Peggy plays Wade Wilson’s new sidekick, Dogpool, in Deadpool & Wolverine. Ryan Reynolds calls Peggy the ‘animal manifestation’ of Wade Wilson.

Meet Peggy, a cross between a pug and a Chinese-crested dog, who has recently gone viral on the internet and attained somewhat of a celebrity status with a following of 241k on Instagram. This adorably unique pup was cast as Wade Wilson’s new sidekick, Dogpool, in Deadpool & Wolverine, which is finally out in theatres today. (Also read – Deadpool & Wolverine movie review: Meta humour saves the day from Marvel’s relentless multiverse worldbuilding) Cast member Ryan Reynolds holds Britain’s ugliest dog Peggy, who plays Dogpool in “Deadpool & Wolverine”, during a photocall for the movie in London, Britain, July 12, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams(REUTERS)

Humble Beginnings

Peggy is six years old and a part of the Middleton family from East Yorkshire. Holly Middleton first laid eyes on the pup through an online adoption ad and instantly fell in love with her. Peggy, the runt of an accidental litter, was 6 months old then and all her siblings had already been adopted. No one wanted to adopt her because of her unconventional appearance – a mostly hairless dog, with a tuft of hair on her head, and a tongue that lolls out of her mouth. But to the Middleton family, she was perfect, as Holly says, “She fits into our family perfectly like she’s always been there. My youngest son especially has a very close bond with her. He was 3 when we brought her home, so they’ve grown up together.”

Winning the ‘Britain’s Ugliest Dog’ award

Middleton entered Peggy in a photography printing firm, ParrotPrint’s Britain’s Ugliest Dog contest, in late 2022, at the suggestion of friends and family. Even though she is beautiful to her family and dearly loved, the Middletons understand that her appearance might be off-putting to some, and are not offended by it. The runt-turned-celebrity won the contest and even appeared on national television, in shows including BBC Breakfast, ITV’s This Morning, and BBC Radio Five Live.

Being cast as Dogpool and becoming besties with Ryan Reynolds

Even though Peggy has always been a bit of a star and has a knack for being in front of the camera, her parents never imagined she would attain the kind of stardom she has recently skyrocketed to. After winning her ugliest dog title, she was scouted to be an actress by the filmmakers of Deadpool & Wolverine. At that time, her owners had no idea what film she was being cast in, or whether she had what it takes. Despite having several canine contenders audition for the role, Peggy touched the hearts of the filmmakers and Ryan Reynolds, who claimed, in an interview that Peggy was in love with him at first sight. Reynolds says, “Her real name is Peggy, and she won the award for Britain’s Ugliest Dog. The reason why I was a huge proponent for her was because she feels like the animal manifestation of Wade Wilson.”

Jules Tottman, the head animal trainer on set, who has also worked with animals in several franchises like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and 101 Dalmatians, says that Peggy was a wonder to work with. After being a bit skeptical initially, barking at strangers and such, Peggy passed training with flying colours. For her role in the major motion picture, she was required to run from point A to B, jump into Ryan Reynolds’ arms, and do a lot of face-licking. The celebrity pup enjoyed performing all these tricks, especially the latter two. Tottman says, “She would try to lick everyone’s faces, thinking there would be cheese somewhere around.” After filming began, she became an instant favourite among the cast, especially Ryan. As stated by Jules, “Ryan was brilliant. He just embraced it, which was great.”

A rags-to-riches success story

After filming wrapped up, the Deadpool & Wolverine star has gone back to her usual life at home. Her owners now run a popular Instagram page where they share relatable and quite funny content. Peggy’s first encounter as a celebrity happened when she was out with her family, in Scotland.

“Peggy was recognized as Dogpool for the first time by a group of American teens while we were on holiday in Scotland. It felt really surreal. That’s been my only movie-star-dog moment so far, but I’m sure there will be more to come,” says Holly. This talented canine made her first red-carpet appearance in the London premiere of her debut film, in head-to-paw Dogpool gear, and has, since then, attended the film’s screening in various other locations.

Deadpool & Wolverine is playing in theatres starting today, and safe to say, it will be a blast to look at Peggy’s antics on the big screen.