Previously sounds music, radio podcast, hello, I'm lorna then, and this is the desert island discs podcast. Every week I ask my guest to choose the eight tracks book and luxury they want to take with them. If they were cast away to a desert island and for right Reasons the it is shorter than the original broadcast. I hope you enjoy listening. I My castaway this week, the actor and writer Simon peg, he's disk I've himself as a nerd do well, but that's only part of the story today he's up there in the credits for two of hollywood, most successful film, franchises mission impossible and start

sure he's an eight. Is kid from gloucester. He turned his child. the obsessions zombies cop chosen sigh file into the colt classics, shorn of the dead hot furs and the world's end, but his talent taken him much further Steven Spielberg cast in tintin andretti play a one and he co wrote star trek beyond when team needed a new script just weeks before, shooting began, he started stand up comedian and broke through with the much loved slacker sitcoms space to which he co created with jessica heinz directed at the right. He says I'd like to navigate cynical about my job, to always contain a certain degree of wonder about it? creation of where I am Simon. Peg welcome to does island discs and flooring lovely to be so fine that wonder the wonder the work that you do today, I try and always approach it with my price, in mind, so whether it stay

onto the bridge of the enterprise or being part of some crazy stun a mission impossible. I always train Jeanne myself as a kid and transit plug into what my reaction would be, which would be otter, amazement, delight, and is it a question of auditioning at all? These data do things and darling. You wouldn't have to go through that process. Would you you have a living show railed it's kind of out there and nothing. Anyone who wants to cost. You would No, what you do. I think it's worth also being pretty proactive and chasing people. You, like yeah, I think sitting around and waiting for it to come to. You is probably a mistake so who or what view chased cossacks look up. I know I have a list the people there. I I really like and I'd like to work with. I had a moment my career when I was karsten inglorious bastards for eternity now and then I couldn't dick that already committed to ten timber.

then, eventually the role went to Michael fast benda, who was brilliant, but I'm always trying to serve reminds couldn't amira affect that not just the guys. So you know you talked about that little kid that you like to keep in touch with an almost go: hey guess what waiting tomorrow when, when it comes to music, that's always been a passion of yours is well. Does that goes far back to your childhood, a large percent, because I grew up in a music shop? You know, and I was very small to the age of five. I lived in a music sharpened, my dad is a musician, and so it was- playing around the house or, let's diving disk, the one, the is it and why the chosen it it's a day in the life by the beatles sergeant pepper was an album which I remember being around when I was very small, and I still have my dad's copy of it, which I see old. My name onto onto the gate fold across the four of them is simon buckingham, which was the name was born with in her

virus please virus is completely this piece of art, it's kind of several songs and one which I feel like it's a bit of a two for taking on the island. It's like her join and I think if you put learning the mccartney and like a centrifuge span, it you'd get this song because you have light lenin's, contemplative, slightly not justly surreal kind of legs and june, and then you get mccartney's and if you know right, positivity and in such a beautiful representation of those two

Just the a in the life, the beatles Simon peggy. Will when, in gloucester in nineteen seventy, as you mentioned, into a creative family, you father joan, run a music. shop and he was in a bomb to with any good. They work were called pendulum not to be confused with the icy postpone rockets and they were an opportunity. big talent show they won on the clap home but lost the public vote to the great promise

which, as always near and yet so yeah, but I'm glad it was pan because she went on to great things and it wasn't just some cheese ventriloquist's designated security, and that was a huge deal that night when dad was on opportunities. Do you remember how you I was five member falling over the cocktail? Stick stuck in my hand, so I'm picturing the living room, there must have been snacks opposite wholesale sticks, though they been friends exactly what you're getting at the tv. Judging because it was, it meant something then more, nothing to be on tv and what was the music night? There were show ban, so they played the that's the way I ha ha. I like it. There were tight fit, you know also lameter musicians, but about that still in bonds. Today, is sort of a jazz blues guy now fantastic, so he ran a music shop as well as being in pendulum yeah. You spent a lot of time there. I did three, the the racks yeah and it was literally beneath our flat, so I would sneak dan. I would dance

