THE owners of the world’s most famous dog admit people have gone barking mad over their family pet.
Little Peggy has been having a ball since landing a shock role as Dogpool in last summer’s blockbuster movie Deadpool & Wolverine.
Deadpool shares a lot of smooches with Dogpool in the movie.[/caption]
Peggy is the star attraction for the upcoming Comic Con event in Aberdeen.[/caption]
The five-year-old pugese – a pug and Chinese crested cross – became the envy of women across the globe after smooching Hollywood hunk Ryan Reynolds and cuddling with Greatest Showman heartthrob Hugh Jackman.
But parents Luke and Holly Middleton, from East Yorkshire, claim their pooch’s celebrity status hasn’t gone to her head as they prepare to appear at Comic Con Aberdeen Scotland.
Luke said: “She’s not changed, she’s not a diva and she’s still slobs out. She’s the same old Peggy.
“But a lot of people now want to kiss her because she’s kissed Ryan Reynolds. You get people that come in and say, ‘oh, can we kiss her?’. I’m like, ‘maybe not’.
“I’ve got to draw the line somewhere. We weren’t told huge amounts about that scene but we knew that she had to lick him and with us being Ryan Reynolds fans, I knew it was going to be full on and funny.”
Luke, who has two sons with Holly, didn’t audition Peggy for the part and never planned on her becoming a celebrity. It all happened by chance after she was crowned the ugliest pooch in a national contest.
Her unique look quickly caught the eye of casting directors who invited Peggy down to Pinewood Studios where some of the biggest flicks are filmed.
The pet was cast in the major role despite having no experience and spent seven months training and shooting scenes for the film, that grossed around £1billion at the box office.
Luke said: “She’s always looked the same with the Mohican and the tongue sticking out.
“It used to be when we first took her out you’d get a few strange looks and you can see people sort of muttering to themselves. Most people are dog lovers but they don’t often see dogs that look like Peggy.
“We don’t think she’s ugly, we love her, but we understand she’s unconventional looking.
“We met the director, Sean Levy, and I’d seen him record Peggy on his phone and I’d sort of just glanced over his shoulder. I could have sworn I’d seen him WhatsApp it to Ryan Reynolds.
“I go down to the costume department and they all start measuring Peggy up, being really fussy. And then on the wall is all the different artwork of costumes for the different sorts of variants of the film and all that stuff. There’s like Wolverine, Deadpool, and then bang, smack in the middle was a Dogpool.”
Luke added: “After that, I don’t think we spoke to each other for about half an hour on the car journey home. Obviously we had to sign an NDA. We couldn’t even tell the kids.
“We couldn’t tell anyone. Then as filming started, Ryan Reynolds took a shine to her and I think they put her in more and more of the film.
“I don’t know how much he had pre-planned, but from what I gather, he sort of took a shine to her and the rest is history.
COMIC CON STAR
DOGPOOL is not the only famous face that will appear at the Aberdeen event next month.
Comic Con Scotland North East will feature Doctor Who favourites, like Billie Piper, Alex Kingston and Arthur Darvill.
Meanwhile, starts from The Walking Dead. such as Lennie James, Laurie Holden, Cooper Andrews and Pollyanna McIntosh will appear.
Other big names include Sean of the Dead star Nick Frost, Guardians of the Galaxy performer Sean Gunn and former child star Mara Wilson, who played Matilda in the 1996 flick.
As well as guest appearances there will be expert panels, Artists Alley, where talented comic creators showcase their work, and a cosplay contest.
There’s also a gaming zone and family-friendly activities.
Andy Kleek, CEO of Monopoly Events, says: “Comic Con Scotland North East is the ultimate destination for fans to celebrate all things pop culture. We’ve got an amazing array of guests for our upcoming show and we are excited to bring together a diverse community to share their passions and create unforgettable memories.”
“Our kids were told she was going to be in a film but we couldn’t tell them what, because kids naturally will just tell people.
“They launched the Dogpool Instagram and it was only then that we could tell everyone because it was public. So then we could tell the kids and obviously everyone just went crazy.
“We’re big film fans. We’re huge Marvel fans straight off the bat, big Deadpool fans. Like before we even knew Peggy would be in it, we had posters and all sorts of Avengers and Deadpool stuff.”
Peggy has been hitting the road since finding fame and appeared at Comic Con Scotland Edinburgh last year.
Now she’s coming to Aberdeen’s P&J live on March 1 and 2 after travelling as far as the US to meet her adoring fans.
Luke said: “She’s not a trained acting working dog, she’s just a family pet. Peggy is a super chill, warm, loving dog. And she was really well looked after on set and all of the cast and crew loved her.
“She’s a really sociable, loving dog and the first time we got invited to an event we thought we’d try it just try it, and if she doesn’t like it, we won’t do it again.
“But she was great. People bring their newborn babies, I’m talking two weeks old. She just loves to get attention and cuddles and all that sort of stuff. She just gets snuggles and treats all day, which is the dream job.”
Peggy does get some f the more glam perks of fame, including having special status on flights.
Peggy as Dogpool at a fan event.[/caption]
Luke and Holly think Peggy is a superstar.[/caption]
Meanwhile, she’s also a brilliant fundraiser and brings cash to local animal shelters – including the SSPCA in Scotland.
Luke said: “Everywhere she goes, she gets a warm welcome. People always stop and ask for photos.
“Now when she flies, she’s been given celebrity pet status with Delta Airlines, which means she gets her own seat and doesn’t have to go in a crate.
“So it’s pretty crazy when you’re on a flight and she’s sat on her own seat and everyone on the plane is watching the Deadpool & Wolverine film around us.”
Log onto comicconscotlandnortheast.co.uk for info and tickets
