A unique-looking puppy with a lolling tongue has proven that with the right amount of charisma, on-screen talent and hair (or lack thereof), even Britain's Ugliest Dog can steal the spotlight among Hollywood's stars.
Peggy, a pug crossed with a Chinese Crested, landed her breakthrough role in "Deadpool & Wolverine" as Dogpool, protagonist Wade Wilson's canine sidekick. Actor and producer Ryan Reynolds said Peggy caught his eye after she was crowned with the unfortunate title of Britain's ugliest in 2023.
"I was a huge proponent for her [to be in the movie] because she feels like the animal manifestation of Wade Wilson," Reynolds, 47, said in an interview with Empire. He described the on-screen moment where Dogpool meets Wilson as "love at first sight."
Peggy walked the red carpet alongside Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and the rest of the "Deadpool & Wolverine" cast at the movie's premieres.
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"Guys, this is Peggy, aka Mary Puppins, aka Dogpool," Reynolds said at the London premiere. "Get a good look."
He held on to the dog, who was outfitted in her signature black-and-red movie costume, complete with boots. Reynolds gave Peggy a kiss on the head.
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"Her nipples are the size of children's fingers," he said. "She won the ugliest dog in Britain, but we're not telling her that because she's a 10 in our hearts, isn't she?
"And that tongue, by the way, is real, and I have tasted it. She loves to lick. Loves to get right in there. She is really, truly amazing."
"This dog went through more training than Hugh Jackman did in the gym every single morning, and we love her very, very much — yes we do," he added. "She's a big star."
Holly Middleton, Peggy's owner, said the pup is "beautiful both inside and out" in an interview with BBC after Peggy secured her "ugliest dog" win.
Middleton, from East Yorkshire, adopted then-6-month-old Peggy online in 2018. She had been the last remaining pup in her litter.
"We loved her the [i]nstant we laid eyes on her with her big brown eyes, little tuft of white hair and her tongue lolling out to one side," Middleton added. "We tend to forget Peggy isn't your standard looking dog and we are very aware some people would refer to Peggy as ugly. It's always in a humorous way and we don't take offense, and neither does she."
Though Peggy was not meant to have a starring role in the movie, she earned it, just like her British accolade.
"[It started as] a tiny little afterthought, and it grew," Reynolds said to Empire. “It was one of those things where you just keep listening to the movie, and Dogpool became a staple.”
Peggy now has more than 180,000 followers on Instagram and her own line of Dogpool stuffed animals. It may simply be a matter of time before she earns her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
