Simon Pegg's 10 Best Roles
1. Dennis Doyle - Run Fat Boy Run
Simon Pegg's best characters tend to revolve around a clear set of rules; they have to be moderately pathetic, facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge, and persevere no matter what. With this method his many characters have earned our endearment.
Surprisingly, the clearest example of this method in action can be found in the little known 2007 film Run Fat Boy Run.
Simon Pegg plays designated loser Dennis Doyle who, after getting cold feet and leaving his pregnant fiance at the altar, has a change of heart 5 years too late and resolves to win her back. The only way to do this is, apparently, beating her arrogant new boyfriend in the London Marathon.
Despite this less than edifying start, the sheer effort Doyle puts into his transformation manages to earn our sympathies. By the time he's struggling to complete the marathon on a broken ankle, we're already cheering him on.
In all, Pegg's performance makes us feel for this deeply flawed character, a classic redemption tale assisted by liberal applications of a frying pan to the arse.