The actor brother of Simon Pegg has said there is no sibling rivalry between the pair – adding he is proud of how the Mission Impossible actor opened up about his battle with alcoholism.
Up-and-coming actor Mike Beckingham is the younger brother of Pegg – the star of Spaced, Hot Fuzz, Sean of the Dead and the Mission Impossible franchise alongside Tom Cruise.
In an interview with Insider, Beckingham – who has starred in Redwood and The Host – said his brother was “incredibly supportive” of his career, adding he was grateful to be able to use Pegg as a “sound board” as he navigates the film industry.
The 37-year-old, who is not formally trained and has instead been working on independent films for almost a decade, said: “There is no sibling rivalry. I am so proud and lucky to have him as a brother and for him to be in the same industry as me and to be able to use him as a sound board.
“I could phone him whenever and speak to him about certain things. He is incredibly supportive as well.”
He said working with his brother, 50, on television series Truth Seekers, which is now in post-production, was “the best experience i have ever had.”
“It was like Simon has been watching what I had been doing for eight years and he came to me and said: ‘Look I might have something for you.’ It felt very rewarding to get to that stage where we work together,” he said.
In 2018, Pegg spoke candidly about his battle with alcoholism – admitting it was a result of depression and other mental health issues he had been dealing with for a number of years.
Beckingham said he was “proud” of the way his brother, who took his stepfather’s surname when their mother re-married, opened up about his issues.
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost – In pictures
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Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
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Spaced
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Hot Fuzz (2007)
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Paul (2011)
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The World’s End (2013)
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Sony Ericsson Empire Film Awards 2008
Dave Benett
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Actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost attend the “The World’s End” party on Day 2 of Comic-Con International in San Diego, California
Invision/AP
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Spaced (1999)
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Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
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Hot Fuzz (2007)
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Hot Fuzz (2007)
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Paul (2011)
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Hot Fuzz (2007)
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Nick Frost and Simon Pegg pose at the after party for the premiere of Focus Features’ “The World’s End” at the Cat and Fiddle on August 21, 2013 in Los Angeles
Getty Images
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Simon Pegg and Nick Frost pose on arrival for the L.A. Premiere of the film ‘The World’s End’ in Hollywood, California
AFP/Getty Images
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Nick Frost and Simon Pegg attend the World Premiere of ‘The World’s End’ at Empire Leicester Square on July 10, 2013 in London, England
Dave Benett
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Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
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Spaced
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Hot Fuzz (2007)
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Paul (2011)
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The World’s End (2013)
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Sony Ericsson Empire Film Awards 2008
Dave Benett
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Actors Simon Pegg and Nick Frost attend the “The World’s End” party on Day 2 of Comic-Con International in San Diego, California
Invision/AP
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Spaced (1999)
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Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
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Hot Fuzz (2007)
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Hot Fuzz (2007)
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Paul (2011)
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Hot Fuzz (2007)
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Nick Frost and Simon Pegg pose at the after party for the premiere of Focus Features’ “The World’s End” at the Cat and Fiddle on August 21, 2013 in Los Angeles
Getty Images
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Simon Pegg and Nick Frost pose on arrival for the L.A. Premiere of the film ‘The World’s End’ in Hollywood, California
AFP/Getty Images
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Nick Frost and Simon Pegg attend the World Premiere of ‘The World’s End’ at Empire Leicester Square on July 10, 2013 in London, England
Dave Benett
The London-based actor, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, said: “With his honest interviews that have come out in the past few years about his own battles – to see him speak out about them… to talk about them in the first place is one of the hardest things. I look at that and think: ‘Jesus, how proud am I and how lucky am I to have him as a brother and have that guidance.’”
Beckingham plays the lead character in thriller The Host, which was released for home streaming this month.
The actor plays Robert Atkinson – a banker who ends up involved in one of Europe’s most powerful, and dangerous, families. It also stars Nigel Barber, Maryam Hassouni and former McFly star Dougie Poynter.
The actor said he and Poynter bonded on set over their mutual love of movie Dumb and Dumber.
He said: “Dougie, we hit if off straight away. We had a bond over Dumb and Dumber. We basically sat there in our dressing gowns and watched the movie in Amsterdam.”
On the musician’s change of career, Beckingham added: “He had got to such a level with his music and I have a lot of admiration of him to make that transition. He was really passionate about it and he wanted to get it right. For him to put himself out there like that, it is great.”
The Host is out on VoD now
