Simon Pegg has been deeply ingrained with “nerd culture” for years. Ever since he burst onto the scene in a big way, thanks to 2004’s “Shaun of the Dead,” the actor has been intertwined with all things geek. He’s openly talked about his love of “Star Wars,” and appeared in ‘The Force Awakens.’ He’s starred in three “Star Trek” films. Pegg was even the inspiration for a character in a comic book called “The Boys,” soon to be adapted for TV on Amazon Prime Video courtesy of Seth Rogen.
You can imagine that if anyone has witnessed toxic fandom firsthand, it would be Pegg. And he probably has. However, unlike filmmakers and actors who have stepped forward and tried to combat the so-called fans that have made Twitter a minefield, Pegg says the key is to just ignore it completely.
In an interview with CBM, Pegg was asked if toxic fans have ever scared him away from a project, or if he’d ever pass on a film because of them. He answered, “I don’t think it’s important really. This is a job and you just do it and hope that you can do it again. I think the minute you start engaging with that sort of stuff, it’s just a waste of time…and life!”
And as we’ve seen with the likes of James Mangold, Christopher McQuarrie, and of course, Rian Johnson, engaging rarely ever works out. If anything, it just stirs the pot more. It would appear that Pegg has the right idea. However, it’s a shame that ignoring these fans is the only option, as seen with Kelly Marie Tran, who had to leave social media altogether after racist and sexist comments became the norm for her.
If you want to see Simon Pegg in a new film, the actor will soon be seen in “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” directed by the aforementioned McQuarrie.
