Simon Pegg in Run, Fat Boy, Run Courtesy of Picturehouse

How did Thandie Newton come on board this project?
Her name just came up. At first I thought that she wasn't girl-next-door enough because she is so beautiful. I love Thandie; I have been a fan of hers since Flirting. One of the things that was important — which is a by-product of hiring her because she's a great actress — was to ensure that the film has a great multiculturalism [including] a mixed-race relationship. I think something that is often missing from certain films set in London is the sheer mix of cultures. But David was like: "Are you sure? Because Thandie is so gorgeous!" No one is going to believe that she would even go out with me. That is asking people to suspend disbelief on a Tolkienian level. She was fabulous and great fun. Once you get past that aesthetic that she has, she is a very down to earth person; she's very straightforward. And she was Libby to a tee.

I know that for Hot Fuzz you really had to get in shape in order to jump all those fences. So you must have been in some shape for this.
I was still in Hot Fuzz mode because it had only been about a month since I had finished it, so my metabolism was up-to-speed — I had to don a little fat to pad me out a bit. But it was good because it meant that I was okay with all the running.

You are somebody who gets deeply involved in every aspect of the productions that you work on, most recently on Hot Fuzz. Do you find this one very collaborative?
That is why I only work with these little ingénues because I can mould them… [smiles wryly]. No, not at all! [laughs] Sometimes it is nice to sit back, like for instance on How to Lose Friends, I didn't have anything to do with the script because I really liked it. Occasionally, I'll get a script and say: "I like this but can I rewrite it." And sometimes it happens. But certainly with How to Lose Friends and The Good Night, it is lovely for someone else to take the reigns and for you to just concentrate on your performance.

You have said that you wouldn't even consider moving to America, but when you look at your upcoming projects and your star rising in the States, is it something you would consider?
Most film shoots are generally about twelve weeks at most, unless you do something huge, like a blockbuster. I think you can commute. I can come to America, stay for a few months and then go home again. I want to keep making films in the UK because that is my home. It is not my responsibility nor is it in my power, but it would nice to keep British film alive or at least contribute to that. We have such an incredible wealth of talent in terms of our crews and actors. We have enough of the raw materials in the UK to have a really productive film industry; it's just not funded properly. I would like to continue to make films at home and abroad — wherever the good stuff is.

And what is good stuff right now?
I want to do films that are primarily fun to make. It's important to enjoy your job and a big part of the job is the day-to-day filming. Run, Fat Boy, Run is light and fun. This is kind of a tad more conventional than I might ordinarily do, but its function is entirely to please and there is something to be said for that. There is a place for that kind of cinema and I don't want to do anything for the sake of it. I want to do stuff because it moves me in some way.