Simon Pegg

Born: February 14 1970
Where: Gloucester, UK

The stand-up comedian turned actor and writer first won critical plaudits for the spoof British zombie flick Shaun of the Dead. He has since gone onto further acclaim with the British comedy thriller Hot Fuzz and the David Schwimmer-directed Run, Fatboy, Run.

Prior to the big screen he was known for the cult TV hit Spaced as well as stints working alongside Steve Coogan and Chris Morris.

Graduating from Bristol University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre, film and television he decided to pursue a career in stand-up comedy.

After making a name for himself on the local circuit, he moved to London in 1993 and went on to play the province as well as Australia and New Zealand.

He made appearances on The Stand Up Show and Saturday Night Live before returning to acting in a TV sketch show, Six Pairs of Pants, where he met friend and future Spaced writing partner Jessica Stevenson.

Pegg worked with Steve Coogan on both the BAFTA award winning I'm Alan Partridge (he played a video director) and his highly successful live show, The Man Who Thinks He's It, which toured Britain in 1999.

He worked with Chris Morris and Father Ted creators Graham Linehan and Arthur Matthews on the BAFTA nominated, Montreux Rose and ITV Comedy award-winning sketch show Big Train.

Pegg also starred in Hippies as well as guesting on the first series of Charlie Higson's Randall and Hopkirk, Deceased, starring Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer.

Twice nominated for GQ's Comedian Of The Year he attracted attention in American when he landed a part in Steven Spielberg's Band of Brothers.

Minor big screen appearances had included Guest House Paradiso and The Parole Officer and he also played New Wave journalist Paul Morley in 24 Hour Party People.

He starred in Morality Play before taking the lead (and co-writing the script with Edgar Wright) in Shaun of the Dead.

After the movie's runaway success. Pegg made a series of low-key appearances in the likes of The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse and George A Romero's Land of the Dead.

In 2006, he played the geeky Benji in Mission: Impossible III and also starred in the black comedy Big Nothing alongside Schwimmer.

The following year he re-united with Shaun of the Dead co-conspiritors Edgar Wright and Nick Frost to make the British comedy thriller Hot Fuzz.

Recent work includes the role of the clueless Dennis in the comedy Run, Fatboy, Run.