How Simon Pegg Felt When JJ Abrams Offered Him Star Trek Role

Casting stories are always incredible to listen to. But, Simon Pegg’s story of how JJ Abrams offered him a role on Star Trek is slightly unusual. Here’s what happened in Pegg’s own words.

Simon Pegg was annoyed at being offered Scotty’s role!

It isn’t very often that you see actors get annoyed at life-altering roles in blockbuster movies. And we’re not just talking about any ordinary film here, it’s Star Trek! But, that is just what happened with Simon Pegg. Before working on Star Trek, Pegg worked with the Star Wars director on Mission Impossible 3. That is how Abrams considered him for the role of Scotty.

In an interview with Cinemabland, Simon Pegg confessed that he got the offer from JJ Abrams on an email. And that he was annoyed by that gesture:

I got off an airplane, a flight from New York back to London. And opened my phone and there was an email from J.J. and it said ‘Do you want to play Scotty?’ And I was almost annoyed by that.

Pegg then further explains why the decision ‘irked’ him:

The tenacity of it irked me. Because you can’t just throw the ball into my court like that and expect me to smash it back. I need some time to think about it.

Of course, Simon Pegg came into terms with the manner of the offer. However, he would have loved some more time to think about it, and a dinner date of course.

But of course, three or four days later I was like ‘Yes, of course!’ But it just felt like such a, like he was just handing me this massive opportunity, and I wanted dinner and a movie.

Abrams rectified his mistake in Star Wars

However, JJ Abrams was much more courteous when he offered Pegg a role in Star Wars. This time, he took him to dinner and showed the courtesy that Pegg deserves.

Oddly when he did he offered me the role in Star Wars, he did take me out to dinner and offer me over dinner.

This is very interesting because Simon Pegg’s role in Star Wars as Unkar Platt was just a cameo compared to Scotty in Star Trek. And for that, Pegg earned a dinner, compared to a simple email for a much more important role. But, I guess that’s how showbiz works.