Simon Pegg Reveals Which Fanbase Is The Worst
whichSimon Pegg has been involved with a number of popular movie franchises. But he has clear thoughts on which fanbase is the worst of them all
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Every fanbase has a dark side from the great halls of Valhalla, to the Kingdom of Asgard and everything in between. But some are definitely worse than others. After appearing in several major franchises like Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Mission Impossible, Simon Pegg has become somewhat of an expert navigating online negativity targeted at these properties. Now, the actor has shared his thoughts on which fans are the hardest to please.
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Jim and Sam Show, the actor said Star Wars fans top the list of most toxic. “To be honest, and as someone who kicked off about the prequels when they came out, the Star Wars fanbase really seems to be the most kind of toxic at the moment,” Simon Pegg said via Mediaite. The 52-year-old also noted the irony in his declaration since he was also a source of negativity in the fandom. He contributed to the backlash against Jar Jar Binks actor Ahmed Best when Star Wars: The Phantom Menace was released in 1999.
However, Simon Pegg previously acknowledged his poor behavior in an interview with CinemaBlend, saying he’s ashamed for contributing to the backlash. The controversy around Jar Jar Binks was so severe that Best even considered ending his own life. “I’ve apologized for the things I said about Jar Jar Binks,” the English actor explained. He admitted that he eventually realized there was a real person at the receiving end of all the negativity. And because the character got a lot of hate, he suffered. “I feel terrible about being part of that,” he told the podcast hosts.
But the negativity found in some Star Wars fans hasn’t infected other franchises with the same intensity. For fostering inclusivity on-screen and within its fan base, Simon Pegg praised Star Trek. “I find the Star Trek fans have always been very, very inclusive,” he said. The Hot Fuzz actor added that the Enterprise has always been about diversity since 1966. As such, no one ever accused the show of “trying to be woke” which is massively progressive. The Mission Impossible star also said it’s really sad that people kicked up such a fuss when Star Wars added a bit more diversity to the galaxy.
Simon Pegg has been involved in the controversial reboots of both space franchises. He appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the junkyard dealer Unkar Plutt. The actor also starred as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, the chief engineer aboard the USS Enterprise in 2009’s Star Trek movie. Through these roles, the comedian had a front-row seat to the vitriol some loyal fans can inflict upon a franchise’s cast and crew for simply doing their jobs.
Unfortunately, Star Wars is still on the receiving end of the kind of toxic fan feedback Simon Pegg described. John Boyega’s casting in 2014’s The Force Awakens caused people to react with racist remarks, while Kelly Marie Tran quit social media and spent time in therapy following her role in 2017’s The Last Jedi. Most recently, Obi-Wan Kenobi actress Moses Ingram said that Lucasfilm warned her of the anticipated fan hate after portraying Reva the Inquisitor in the Disney+ series. Hopefully, this trend of negativity won’t last forever.
