Is that what appealed to you about doing it?

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Simon Pegg: Yeah it was.

I love the notion of taking the most sort of fundamentally corrupt character.

Ive been a lot of very corrupt characters, maybe not corrupt but certainly kind of amoral.

Theres a joyousness to be along for the ride because you kind of want him to do it.

And hes also a kind of great white shark.

From the first read it was like, this is clearly a film thats having a laugh.

Its not entirely serious.

Its not an outright comedy particularly but its definitely very light hearted.

And I think one thing he prides himself on is his professionalism and theyre all such amateurs.

Its maddening for him.

They have no compunction about just killing.

Its just a job to them.

I wanted to do the moustache just because I thought it would be fun.

He has a scorpion tattoo on his neck, which you dont always see, but its there.

And he has taken to being a professional killer with 100 percent devotion.

Like hes read the book on it Okay, Im going to wear a dark suit.

He borders on parody because hes doing it how he feels like a hit man should behave and look.

He looks so out of place it helps to communicate that aspect of it I think.

The tattoo thing is interesting.

Do you do stuff like that, which we might not even see or notice, for every character?

It depends how Method I want to get.

Im not a Method actor at all.

I always remember Olivier saying, Just act, dear boy to Dustin Hoffman.

But sometimes its fun to just have something, which is a little key into the character.

And we were like, Why?

So every day he had this little square shaved out of his head.

We never explained it.

We never said or mentioned why it was there but it was just something Nick wanted to do.

And for me, the mustache and the tattoo, its just a little way in.

Its not like I need this.

I cant be Charlie unless I have this.

(laughs) Its just a fun thing to do.

Somebody said, Comedians make the best villains.

Iss there something to that statement?

Its a way of making them a little bit more relatable.

You see films where the villain is simply horrible, and its actually kind of hard to take.

It certainly makes it more fun.

This film is about very amoral people doing terrible things to each other.

you’re able to get worn down by violence.

Its very easy to be worn down by violence.

Violence is very unpleasant.

You shot in some amazing locations in Australia.

That house that we shot in was extraordinary, the view from the house.

I had a bit of a quandary when I got the script because I really liked it.

I liked the way that it played with time.

It felt very sort of artful and as I say fun.

And they said yes.

So for me it was like a holiday.

I went to Perth for two weeks.

It was a nice bit of work.

The trailer forMission: Impossible Rogue Nationjust came out.

Are you done filming and what can you say about the movie?

Its going to be out in July and its just great.

The post-production process has been ongoing through the shoot obviously.

Its what you expect and hopefully it will also surprise you.

And Chris McQuarrie, who I really enjoyed working with, has done a great job.

Hes brilliant to be around because youre like, Yeah, yeah, lets do it!

I did a lot of fist bumping.

We had a lot of fun driving around in Morocco in the car just crashing.

Hes an extraordinary driver.

I never saw a stuntman drive the car in the whole film.

It was always Tom.

And its very important to him.

Its a problem I think with CG these days because you’ve got the option to do anything.

It stops us from saying, How did they do that now?

you could see the most incredible elaborate fucking superheroes fighting and smashing and just go, Meh, computers.

I dont know if there are many actors that still kind of engender that spirit.

Its important to him and I admire him for it because he gives a shit.

Its not just the paycheck for him.

It really mean something to him.

So to be part of that was fantastic fun.

And youre co-writingStar Trek 3.

I should be doing it right now.

We learned a lot.

Its interesting actually, I had certain issues withInto Darknessas well.

Its interesting to be able to take those forward and be at the helm a little bit.

What did people not like?

What did we like?

And thats a crazy way to work because were shooting in summer come hell or high water.

Can we design that now?

Can we make that costume?

What are you wearing?

Youre like, I dont know.

Let us try and fucking think of the story.

But thats how the process is working.

We have to come up with the goods.

It has to happen and we have to write it and it cannot be bad.

It has to be good and it has to meet a certain criteria which we set for ourselves.

So its an interesting process.

Are you starting with your own fresh idea?

Youre not working off the previous script?

I havent read Bob (Orci)s script and they didnt want us to.

So we went back to the drawing board.

We had creative meetings with Justin and there were things he wanted in there.

I havent written like this before.

Ive never been a custodian of something, its usually mine what Im writing.

Or Justin will say hes got an amazing visual mind, Justin.

Hes great at that kind of choreography.

So hell say, What if this happens?

So Doug and I go, Okay, right, lets try and get that into it.

So its an interesting process.

Its more about spirit.

Were trying to evolve the story at the same time as not letting it go.

I have a lot of thoughts on these ideas but we dont have enough time.

As does every fan.

Its one of those things, its a beloved franchise and were very aware of that.

And also its also fun.

These days people kind of think, Oh, things have got to be serious.

I feel like thats what it needs to be.

We have to wrap up, but could you say a word or two about Leonard Nimoy?

What a lovely, lovely man.

It was hard for all of us.

He had a very dry sense of humor.

But he had such a good heart, that man.

He was a genuinely beloved and special person.

Its a shame and I think really he was completely there as well.

It wasnt like he became an old doddering man.

I think it was just the physicality of life that got him in the end.

He was still a steel trap mentally.

So its a great shame and hell be missed.