Steven Spielberg's Cameo In The Simon Pegg Alien Comedy Paul Was His Idea
When movie fans think of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, they tend to think of Edgar Wright's Cornetto trilogy. The British duo starred in a trio of beloved, farcical favorites — "Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz," and "The World's End" — in the 2000s and 2010s, with Pegg co-writing all three films. The Cornetto trilogy might be Pegg and Frost's comedic opus, but it's not the only wild, genre-bending comedy project they've done together. There comes a time in every comedy lover's life when they must ask, for better or worse: "hey, remember 'Paul'?!"
Part road trip buddy comedy, part weird science fiction, "Paul" might be the type of film the phrase "your mileage may vary" was made for. I remember laughing hysterically at some parts of the movie about a space alien (Seth Rogen) on the run from the Secret Service with a couple of geeks, but being put off by other parts. "Paul" may never be as acclaimed as some of Frost and Pegg's other works (the pair co-wrote it in addition to starring), but it's got some fine comedy chops thanks in part to a fantastic cast. In addition to the inimitable trio of Pegg, Frost, and Rogen, the movie stars Kristen Wiig, Jason Bateman, and Bill Hader. It also has a cameo from one of the most famous directors of all time: Steven Spielberg.
Seth Rogen's Paul consulted on E.T.
Spielberg's voice can be heard in a flashback that sees Paul working out of an Indiana Jones-like storage facility, where he consults with the director about the science behind "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial." In the year 1980, a cigarette-smoking Paul speaks to Spielberg via radio, pitching the idea of "cellular revivification" — AKA healing powers — for the fictional alien. The filmmaker comes up with the idea of E.T.'s glowing finger on the fly, to which Paul skeptically says, "Maybe! You know, sometimes I find less is more." The voice-only cameo was a total surprise for viewers, but according to Pegg and director Greg Mottola's recent interview with SyFy Wire, it was the legendary filmmaker who actually suggested it.
"Nick Frost and I had worked with Steven on 'Tintin' at the beginning of 2009," Pegg told the outlet. In Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin" film, the pair play police detectives named Thompson and Thompson. "We told him all about 'Paul' whilst we were filming," the comedian told SyFy Wire. "We mentioned the idea that in the mythology of our movie, Paul had been an advisor to him whilst he was making 'E.T.' He loved the idea and jokingly suggested a cameo." Frost and Pegg, however, skirted past the joke part of the suggestion and actually wrote Spielberg into the script. "Nick and I immediately hashed out the scene and held him to it," Pegg shared. "Being the gentleman that he is, he made good on his suggestion."
It all comes back to Tintin
"Paul" isn't the only time Spielberg has popped up in someone else's movie unexpectedly, although it is his most recent cameo. In the past, the filmmaker has been confirmed to be an alien by "Men in Black," driven by on an electric recumbent bicycle in "Gremlins" (which he produced), and been given a lesson in mojo by Mike Myers in "Austin Powers in Goldmember."
Wacky as the movie is, you can see the fingerprints of films like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "E.T." in "Paul" and Mottola tells SyFy Wire he's also a big Spielberg fan. "Needless to say, I have held Steven in the highest regard for all the decades since I saw 'Jaws' at the age of 11," he told the outlet, adding, "He's unquestionably our country's filmmaker laureate, if there were to be such a thing." Surreal as it is, that filmmaker laureate ended up in a goofy alien comedy by the guys who brought us "Hot Fuzz" and "Superbad," and we have Tintin to thank for it.