I decided the kitchen door like my mum, would be in the kitchen, and I be sort of like doing this little dance and then I would just disappear down the stairs. and my dad jellies down here again. The yeah have to play the drums in the bay, men. So what was he relationship with delight? It was good, it was, You know here my mother divorce or nos six, and then I started to see him every week or of a couple of weeks, after that, and so we we spend lover time just driving around Together. We drive around my grandma's and a lot of that time. We spend listening to music, it introduce me to stuff I'm so remember him saying listen to this song is like a story and he played me how tough? a foreigner but yeah weak weaker on really well, and we still do tat but about your mom, then jill. She worked in personnel, but she was created very talented to it and in her outlet, for that was a mature dramatics. yeah. My mom is entirely the reason of wind up doing what I do. She was interested in drama before I was born. I think she was gonna working on the stage

the notion of oliver gloucester the year I was born. I think indeed did you remember, senior mum performed, remember gaga. She played bondage in brigaded, she's, really good actress mamma. She won loads of awards, but I'm of esteem up in the upper seats to shouting that's my ma matter, let hitting people next to me and then being really really place away. That I was up. And I was you know she was amazing and then I grew up. I would go to their local theatre with her the olympus, theater and gloucester and and hang out, and I sometimes being the big sort of production they durban yeah. They do big musical at the gloucester leisure centre every year, and I was in or sale, and music man and the whole thing was like a social club. They were friends, they all did it for fun. to be around. That was really exciting, letty a second desk simon. What have you chosen his rosalind his eyes by billy job, which is off the album fifty second straight, and that is an album that night,

my dad- and I would listen to a lot in the cards- are really great album, but this song- I just love it's just a beautiful beautiful on, and it reminds me those days just drive in turn from my grandmother, my dad, so now, It ways by my god rosamond his eyes Billy jewel. Simon, You ve said your parents separated when you about six. What you, member about your mom break in the news to you, we want manoeuvres. we living in banana, and I woke up one morning and I went in, I said I was dead and she sort of explained it as best she could and then normal

this kind of resumed when he started to come to pick me up, and then you know that three married and life went on you, do you remember how you ve felt base it. I remember me the decision to take my stepfather name. This is the absolute rational. Later I don't want to go to school and from my head master, to say hello, mrs backing them, and for her to have to say no. If MRS pack, So I decided because she said: do you wanna be AG, would you only be backing him and I just want it to be the same as my mum and that's how I became Simon pegg, you noticed I'd pick people. I think sometimes think it's like a stage name No, I wouldn't choose that nice is something I'd. I'd made a decision about windows, and then yeah. I went through the invariable sort of tensions of step parents. You know it's a delicate path, tread for both the other on the child? You your step, that it took a while for that relationship to co here and there were tensions what what was going on, I think he was a young guy in a mom, was only thirty.

thing he was little younger than her. He wasn't obtaining maturing owen and suddenly you have ever been I say you know you have a relationship where there is a physical representation of a previous relationship, as oh I'm also vying for her attention he was jealous. You know I just remember feeling insecurity and that probably lead to me wanting attention validation from external sources. When I was ten, I went to him he was working in debenham. At that time, the fair was in town It's. The raiders of the lost ark had just come out of the cinema, and I went up and he said to me: we can do two things tonight. You can either go to the fair or you can go and see raiders of the lost. dark now. I really wanted to please him, and so I said I thought he really wants to go to the cinema. He does want to go to the fair. Now I could have done either. I will. I wanted see. Right is because I heard it was from the producers of georgian star wars, but as much I wanted to go to the fair right on the big. Well, so I said: let's go to the cinema, cos life changing movie moment and then

