feel for their technique, but
you also have your own instincts, as well, which are
worth following.
“I’ve submitted myself for pigeonholing without
really meaning to. I get called a comedian all the
time, but I haven’t been a comedian for 20 years.
Sci-fi nerd is something I’ve been in the past, too,
but it’s not the be-all and end-all of everything I
want to be. I think I’m going to go through that
Steve Martin period of people saying: ‘Why don’t
you do anything funny anymore?’ I’d quite like to
branch o u t”
Courtesy o f B ig Issue North / INSP.ngo