Actor Simon Pegg opens up about battle with alcoholism

Pegg, who has played field agent Benji Dunn since the third film, opened up about his battle with depression and alcoholism in a new interview with the UK's Guardian.

"When I watch that film back, I can see where I was then, which was fairly lost, and unhappy, and an alcoholic," he told the publication, referencing "Mission: Impossible III."

"It was awful, terrible," he added. "It owned me."

Pegg, who is also known for his cult zombie film "Shaun of the Dead," said his "crisis years" were marked by a dependence on alcohol to numb feelings of sadness.

"I would feel like -- I'm in a film with Tom Cruise, I've got the part of Scotty in "Star Trek." This should be making me feel happy," he said. "But it wasn't."

Pegg said rehab and seeking help from Alcoholics Anonymous helped him get on the path toward health.

Pegg went into recovery as shooting started on 2011's "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol."

"I don't think I would be here now if I hadn't had help," he said.

"Mission: Impossible -- Fallout" opens in theaters this week.