One of the funniest and surprisingly nuanced character actors of the 21st century, Simon Pegg is a comedic force of nature. While he’s best known for his work alongside his lifelong friends Edgar Wright and Nick Frost, Pegg has also been a part of some of the most significant movie franchises in recent memory, including Star Trek, The Chronicles of Narnia, Mission: Impossible, Ice Age, and even Star Wars.

In addition to being a great actor, Pegg has also done valuable work behind the scenes. With a remarkably versatile career, Pegg can improve most movies with just a single dialog. The best Simon Pegg movies showcase his range and provide him with the chance to truly shine in comedy and even drama, while having a significant impact in modern pop culture.

10 ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’ (2010)

Director: Michael Apted

While the third installment in The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy is generally regarded as its weakest entry, the film does benefit from the addition of some new characters. Pegg joined the vocal cast as the mouse swordsman Reepicheep, who comes to the aid of the comically oafish Pevensive cousin Eustace Scrubb (Will Poulter).

While the film ultimately feels like a drag due to the lethargic pacing, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader remains an intriguing entry into the series. The friendship that Reepicheep develops with Eustace helps strengthen both characters, with Pegg delivering a sweet, earnest, and quite compelling performance.

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9 ‘Burke & Hare’ (2010)

Director: John Landis

Before they starred together in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Pegg and Andy Serkis played opposite each other in John Landis’ absurd dark historical comedy Burke and Hare. Based on a shocking true story, the film follows the Ulster immigrants William Burke and William Hare in their attempt to sell corpses to anatomy labs.

Burke and Hare is the type of “true story” that would have been completely unbelievable if presented as fiction. It’s an absurd yet frightfully funny dark comedy that would’ve pushed the boundaries of good taste without the excellent chemistry between Pegg and Serkis. The two play off each other wonderfully with the kind of effortless chemistry audiences don’t often see.

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8 ‘The Adventures of Tintin’ (2011)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Even if they’re not literally “on screen” together, Pegg and Frost never fail to have delightful chemistry. They added some particularly funny moments as the incompetent “keystone cops” Thompson and Tompson in Steven Spielberg’s exhilarating adaptation of The Adventures of Tintin.

Benefitting from Spielberg’s trademark humanistic approach, The Adventures of Tintin is an old-fashioned and thrilling ride, a callback to the all-time best adventure movies that have long inspired the director. Despite being one of the more viscerally stunning animated films in recent memory, The Adventures of Tintin has yet to inspire a sequel that would surely give Pegg and Frost more material to work with.

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7 ‘Ready Player One’ (2018)

Given that Pegg is a huge nerd (in the best way possible), it must have been a real treat for him to team up with Spielberg again for his adaptation of Ready Player One. Ernest Cline’s science fiction novel manages to pack in references to nearly every stone-cold genre movie classic from the 1980s.

While not as engaging on an emotional level as Steven Spielberg’s best movies, Ready Player One gets a boost of heart thanks to Pegg’s brief performance as Oasis’ co-creator Ogden Morrow. This is the definition of a stellar supporting performance; Pegg contributes heavily to the story and makes the most out of his limited screen time, leaving a lasting impression and making this short role far more memorable than many of his other, most significant characters.

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6 ‘Paul’ (2011)

In another team-up with his lifelong co-star, Pegg and Frost co-starred in this 2011 comedy about best friends on a road trip to Area 51 who encounter a real alien, Paul, voiced by a wisecracking Seth Rogen. Determined to help the alien get back to his spaceship, the two friends race against time and a slew of unexpected foes.

Paul lacked the strength of Wright’s direction. However, Superbad director Greg Mottola finds a great way of adding references to a number of sci-fi classics that Pegg is surely a fan of. Thanks to Rogen’s energetic performance and Pegg and Frost’s certified chemistry, Paul is an endearing comedy and an underrated sci-fi movie that deserves far more love from audiences.

