LOST TRANSMISSIONS 2020

Pegg’s music producer comes off his medication for schizophrenia… “It was an opportunity to do a dramatic role. I came from a dramatic background, and fell into comedy because it was a way of having some autonomy. But I didn’t set out specifically to be a comedic actor so it was nice to do something different. Also, Lost Transmissions is written and directed by Katharine O’Brien, and I realised I hadn’t actually done a movie that was directed by a woman before. It was a no-brainer because the script was great.

“I felt it was really important to go off and research schizophrenia thoroughly. I didn’t want to just take it from the lines. I wanted a deeper understanding. So I did a lot of reading and met people with schizophrenia. That way I felt I could be much more authentic.

“Juno [Temple, playing a talented artist who becomes a supportive friend] is brilliant. She’s such a force of nature – very open and honest, totally transparent. We met a week before shooting and rehearsed at Katharine’s house in LA. We found we had a lot in common, in terms of understanding the source material. We trusted each other straight away, and were rooting for each other. When there’s an agenda there, or you’re putting one actor in front of the other, that can be disruptive. But I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve come across that. I’ve heard of actors, when they’re doing rehearsals and not on camera, being on their phones or whatever, and that’s just fucking criminal. I would be furious if I saw that.”

LOST TRANSMISSIONS IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON 29 JUNE.