Simon Pegg has been around the block a few times in the world of science fiction, but he said one fandom stands above all the others ― and for all the wrong reasons.
“The Star Wars fan base really seems to be the most kind of toxic at the moment,” he told Jim Norton and Sam Roberts on SiriusXM.
The British actor, who has had roles in Star Trek, Doctor Who and Star Wars, admitted he was part of the problem when he mocked Jar Jar Binks on his TV series Spaced. Ahmed Best, who played Jar Jar in the prequels, said in 2018 that he considered suicide over the backlash he received for the role.
“I’ve apologised for the things I’ve said about Jar Jar Binks because of course there was a fucking actor involved and he was getting a lot of flack,” Simon said.
“It was a human being and because it got a lot of hay, he suffered and I feel terrible about being part of that.”
Star Wars fans have lashed out against new cast members in the more recent films as well, especially racially diverse figures, such as John Boyega as Finn and Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico.
But Simon said there’s another fandom that’s been far more accepting.
“I find the Star Trek fans have always been very, very inclusive,” he said.
“Star Trek’s about diversity. It has been since 1966, it always was. There’s no sort of like, ‘Oh, you’re suddenly being woke.’ No, Star Trek was woke from the beginning.”
Simon, who played Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in three Star Trek films, noted that the show featured a racially diverse cast from the start.
“This is massively progressive,” he said. ”Star Wars suddenly there’s a little bit more diversity, and everyone’s kicking off about it. And it’s, it’s really sad.”
Watch the full interview below...