CRACKING THE CODE

Simon Pegg stars in a new thriller about a cyberattack that threatens the UK's general election

- STEVEN PERKINS

NEW DRAMA The Undeclared War Thursday, 9pm, C4

From Spaced to Star Trek, Simon Pegg has established himself as the go-to man to play characters with geekish tendencies - but his role as a cybersecurity expert in C4's The Undeclared War is taking the actor into uncharted territory.

Co-written and directed by Wolf Hall's Peter Kosminsky, the six-part thriller is set in 2024 and follows a team of GCHQ analysts working to neutralise a series of cyberattacks against the UK in the run-up to a general election.

Pegg plays head of operations Danny Patrick, who is all too aware of the heavy burden he shoulders in protecting the nation, while the cast also includes Adrian Lester.

Here, Pegg, 52, reveals why he's excited to be playing the grownup in the room this time...

What was it about this project that appealed to you?

I was extremely flattered to be sent the script, because it's not the kind of role that people normally assume that I would be interested in. I'm pretty bad at reading scripts, but I picked up episode one and I didn't stop until I finished episode six I was so gripped by the story.

What drew you to the role of Danny?