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Stephen John Coogan (; born 14 October 1965) is an English-Irish actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. His accolades include four BAFTA Awards and three British Comedy Awards, and nominations for two
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
and a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
. He is best known for his character Alan Partridge, a socially inept and politically incorrect media personality, which he developed while working with Armando Iannucci and Chris Morris on '' On the Hour'' (1991–1992) and '' The Day Today'' (1994). Partridge has featured in several television series, such as '' I'm Alan Partridge'' (1997–2002), and the film '' Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa'' (2013). Coogan began his career in the 1980s as a voice actor on the satirical puppet show '' Spitting Image'' and providing voice-overs for television advertisements. He grew in prominence in the film industry in 2002, after starring in '' The Parole Officer'' and '' 24 Hour Party People''. He continued to appear in films such as '' Around the World in 80 Days'' (2004), the Night at the Museum trilogy (2006–2014), '' Tropic Thunder'' (2008), '' Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief'' (2010), '' Our Idiot Brother'' (2011), ''
Ruby Sparks ''Ruby Sparks'' is a 2012 American romantic fantasy comedy-drama film written by Zoe Kazan and directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton. It stars Paul Dano as an anxious novelist whose fictional character, Ruby Sparks, played by Kazan, ...
'' (2012), '' Irreplaceable You'' (2018), and '' Greed'' (2019). He co-starred as himself with
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
in '' A Cock and Bull Story'' (2005) and the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
series '' The Trip'' (2010), '' The Trip to Italy'' (2014), '' The Trip to Spain'' (2017), and '' The Trip to Greece'' (2020), all of which were also re-edited into films. In 1999, Coogan co-founded the production company Baby Cow Productions with Henry Normal. In 2013, he co-wrote, produced, and starred in the film ''
Philomena Philomena ( ), also known as Saint Philomena (; ) or Philomena of Rome ( 10 January 291 10 August 304) was a virgin (title)#Virgin martyrs, virgin martyr whose remains were discovered on May 24–25, 1802, in the Catacomb of Priscilla. Three ti ...
'', which earned him nominations at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs, and at the
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Picture. Coogan has also played dramatic roles, including ''
Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...
'' (2006), '' What Maisie Knew'' (2012), '' The Look of Love'' (2013) and '' The Dinner'' (2017). For his portrayal of
Stan Laurel Stan Laurel ( ; born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, director and writer who was in the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 sh ...
in '' Stan & Ollie'' (2018), he earned a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination. For his portrayal of Jimmy Savile in the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
drama '' The Reckoning'' (2023), he received a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor.


Early life

Stephen John Coogan was born on 14 October 1965 in Middleton, Lancashire, the son of housewife Kathleen (née Coonan) and
IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
engineer Anthony "Tony" Coogan. He has four brothers and one sister, and was raised
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
in what he described as a " lower middle-class or upper working-class" family which emphasised the values of education. His elder brother
Martin Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * M ...
is a musician, while his younger brother Brendan is a presenter. Coogan's mother is Irish and hails from
County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...
, while his father was born in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
to Irish parents Margaret (from
County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...
) and Thomas Coogan (a tailor from
County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...
), who had settled there shortly before the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. During the 1950s, his paternal grandfather established a dance hall for Irish immigrants. Coogan has stated that he had a happy childhood, and his parents fostered children on a short-term basis. Coogan lived on Manchester New Road in Alkrington. His father stood for the SDP-Liberal Alliance in the Middleton South ward at the Rochdale Borough Council elections in both May 1983 and May 1984. He was also chairman of the Catholic Grammar Schools Parents Association, and protested against the proposal by the Salford Roman Catholic Diocesan Schools Commission to close the sixth form (which ultimately did not happen). Coogan attended St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School and Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School. Coogan passed two O-levels in 1983, which were likely re-take exams, aged 17. In 1984 he gained 4
A-levels The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...
: English Literature, British Government and Politics, Art, and General Studies. In the same year, his brother Kevin acquired nine O-levels at the same school and took part in local and regional sports competitions, notably in basketball and cross country running. Coogan's sister trained to be a teacher at the nearby Hopwood Hall College. As a family, it was assumed that all the children would become teachers. Coogan had a talent for impersonation and wanted to go to drama school, despite being advised by a teacher that it could lead to a precarious profession. After five failed applications to various drama schools in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, he received a place at the theatre company New Music before gaining a place at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama, where he met future collaborator John Thomson.


