Simon Pegg's 10 Best Roles

6. Shaun - Shaun Of The Dead

The World's End Simon Pegg
Universal Pictures

Shaun of the Dead was a tribute to classic zombie movies in the same way that a best man's speech is a tribute to the bride and groom; full of love and appreciation, but it's definitely going to be pointing out some flaws.

Over the course of the film we see zombie movies be taken down a peg or two. From some questionable first-weapon choices to looking at how people actually shoot when they've never used guns before and, in the end, the idea that it really is something the army could handle without too much issue.

Equally, Shaun himself is a neat criticism of Zombie-movie protagonists. Not all that brave, not all that bright, with a few loosely outlined plans that don't quite match up with reality, Shaun is the more realistic everyman that we see heading our survivors.

Ultimately, Shaun was a textbook example of Simon Pegg's preferred character; a bit of a loser with terrible decision-making skills, who nevertheless is determined and wily, and who outputs a near-constant feeling of nervous dread.

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My passion for all things Sci Fi goes back to my earliest days, when old VHS copies of Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet gripped my tiny mind with their big, noisy vehicles and terrifying puppets. I'd like to say my taste got more refined over the years, but between the Warhammer, Space Dandy and niche Star Wars EU books, perhaps it just got broader. I've enjoyed games of all calibre since I figured out that dice weren't just for eating, and have written prose ever since I was left unsupervised with some crayons next to a white wall. I got away with it by calling it "schoolwork" for as long as I could, and university helped me keep the charade going a while longer. Since my work began to get published, it's made all those long hours repainting the walls seem worth it.