Simon Pegg on hiding his alcoholism on the set of ‘Mission: Impossible III’
Actor Simon Pegg has revealed the details of his personal battle with alcoholism and how he had to hide his problem on the set of Mission: Impossible III back in the 2000s. Pegg had appeared on an episode of Desert Island Discs for the BBC and discussed what that period of his life was like.
“You become very sneaky when you have something like that in your life,” Pegg said. “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,” Pegg added, “and that’s when, thankfully, I was able to pull out of the dive.” Pegg plays an IMF technical field agent in the film series. He had turned to alcohol after suffering from poor mental health but kept it secret from the cast and crew of the film.
Pegg also noted the relationship he has with Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise. “My relationship with him is just very simple and amiable,” he said. “It’s always been a very easy relationship. I think you realize when you meet the person rather than the thicket of mythology that’s built up around them, it’s a different experience. I mean, he loves [the fame], and he really relishes it. It’s all he knows. It energizes him and spurs him on.”
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