Simon Pegg became great friends with his idol Carrie Fisher on the set of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’.
The 45-year-old actor appears as Unkar Plutt in the sci-fi sequel and was thrilled to get to hang out with the 59-year-old actress – who reprised her role as Leia Organa for the first time since 1983’s ‘Return of the Jedi’ – on set.
Simon has been a life-long ‘Star Wars’ fan and has confessed it was honour to strike up a friendship with Carrie, a woman whose image he used to kiss before he went to sleep as a child.
Writing in a blog post for EmpireOnline about his experience of making ‘The Force Awakens’, the actor – who has six-year-old daughter Matilda with his wife Maureen Pegg – shared: "The Christmas of 1978 was easy for my parents. My mother has a photo of me surrounded by freshly opened gifts, including a ‘Star Wars’ pillow case, book and Princess Leia action figure.
"Now I’m strolling around the Resistance base at Pinewood Studios, arm-in-arm with Carrie Fisher, a woman whose image I used to kiss before bed, talking about how strange it must be being back in the universe. She shrugs it off, but I know she’s playing it down because she’s tough and cool and funny as f**k. I give her a hug and unabashedly tell her that I love her. She grabs my hand, regarding my wedding ring and shoves me off with a profanity. She is as special to me now as she was then."
Simon also discussed the impact the original movie ‘Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’ and the subsequent sequels have had on his life over the last five decades.
He said: "Through good times and bad, as a fan, a student, a detractor and collaborator, ‘Star Wars’ is without doubt the defining film in my life."