Simon Pegg “Kept Alcoholism Secret On ‘Mission: Impossible’ Set”; Reveals “Simple” Friendship With Tom Cruise
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Simon Pegg has revealed how he previously hid his alcoholism from cast and crew on the film set of Mission: Impossible.
The actor, who plays IMF technical field agent Benji Dunn in the longtime franchise, told the BBC’s Desert Island Discs radio interview programme that he had suffered a mental health episode during the filming of Mission: Impossible III back in 2006 and turned to alcohol: “You become very sneaky when you have something like that in your life.
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“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.”
Pegg who is now in recovery, also referred to his friendship with co-star Tom Cruise in the interview, admitting he sometimes mocks the superstar for his 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.
“My relationship with him is just very simple and amiable,” said Pegg. “It’s always been a very easy relationship. I think you realise, 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 energises him and spurs him on.”
One subject remains off limits, however, between the pair. Asked if he discusses Cruise’s faith in the Church of Scientology, Pegg said not – believing it would “abuse my privileged access that I get to him.”
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