years and years later he left when I was about fourteen his relationship with my mom dissolved and, and he moved on, I I went to visit spielberg on the set of tintin to a sort of talk about playing the thompson twins and stuff, and it was, first time I ever met Steven and I was incredibly nerve. Wracking I drove down to santa Monica and I went in and there he was in his baseball cap and smoking a cigar. Looking like Steven Spielberg, and we talked a little bit and then he said: ok, I've gotta go off and edit Indiana jones foreigner and was ok. Bye By saying and I went out- and I sat on the hood of my car- and I rang Richard the first person I rang was richard to say guess who I just met and guess who wants to women you know we were friends now and is my sister's dad and all that tumultuous time. You know it is in the past, but How many years later I was still looking for his kind of approval. Somehow it's been some music seal fur choice today. Well this

as I had to put a piece of John Williams, music in here. His scores were the kind of fuel for my imagination The kid I put my headphones on in my grandma from living room, and I would imagine myself in the universe, is that he was. bring in star wars and writers and close encounters, but this peace, particularly the asteroid field, which goes the moment when the millennium falcon flies is trying to evade all those typewriters is just the most brilliant piece of cinema and music. I was a kid I would imagine myself in star wars and so when I eventually got to be in star wars in the force awakens and was the premier and saw my name and then sir John Williams name wishes

moment. Does not cover the asteroid field from the sand the empire strikes back composed and conducted by John Williams and performed by the london symphony orchestra. So I'm picturing you as a kid then Simon. I to know a bit more about that little boy. These big stories that you became obsessed with they were an escape, You yeah, I really really lost myself and all that stuff. When I was a kid in and dumb,

music and film would just my kind of little route side of normality and already ready, I just loved and also felt like glass. There was a bit like tattooing. You know, like curling skywalker, says in star wars, if there's a bright sent it to the universe than just as the place that is furthest from her like that when I was a kid I'm worried about that, perform a gene. I wonder when that kicked in any kind of kitty would mess of iron and trying to make people off? Oh yeah, absolutely on I wrote my first comedy pieces of news Rita about this gas had been released from someone and was making people, pass air and it was a new story. My knees rita was called dickie bird, which I thought was hilarious. I didn't have the cricket commentators so now in the morning, I performed it for the school at fault, I've already badly in the playground and smashed my face, like really grazed. On my face and I remember saying hello: this is dickie bird, whose recently been in five of the cat was, I think my first improvise joke. You remember getting along,

Then what is it? And it was like some sort of massive endorphin rush. Funnily enough, when I seven headed the trip to london and we came and we went see a play him to Madame tussauds in the natural history museum and the other thing we did we drove to woodland and we parked and just looked at fail to be centre. And I remember finding my mom when I was on the stand up show, which is one of the very first tv, my first tv appearances and ninety five from my dressing room that turkey be sentencing. I made so tell me where you take The first steps into acting your first serious steps. He was sixteen. He went to south warwickshire college of further education in stratford and it was there that you are able to take a levels in english, literature and theatre. What did you get out of studying there? I know it was a I'm of great change tree. It was. I was away from home. I met this whole bunch of kids. That were the same maybe they all kind of had the same interests, and I just had the most in credit.

time it was already ready, fertile inspiring time and these people I met were the most significant for I have a maid and what kind of parts did you get to play? I was just a woodcutter and blood wedding. knowledge that one scene and I wasn't allowed to play hamlets when we did hamlet because I'd I'd gone a little bit off the rails, because I've got I you might to become a bit of a goth. I discovered various things you discover at the age of sixteen and my teacher at the time gordon valens, who was the head of The course said: you're not gonna play hamley, you're gonna play the ghost of hamlet, and so my friend dale play. I am not very well, but I did get singled out in the stratford herald as the best performance of the night, even though it came out as it of uncle and gordon was is abusive

and he was so caring and needed the right thing. You know he he he noticed that I was just drifting away into potentially not getting into university, and so he put me back on track and it worked ten fetus can before Simon. What have you got? The smiths and accept yourself- and I used to listen to walking up and down the Ulster road heading. Up to my then girlfriend monday's has on my walkman. It's got that weird sort of mo time be bananas of that sort of jangling, ma brilliance in It- and A marcy complaining I mean who who could ask for more?

