Simon Pegg has opened up about his struggles with alcoholism during the filming of Mission Impossible III in 2006. The actor, who plays the character of Benji Dunn in the long-running franchise, spoke about how he hid his addiction from his colleagues and friends. In a recent interview with the BBC’s Desert Island Discs, Pegg revealed that he suffered a mental health episode during the filming of the movie and turned to alcohol to cope with his problems.
Pegg shared that he became very sneaky when it came to hiding his addiction from others, as he felt it was taking over his life. He said the following:
“You learn how to do it without anyone noticing because it takes over. It wants to sustain itself and it will do everything it can to not be stopped. But eventually it just gets to a point when it can’t be hidden, and that’s when, thankfully, I was able to pull out of the dive.”
The actor, who is now in recovery, also spoke about his friendship with co-star Tom Cruise. Pegg admitted that he sometimes pokes fun at Cruise’s unique level of fame and the privileges it brings.
“We joke about it. I mean, I always make fun of him for it, you know, about the things that he can access… he kind of appreciates the ridiculousness of it sometimes,” said Pegg.
Despite their friendship, there is one subject that remains off-limits between the two stars: Cruise’s faith in the Church of Scientology. Pegg revealed that he doesn’t discuss this topic with Cruise, as he feels it would “abuse my privileged access that I get to him.”
Pegg’s honesty about his struggles with alcoholism shines a light on the importance of mental health awareness and the need for support for those who are struggling. The actor’s willingness to open up about his own experiences may inspire others to seek help and begin their own journey to recovery.
