Simon Pegg will beam ‘em up

SIMON PEGG was in bed in L.A. -- well, the Valley -- on a Friday morning. He stars opposite Thandie Newton in David Schwimmer’s “Run, Fat Boy, Run,” which opened this weekend. He has recently completed shooting on 2009’s “Star Trek,” in which he plays Montgomery “Scotty” Scott.

How’s L.A.? I imagine you sunbathing.

Yeah. In my room with the curtains.

Does your wife send you pictures of the dog from back home?

I phone up and say, “What she’s doing now?” Apparently she’s looking out the windows since I left, which I’m very happy about today.

“Star Trek”: Total nerdfest?

For me as a kind of a geek, yeah! It was a fantastic experience.

Are you going to get roasted for destroying sacred characters?

I don’t think so. The main thing is J.J. Abrams is a fan of “Star Trek.” He really gets it. . . . This is now the generation that grew up with the series. These are the people most qualified to make “Star Trek.”

Hmmph. We’ll see.

I’m a fan of “Star Trek” since I was a kid. There was nothing I came across on set -- it’s not an ironic, sort of postmodern take on the original series. I think we’re past postmodernism! The idea of sending up the past is a bit boring now. If you look at the reinvention of characters like James Bond, it had to go through its period of Roger Moore raising his eyebrow and making lewd comments.

That’s the smartest thing I’ve heard all day.

It’s only 9:30.

I’ve seen your romantic comedy. The American comes off terribly!

It’s not a comment on America or Americans. He happens to occupy that demographic. . . . It’s a really multicultural movie really -- an interracial romance at the center of it, American, Irish, English characters. And I really wanted to work with Hank [Azaria]. He’s such a legend. He’s Moe the bartender!

For a film set in London now, there’s very little cussing.

I love swearing. I think swearing is important. That we have these magic words in our lexicon that elicit an emotional response for someone. [Yoinks!] here is so bad. But in the U.K. it’s a term of endearment. It’s great when Americans really blanch at it. Everyone’s swearing on network TV in the U.K. They’re becoming ubiquitous. You’ve got to keep them special.

Your wife is a publicist of some stripe, no?

She was a music publicist for bands, yeah. But she decided to hand over the reins. I’m hopeless at everything in my life. She’s now pretty much my manager.

You actually are one of the few people who has interactions with your fan site, Peggster.net. You’re not afraid of them!

People who end up in the public eye suddenly have this elevated opinion of themselves. That everyone likes them -- it’s cultural snobbery. They keep you going! They buy the tickets to see your films! Harmony Carrigan, who runs my website, is an absolutely delightful girl. We met at a screening. The fans are really normal people. These sites are a nexus for them to meet people with similar interests. It’s extremely egocentric to think they spend all day thinking about you. The Internet is a fantastic meeting place. And it’s true if you look at movies, the heroes are not muscle-bound anymore. It’s Seth Rogen or slightly more goofy characters that save the day. I think it’s the rise of the normal person! The unreachable superhero has been overthrown by Joe Blog.

You really do think about this stuff.

I think you have to! It’s very easy as an actor to believe your own press.

You lose your mind in a private plane.

It’s a minefield, it really is. You start to feel you’re entitled to it. But you need to keep a handle on what it means and how much it reflects your worth as a human being.

Spoken like a true non-American! Well, enjoy staying in your hotel with the blinds closed.

I’m staying with a friend of mine, because I get a little claustrophobic staying in hotels. I opted for country life in the Valley.

My God. Where?

Tarzana. I have to brave the 101 every day. It’s the most frightening place. You put your life in your hands on these roads. Drive safe, everyone!