How do I been about when you well now when I die? I'm gonna die the smiths and accept yourself so Simon pegg college was a really happy time for you. But let's talk about what happened after you finished your a levels because he went back home and had to adjust to life back in gloucestershire. Very much as you put it, not the center of the universe, How did it go? That was a tough summer for me and- and I look back now realise that I was suffering from afar,

I love abandonment, just because my friends at at stratford meant so much to me that I can have suffered a weird bereavement, I think, and that manifested itself as a as a bout of teenage depression, which I I couldn't under and you know I didn't you didn't know what was happening. No, I just knew that I didn't feel right. You know my heart was racing and I felt very gloomy when I woke up. You know that kind of stuff, and eventually it dissipated, but when I got to pursue university- and I met a whole new bunch of great friends by didn't have the intellectual capacity to understand what was happening to me emotionally in autism is just very frightening, which is always the case with depression, because they just feels like normality. Isn't it so you got a place at bristol university to study, theatre, film and television, and that was when you started performing stand up. Tell me about that. What will you are natural? What was your act that will happen by the time, a goldfish on stage a whose name was rover? was a marxist poet and I would really

my goal: fishes poems. Are they so there also they were. They were at it at this sensitive remove. He was responsible for the material that when I was his news. Yes, I was reading a fish related political poetry. In them of you know in the marxist vine and being bridge, university in learning about the business and becoming a bit politicized, not wanting to just be an active for higher. I wanted to do my thing and stand up is a perfect way to generate your own work and ten your own sort of integrity, albeit fish related. It's just very lonely, I went on toward light shone larkin, bisbee graphophone and simon mummery randal the universities in the uk, and you did it exe in any wind up just sitting on a in a in a bed and breakfast eating a snickers by yourself, Simon, I am to go the music, your fifth choice today, then, what's it going to be the scissors- mercy became a major banned for me as a young girl. I loved them- and I remember with what I meant

second girlfriend caroline, we watched live video of the citizen mercy. The albert whole called wake she's too, where patchouli oil that was her kind of aroma choosing edible. She had his hair extensions black herriston, she was so glamour issues like like a gothic princess and I caught it. You like a year. I just went for it like made a laugh all the time. Eventually we had to say next week's cuddled up on the sofa gotta watch that video nothing happened. I went back to gloss to the next day and I just smell of her and I put this song on marianne, which is a brilliantly the rock hilarious dirge and just bathed in her cloud of the roma and just felt so

sick. It was a great feeling, though I loved such a drama, clean marianne sisters messy. So so peggy, start getting television roles and then in ninety ninety nine, you cool, wrote, the channel foresee we spaced with jessica heinz, is about the lives of two twenty something flat mates that oddball associates and became colt view did you have any idea that it was going to take off the way that it did.

No, we didn't. We just knew that nobody was making television for us. It felt like old shows about twentysomethings friends included. no relation to our life. Our life was far more sedentary and childish, and just dawson around you know playing video games and stuff, so you edgar right. Your friend, the actor nick frost, went on to make what would become known to give it its full title as the three flavors corneto trilogy that He was a comedy films shown at the dead, hot furs and the world's end, and they were very popular. Did you ever consider making a fourth instalment? The difficult thing? is the people just want? More of the same? I get asked all the time all we need a sure there too. We need a hot fast to a winning No, you don't need it at all. You just want comfort. You want for me parity. What you really needs to be challenged. You need something new, because that's where interesting things tat are happening, so we

We have that dilemma of. Do we give people what they want, or do we give them something they don't know they want. to be the latter, because just do the same thing again, we have to be surprising at the risk of being disappointing. After the success of the corneto trilogy. You came to the attention of directed J J barons, who had you in mind for role in mission impossible. Three, it's quite a jump from crouch end that, were you ready for the blockbuster. choice. It was such a weird thing. I agree now I think we, writing hot furs and we are a big talk in great richfield strain: london investor protection, cumbria and dumb, the cork and now from the office. The judge abrams is on the phone for Simon and he told me about the film and- and I was kindly I guess you fuck? It isn't what I have to say, so it was an incredible moment. How'd you get on with your coastal tom cruise great. You know, I mean it's always been a very easy relationship. You, I think you realise when you meet the person,

