The Brit’s success has been built around the projects he has both written and starred in – TV sitcom Spaced, the movies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

It was the latter two which propelled Pegg into the creative consciousness of Hollywood producers, and all of a sudden he was awash with offers for parts in a string of comedy movies.

This second stage of the funnyman’s career has been less than glittering, and led to suggestions that he had sold out.

Last year’s Run Fatboy Run received mixed reviews and there were fears Pegg may have lost his golden touch.

Some critics suggested he should stick to doing what he does best – working on projects which he has handcrafted alongside his longterm writing sidekick Nick Frost.

So news that his latest film would be an adaptation of the bestselling novel How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, would have been met with fear and dread by some.

They needn’t have worried. How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is proof that Pegg can shine with a vehicle that has been created for him, rather than created by him.

He plays Sidney Young, a cynical journalist with a bitter contempt for the world of celebrity, and the glamour that goes with it.

He is also disillusioned with life as editor of alternative magazine, Post Modern Review.

The magazine is based inside a cramped office above a London kebab shop, and the staff seem more interested in fighting with each other than writing stories.

But totally out of the blue Sidney is offered a way out of the mire - with a job in New York working for the prestigious celebrity and lifestyle magazine, Sharps.