Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker features a hidden, very minor Simon Pegg cameo

The further away from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker's initial release, the more we are learning about Episode 9. In a new interview with GamesRadar+ and Total Film, Simon Pegg – who played the hideous Unkar Plutt in Star Wars: The Force Awakens – revealed that he actually had a secret (very minor) cameo in the movie.

"My arm is in it!" the actor, promoting his latest movie Lost Transmissions, said. "They had this tattoo [points to the stars on his left arm] put on my big, fat Unkar Plutt arms, and there’s a scene with Rey… It’s actually a scene from The Force Awakens when I’m holding Rey’s hand. I caught a brief glimpse of it [in The Rise Of Skywalker].

"[Director] J.J. [Abrams] had so much fucking work to do on that film to tie everything up, so there was literally no room for anything apart from [speaks rapidly] information, information, information. I did visit the set. I saw the big Rebel base, which was amazing because they actually had that ship there."

Pegg also spoke about his own thoughts on The Rise of Skywalker, offering a brief review. "I think it was an exercise in closure," he said. "Of course, it was going to be contentious in lots of ways – it was the end of a promised nine films, y’know? It was successful and less successful, in varying degrees. As J.J. knew, taking it on. There was a lot to unpack, parse, and wrap up."

Pressed further about his favourite movie in the new trilogy, Pegg added: "The Force Awakens – the one I was in [laughs]. But The Mandalorian feels more like Star Wars than anything I’ve seen in the last 30 years. Because it’s quite simple. It’s fucking Kung Fu meets Shane, with Boba Fett [laughs]. It’s very stripped back. And it’s funny."

You can read the full Q&A with Pegg – in which the actor discusses Lost Transmissions, Mission: Impossible 7, and Star Trek – here.

Simon Pegg and director Katharine O’Brien will be at the Glasgow Film Festival with Lost Transmission on February 29, and the film will be out later this year. GFF runs until March 8. https://glasgowfilm.org/glasgow-film-festival.

Jamie Graham is the Editor-at-Large of Total Film magazine. You'll likely find them around these parts reviewing the biggest films on the planet and speaking to some of the biggest stars in the business – that's just what Jamie does. Jamie has also written for outlets like SFX and the Sunday Times Culture, and appeared on podcasts exploring the wondrous worlds of occult and horror.