than the thicket of mythology. That's bill at random. You know its active is a different experience. Very some respect. Elation. You know about his private lives in his beliefs. Did that ever make things tricky in developing a friendship No, I mean I don't ask him about stuff that, because I feel that would be. That would be me abusing might privileged access. get to him. You know I mean my relationship with him is very, very it's just very simple and amiable were friends that level of fame started. Let me say that an incredibly intense thing to witness a closure and orange about your view on that cassettes. Interesting, I'm here and he he really relishes it it's all. He knows it energizes eminent spurs. I dont think I would appreciate that particular united. I'm very stressful and overwhelming in and would make me want to sort of retreat, I'm happy with where I am we. About a woman? I always make fun of me, for you know about the things that he can access and by we were filming in south africa. Recently we were filming on

mountain in the morning and then he decided he wanted to go and swim shocks, and so he took his. flew in a helicopter to this seaside part of south africa, and we had this kind of bee trip to fatten, diet, shots and stuff like that, and at the end of the day, we're driving back and going. That was a real tom cruise kind of day. Wasn't it? You know it was just a bit of a tom cruise day and you know he kind of appreciates the ridiculousness of it sometimes time for similar music. Your sixth choice today, what is it while this goes back to? It's an eighty four when I was a young break, dancer, rap and hip hop and dance. What kind of merging into the mainstream a little bit and little village. Kids like me, were body popping and this sun had the charts chuck accounts. I feel for you or the princes I feel for you. If she covered it was everything I loved it has that fantastic wrap at the start, the dances from break.

the movie were in the video. It's a banker if alfonsi I'll, never not never, not resist the the I feel for you check a simon peggy started working on mission, impossible three in two thousand and six and everything was going very well he professionally, but around this time the depression that you'd experienced as a young man came back. What happened the set of mission? You know I was there in the heart of where it always dreamed of being in hours on the paramount lot as working time

in vain reigns in, as in this huge blockbuster, and yet I was kind of in this terrible panicky distress, state figure out why I was like what is this and of course it was because I was depressed and I needed to address that and stop trying to take care of it myself in inadvisable ways. That was drinking wishes drinking. I wish oversee when you depressed you just want to change how you feel that lasted for up until about two this. In turn, will people close she worried about you Nobody was seen on. The thing is that you by sneaky. When you have on your life, you learn how to kind of do it without anyone noticing, because it takes over and wants to sustain itself, and it will do everything it can to to not be stopped. You know, but eventually it just gets to a point when it can be hidden and that's when you know, thankfully, I I was able to pull out of the dive

a lot of people. Don't have that moment you know and if it wasn't for you, what was your moment? I was in COMECON publicizing paul and now is your film is nick the idea and brilliant alien yeah, a fun film and I'd had my eye till he had been born in. I like the most incredible thing in my life had happened, and I still was what's wrong with me. Why? Why aren't I- dumping for joy every day in own, and, I think it was all those things like this needs. Some serious evaluation, and so I managed to help and stop drinking and address why drinking and- and that was the turning point think we're gonna make some room for the music. Seventh choice today tells vanish from ninety nine nine of two thousand, and I met sir Chris Martin for the first time when coldplay, with just a sort of shoe gazing, indie band, I think parachutes was they were touring parachutes at the time and my wife was a music publicist.

