Simon Pegg Hid Alcoholism on ‘Mission: Impossible’ Set: ‘You Learn How to Do It Without Anyone Noticing’

Simon Pegg has opened up about his personal struggles, revealing that he concealed his alcoholism while working on the set of “Mission: Impossible III” in the 2000’s. The actor discussed the matter on a recent episode of the BBC’s “Desert Island Discs,” via the Guardian.

“You become very sneaky when you have something like that in your life,” he told Lauren Laverne, host of the radio program.

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Pegg, who plays a IMF technical field agent Benji Dunn in the series, disclosed that he developed an addiction after suffering a series of mental health issues. He kept the matter private while filming “Mission: Impossible III,” which was released in 2006.

“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,” said Pegg. “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.”

Pegg attributes his road to recovery to the birth of his daughter in 2009.

While speaking with Laverne, Pegg also shared some details about his relationship with “Mission: Impossible” star Tom Cruise, who he has appeared alongside for four “MI” entries, with the fifth, “Dead Reckoning Part One” releasing this summer.

“My relationship with him is just very simple and amiable,” said Pegg. “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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