Simon Pegg has opened up about dealing with alcohol and depression throughout his career.

Speaking to the Guardian, the actor said he had been dealing with depression since he was a teen and turned to alcohol to cope. The problems escalated while filming Mission: Impossible III in 2006.

He said that the following period was a series of "crisis years" in which he was a "fairly lost" "unhappy" "alcoholic".

He said that he was initially good at hiding his alcoholism because "I'm an actor, so I acted...all the fucking time." However, the signs of his issues eventually became clear to his wife.

Pegg checked into rehab in the UK and while undergoing treatment he got court orders preventing the press from reporting on his circumstance. He claims reporters would call up his treatment facility pretending to be concerned relatives.

The actor now hopes that his issues will motivate those suffering from similar problems of depression and addiction to seek help, stating he is neither proud nor ashamed of his battle.