Simon Pegg reveals ADHD diagnosis and says he had been 'treating the symptoms and not the cause'

From the Newshound archive · first published 8 October 2026 · last updated 9 October 2026.

Simon Pegg, 56, has confirmed he has been diagnosed with ADHD after pursuing a formal assessment because he "just wanted to know." The 'Shaun of the Dead' and 'Mission: Impossible' star made the disclosure on the podcast 'I'm ADHD! No You're Not', hosted by Paul Whitehouse and Dr Mine Conkbayir MBE. Pegg said the diagnosis "confirmed a lot of stuff I'd been wrestling with" and that he had wrongly attributed his symptoms to "character fault." He now believes years of therapy and medication for depression may have addressed symptoms rather than the underlying cause.

Pegg had long assumed ADHD only affected children who were 'chaotic and difficult and didn't pay attention in school.'

He initially thought clinical depression and struggles with drinking had 'caused' his condition, not the other way around.

His wife is 'dealing with it as if I'd been diagnosed ages ago', making allowances for his forgetfulness and lack of concentration.