Simon Pegg costars alongside Tom Cruise, Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner in the highly anticipated Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. Pegg reprises his role as Benji Dunn, the lovable, nerdy IMF technician as he and the rest of the team try to stop Kurt Hendricks, played by Michael Nyqvist, from launching a Russian nuclear missile at the U.S. This action-packed spy film promises much of what fans have come to expect from the series: crazy stunts, high tech gadgets, and edge of your seat excitement. Nonetheless, according to Pegg, the set was “heavy in the slightest.” “So, between the four of us, with myself, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Tom, we spent a lot of time just laughing and it made for a very happy set,” Pegg told Uinterview in an exclusive video interview.

Pegg goes on to tell of one particularly great moment on set. “I remember once there was a scene he [Cruise] couldn’t get, because it was a scene where he had to address myself, Paula and Jeremy, and it was very serious and portentous, and it was all about the fact that the world was going to end, and we couldn’t stop laughing and he couldn’t stop laughing because he was looking at us giggling and eventually we were ejected from the set.”

Pegg first came on to the scene with his role in the cult classic (he also co-wrote the script) Shaun of the Dead. Since then, he’s appeared in numerous films, including 2009’s Star Trek. Pegg usually appears as the slightly overweight, affable “everyman” in his roles, but this film was a bit different. “I had to sort of train pretty hard and learn some fighting skills and some weapon skills and basically go from being the sort of schlubby guy that I was in [Mission: Impossible] 3 to a more sort of accomplished, lean, mean killing machine.” I’ll believe it when I see it!

Here is more of what Pegg has to say in our exclusive interview.

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For more on Simon Pegg and Mission: Impossible:

VIDEO: Tom Cruise ‘Kidnaps’ M:I Director

Jamie Bell Preps For ‘Tintin’ Adventure

REVIEW: Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol

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User Matthew Zingg
Q: Hey Simon! Big Fan! You're a funny guy. Do you ever joke around with Tom Cruise on set? Does Cruise have a good sense of humor? - Matthew Zingg

Oh yeah, the set wasn't heavy in the slightest, it was a great, fun set. We had Brad Bird at the helm, who's an incredibly accomplished director of action and comedy. You know his mood was always very light and Tom is a funny guy, as well. He's funnier than I think a lot of people give him credit for. So, between the four of us, with myself, Jeremy Renner, Paula Patton and Tom, we spent a lot of time just laughing and it made for a very happy set. I remember once there was a scene he couldn't get, because it was a scene where he had to address myself, Paula and Jeremy, and it was very serious and portentous, and it was all about the fact that the world was going to end, and we couldn't stop laughing and he couldn't stop laughing because he was looking at us giggling and eventually we were ejected from the set, so Tom had to do the scene on his own, looking at, you know, pieces of tape standing in for me, Paula and Jeremy. And then, he could still hear us laughing off set, so we then got ejected from the studio. Yeah, it's not all serious, believe me.

User Uinterview User
Q: What was your favorite scene from the 'Mission: Impossible 4' film and why? - Uinterview User

I think my favorite scene in the film is the Kremlin break-in, when Ethan and Benji man this audacious plan to get into the Kremlin, which could easily fail and cause them immeasurable pain, but they do it anyway, and it's just a very tense, kind of very funny sequence. They use this thing called an e-screen to dupe the guard and sneak into the Kremlin. It was just a lot of fun playing that scene with Tom Cruise, because you know my character Benji is very nervous and Ethan is trying to keep me calm, and it was just a nice little dynamic, and for me it's my favorite scene in the film.

User Uinterview User
Q: What things have you had to do to prepare yourself for Benji's new role in 'Mission: Impossible 4' from his previous role in 'Mission: Impossible 3'? - Uinterview User

Yeah, I had to get in shape. I had to sort of train pretty hard and learn some fighting skills and some weapon skills and basically go from being the sort of schlubby guy that I was in '3' to a more sort of accomplished, lean, mean killing machine.