And the movie also allowed him to re-team with another friend, former "Friends" star David Schwimmer, with whom he worked on the 2006 film "Big Nothing." Schwimmer, who was already planning to direct "Run Fatboy Run," thought Pegg would be perfect as the lead.

"This is not your normal romantic comedy with impossibly beautiful people. Dennis is an average, ordinary Joe, he's not a leading man type," Pegg explained. "I think that's what's going to appeal to audiences. Here's a guy they can really relate to.

Of course, he admits that playing Dennis was a bit of a challenge. "What Dennis does to Libby, at least early on in the movie, is pretty reprehensible. So it was my job to make what he did understandable. And to make both Libby and the audience forgive him."

Pegg thinks one thing that helps is his character's on-screen relationship with his young son, Jake, played by newcomer Matthew Fenton. "If I look good in the film, it's because of him. Matthew is a real pro."

Pegg will be seen next in "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People," a "cheeky" adaptation of British writer Toby Young's memoirs. The film is due around the holidays.

And he's just wrapped up his role in next summer's "Star Trek" movie reboot. Pegg is playing Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, the beloved engineer character that was originated by the late James Doohan.

"Sometimes I think I must have been crazy to take the part," he sighed. "It's a tremendous responsibility — not just to the fans but to (Doohan) as well."

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com