Pegg: Time to shake off nerdy image

British comedian Simon Pegg has spoken of shaking off his nerdy reputation in favour of a Hollywood makeover as he prepares for a summer of blockbuster success.

Known for his distinct comedy brand of misfits and zombies, the actor has bagged his first romantic lead as a sought-after catch in Man Up, while his love interest instead plays the geek vying for his affection.

He will also star alongside Tom Cruise for a second time in the latest action-packed instalment of the Mission Impossible series Rogue Nation.

Despite his upcoming roles in space-set Star Trek 3 and science fiction film Absolutely Anything, he still hopes to “move on from that”.

He told the Sunday Times Magazine: “I’m not quite the nerdy man-child that everyone thinks I am.

“I mean, I still love genre cinema, and I’m very excited to be in the Star Trek films. But at home I’m not this toy-collecting, comic-book reading, video gaming... I’m just not, y’know?

“And I’m kind of feeling like it’s time to move on from that, like that phase of my life might be coming to an end. I’d quite like to do some more films that aren’t necessarily, er... set in space.”

He described performing affectionate scenes for the big screen as a married man as “just peculiar”.

“For a start I always end up punching above my weight with a leading lady who’s younger than me and who wouldn’t even acknowledge me in a public space.

“It is just a peculiar and not entirely healthy situation to find yourself in.”

The father-of-one added that his marriage to his ’non-celebrity’ wife Maureen keeps him from “floating off in to la-la-land”.

“It’s important to have one sane person in the relationship. Actors and actresses tend to be... a little unhinged,” he said.

“You get two fragile egos in a relationship and it’s a recipe for disaster. Maureen is just a rock. She totally gets it all and keep incredibly grounded. I don’t get to float off into la-la land.”