We were at this gig at at the millennium, dome as it was name then, and we met afterwards. Mr this friendship, and so Chris will come to the pardon and we always go back to the house every night and he used to sit in the kitchen with the guitar I was getting at all, and he play me this song. Its could emblem brown, which is icelandic for the blue pearl and it is this little acoustics on, and it was somebody with new dealing with at the time, and I always ask interplay cause. I really really loved it, and I said you have to put this on something. This is such a beautiful song. You have to put it on a record and ended up being a beside took clocks, but this on it just I may- of the early days of our friendship no

go with me, call play and a bloom bloom simon Peggy recently said, I'm fifty two and I want to keep working until I drop series we'll have that drive it's still present within yeah yeah come from. Do you think it's it's always been there by the sands, but I'm very happy when I'm working, sometimes it's difficult, because it takes you away from home and I I do miss my family family went away and that something I've had to kind of learn how to cope with Huntingcoat better faced on and also the knowledge that I'll I'm going to go home. At some point I used to have sort of we had kind of gloomy, I'm never gonna to see them again. Feeling when I, when I was you, know younger and less in

draw my emotions, but now so there- bit of abandonment them it here. I think sir, it all goes back to its quite simple. Attractive was like, unlike college. You wanna one when he happiest. I think when I'm at home sign at the snug with the family we're all on different devices. The dogs are asleep, that's what I'm happiest Of course, it's all right to change cause, I'm gonna cost you away to your desert island, do think you'll be able to make a new life yourself at their arms I love the film castaway. I definitely try and go through the Tom hanks playbook. Trying volleyball, with a bloody face on it and I'll do my best. If I can have the things that you zack and have them maybe I'll make it will have got. One will attract a here before we find out you final disk today, salmon tank. What's he gonna be virginia, sir, a ban which I really love it. Sir. Three peace, a super group, a fuel, a female sing, a song monitors, Judy, mbeki, Lucy, bacchus and Phoebe bridges.

It's a spine tingle at this one, it's heavy, the guitar is heavy and their vocals are just so important. It's the song on that ewp. I tend to put on repeat: Yes, me yes at the boy genius and salt in the wound. So Simon pegg, I'm going to send you away to the island. I will give you some items to take with you. You can have the bible, the complete works of shakespeare and another book of your choice. What would you like? I will take the wasp factory by and thanks it's just a brilliant, dark sick metaphor about such as

and I read it so many times it's just already ready. I love him. Banks anyway he's great writer, but this one a special to me. You can also have a luxury item, but he can for that will be my being too cup coffee mica, which our solar power Oh you, some kind of wind energy. I do look forward to coffee in the morning to the point where I feel a little excitement before I go to bed yeah almost time yeah, I really do I like, like a child on christmas, eve yeah. I know I'm good. At first thing I do is I'm going to measure at the beans the dosing cup and put them in the hopper and then fill the the poor thing a and then stick I love it. I love making my coffee. I open up the house, feed the dogs and I sit on the. I have fifteen minutes before till he wakes up and I have to start making breakfast and mow comes down. I sit with the dogs. A dreamer

if we want to see how they will be there on the outcome of the Doha round. You, if thou into me they'll swifter than might be dolphins, who knows the dogs of the sea and finally, which one track of the aid that you share with us today will be safe from the waves if unity, but such a tough one and I've kind of agonized over this, and I really I didn't even have I hadn't even made a decision when we started the day. I think it will probably have to be a day in the life just because it's the beatles and the beatles are the source. But, like I say, that's with a gun to my head so antenna, you can simon peg. Thank you very much for letting see your desert island discs thanks for

I know I hope, enjoyed my conversation with Simon and I can read picture looking out to sea enjoying his morning, coffee ritual castaway many actors, including kathleen turner, Stephen graham and tom Hanks simons child, he hero director Steven Spielberg is in our back catalogue to find these episodes. a desert, island discs programme archive and through BBC sends the studio manager for today's programme was Jackie marjoram, this producer was christine Pavlovsk II and the producer was well. Let me next time- my guest will be the microbiologist professor Sharon peacock. I do hope you'll join

the.

By umbrella- and I m here to talk about men, because in recent years we have all seen the man in britain undergo radical change, is the rule book has been well and truly ripped apart, so I'm good at home for a range of prominent figures and celebs of each got their own diverse. In contrast, in takes on what it means to be a man today, I want applies open the phone lines, a modern masculine and get to grips with the changing landscape and try to get some answers so that we can pass them on to the next generation. This is run out to be a man for bbc radio for listen ambiguously, sounds.