J.J. Abrams discusses Simon Pegg’s contribution to The Force Awakens.
[toggler title=”TL;DR” ]J.J. Abrams says he is ‘very grateful’ for Simon Pegg’s ‘sounding board’ contribution to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[/toggler]
[dropcap size=small]O[/dropcap]fficially, Simon Pegg has nothing to do with this December’s Star Wars VII. He isn’t on the cast list, although rumors that he has a secret cameo in the film continue to circulate, and he isn’t a part of the crew either, but director J.J. Abrams told EW this week that the Shaun of the Dead star has been ‘priceless’ to have around. So, the question is – what exactly did he do?
‘He was a sounding board,’ said Abrams. ‘He would drop by the set because he wanted to, and when he could, he would help. He was a perfect combination of incredibly smart screenwriter, fan of the series, critical fan of the series, and friend of mine – but not just blindly supportive. He was an honest, critical friend. And he wasn’t so close to it that he became immune to things. He would come in with fresh eyes and very smart ideas. He’s one of a handful of people along the way that has been really priceless.’
Then Abrams partly addressed the rumor that Pegg is playing an alien extra in the film.
‘He won’t be recognizable in the movie, in all honesty. His role in this – not the performance or the character – but his support and friendship has been massively important and helpful in the process. I’m very grateful.’
Abrams even went so far as to call Pegg a genius. Sort of.
‘I will say that Simon Pegg is a genius. Because he told me to say that.’
Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits theaters on December 18th.
