Simon Pegg's 10 Best Roles

2. Graeme Willy - Paul

The World's End Simon Pegg
Universal Pictures

Perhaps the most overtly geek-centric film of Simon Pegg's career, Paul followed the exploits of the artist Graeme Willy, the writer Clive Gollings, and their weed-smoking, pop culture influencing extra terrestrial hitchhiker, Paul.

Pegg's character is your classic geek, an aspiring comic artist a-la Tim Bisley, embarking on a UFO-hotspot tour with his best friend following a romp at San Diego Comic Con. With some self discovery and genuine personal growth, plus an unlikely romance with outspoken Christian fundamentalist Ruth, Graeme endears himself to us over the course of the film.

Making the ultimate (or rather penultimate) sacrifice at the film's climax, Pegg makes us sympathise with this ageing nerd in ways that perhaps hit too close to home.

Honestly, in many ways Graeme echoes Pegg's earlier role as Tim in Spaced, save for the fact that the dickishness has been turned down, the nerdiness turned up, and the pseudo-romantic relationship with Nick Frost's character made abundantly clear.

In this post: 
Simon-Pegg
 
First Posted On: 
Contributor

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.