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5 The ‘Star Trek’ Trilogy

Directors: J. J. Abrams, Justin Lin

Rebooting a franchise as beloved as Star Trek comes with great expectations. However, the creative “Kelvin Timeline” trilogy of the franchise found an interesting way to tie the past by defining itself as an “alternate” version of the events of the original films. It’s a credit to the strength of the cast that performances like Pegg as Montogomery Scott feel like fresh renditions of classic characters.

Pegg is perfect in the role, acting as a comedic relief while still fitting within the franchise’s larger storytelling. He never pulls focus away from the main characters; instead, he complements their performances, becoming a crucial player in an ensemble full of standouts. The Star Trek rebooted trilogy remains highly-regarded by critics and fans; it launched a new era of Star Trek content on streaming, confirming that this franchise will never go out of style.

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4 The ‘Mission Impossible’ Franchise (2006 – Present)

Directors: J. J. Abrams, Brad Bird, Christopher McQuarrie

Pegg joined the Mission: Impossible series for a brief cameo in J.J. Abrams’ Mission: Impossible III but was elevated to co-star status in 2011’s Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol. His character, expert hacker Benjamin “Benji” Dunn, returned to play an even more significant role in Christopher McQuarrie’s sequels, becoming a crucial member of Hunt’s team.

Despite the relentlessness of the series’ action sequences, Pegg adds a nice touch of humor as Tom Cruise risks his life. Benji is a much-needed lighter presence in Ethan’s life, providing an interesting contrast with the super agent’s stoic intensity. Pegg and Cruise’s dynamic is incredible, helping keep the Mission: Impossible movies fresh and exciting.

Mission: Impossible III is available to stream on Paramount+.

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3 ‘Hot Fuzz’ (2007)

Director: Edgar Wright

The second installment in Wright’s “Cornetto Trilogy,” Hot Fuzz is a tribute to buddy cop classics like Point Break and Bad Boys II. Pegg and Frost once again co-star as two wildly different British police officers forced to team up to unravel a conspiracy in a seemingly perfect neighborhood.

Hot Fuzz certainly puts the “action” in “action comedy.” The final set piece features Pegg performing action stunts that Ethan Hunt would be proud of and showcase his innate ability for physical comedy. Wild and unpredictable, Hot Fuzz is a satirical triumph and further confirmation that the Wright-Pegg-Frost trio is among cinema’s most consistently hilarious.

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2 ‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004)

Director: Edgar Wright

Shaun of the Dead is the ideal zombie movie. It is a loving homage to classics like George Romero’s Living Dead series, but it’s also a great way to introduce new fans to the genre if they’ve had no interest. The plot centers on Shaun, a thirty-something slacker who, along with his best friend and flatmate, Ed, must defend his town from a horde of zombies.

On top of the extremely funny splatter moments, Shaun of the Dead works as a great mid-life crisis dramedy, thanks to Pegg’s relatable performance as the titular character. Seamlessly blending humor with existential drama, Shaun of the Dead is an instantly memorable and hilarious comedy about coming-of-age in adulthood. The film has become a certified classic, with many considering it among the all-time best zombie movies. Shaun of the Dead is also closely related to Pegg’s image, to the point it might be the first movie that comes to mind when thinking of the actor.

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1 ‘The World’s End’ (2013)

Director: Edgar Wright

Pegg has never been more heartbreaking than he is in The World’s End, the last of the now-iconic Cornetto Trilogy. His character, Gary King, is so rooted in his nostalgia that he can’t move forward. The plot revolves around King’s attempt to complete a pub crawl accompanied by his youth friends, only to discover his hometown is being raided by aliens.

The World’s End is arguably Pegg’s darkest film, with Wright, Pegg, and Frost visiting themes of melancholia, regret, and longing. However, it’s also one of the funniest and most exciting entries in Pegg’s filmography, thanks to Wright’s inventive way of tying in a premise similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Thoughtful yet hysterical and endlessly entertaining, The World’s End is a worthy end for the Cornetto Trilogy and Simon Pegg’s most complex and rewarding movie.

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NEXT: Edgar Wright’s 10 Favorite Comedy Movies, Ranked by Letterboxd