Career


1989–2002: Breakthrough as Alan Partridge

Coogan began his career as a comic and impressionist, performing regularly in
Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...
, before working as a voice artist for television advertisements and the
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...
puppet show '' Spitting Image''. In 1988, he provided vocals for the acid house record 'Don't Believe the Hype' credited to Mista E. The record peaked at number 41 in December 1988, narrowly missing the main chart rundown. In 1989, he appeared in a series of specially shot sketches in the Observation round in the long-running ITV game show '' The Krypton Factor''. In 1992, Coogan won the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for his performance with long-time collaborator John Thomson, and starred alongside him and Caroline Aherne in a one-off Granada TV
sketch show Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
, ''The Dead Good Show''. His most prominent characters developed at this time were Paul Calf, a stereotypical working-class Mancunian, and his sister Pauline, played by Coogan in drag. While working on the Radio 4 comedy '' On the Hour'', Coogan created Alan Partridge, a
parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...
of British sports presenters, with the producer Armando Iannucci. Coogan described Partridge as a
Little Englander The Little Englanders were a British political movement who opposed empire-building and advocated complete independence for Britain's existing colonies. The ideas of Little Englandism first began to gain popularity in the late 18th century after ...
, with
right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
values and poor taste. He is socially inept, often offending his guests, and has an inflated sense of importance and celebrity. According to Coogan, Partridge was originally a "one-note, sketchy character" and "freak show", but slowly became refined as a dysfunctional alter ego. In 1992, Partridge hosted a spin-off Radio 4 spoof chat show, '' Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge''. ''On the Hour'' transferred to television as '' The Day Today'' in 1994, followed by '' Knowing Me, Knowing You'' later that year. In 1997, Coogan starred as Partridge in a BBC sitcom, '' I'm Alan Partridge'', written by Coogan, Iannucci and Peter Baynham, following Partridge's life in a roadside hotel working for a small radio station. It earned two BAFTAs and was followed by a second series in 2002. After ''I'm Alan Partridge'', Coogan tired of Partridge and limited him to smaller roles. Coogan said he did not want to say goodbye to Partridge, and that "as long as I can do my other things, that, to me, is the perfect balance". He later said that Partridge had once been an "
albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Paci ...
" but had become "a battered, comfortable old leather jacket". Critics have praised Partridge's complexity, realism and
pathos Pathos appeals to the emotions and ideals of the audience and elicits feelings that already reside in them. ''Pathos'' is a term most often used in rhetoric (in which it is considered one of the three modes of persuasion, alongside ethos and ...
. '' Vanity Fair'' called him a British national treasure and the '' Guardian'' described him as "one of the greatest and most beloved comic creations of the last few decades". Partridge is credited with influencing cringe comedies such as '' The Inbetweeners'', '' Nighty Night'' and '' Peep Show''. In 2001 a poll by
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
, Partridge was voted seventh on their list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters. Paul Calf began as a character named 'Duncan Disorderly' in Coogan's early stand-up routines. Calf first came to wider public notice in 1993, with several appearances on '' Saturday Zoo'', a late-night variety show presented by Jonathan Ross on Channel 4. Paul has appeared in two video diaries, an episode of '' Coogan's Run'', and in various stand-up performances. He is an unemployed Mancunian wastrel with a particular hatred of students. His catchphrase, spoken to disparage something or someone, is "Bag o' shite". Paul lives in a
council house A council house, corporation house or council flat is a form of British Public housing in the United Kingdom, public housing built by Local government in the United Kingdom, local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing ...
in the fictional town of Ottle with his mother and his sister, Pauline Calf (also played by Coogan). His father, Pete Calf (played by Coogan in ''Coogan's Run'') died some time before the first video diary was made. For a long time he was obsessed with getting back together with his ex-girlfriend, Julie. Paul's best friend is "Fat" Bob (played by John Thomson), a car mechanic who eventually married Pauline. Paul supports Manchester City and is very partial to Wagon Wheels. He wears Burton suits, sports a bleached mullet hairstyle, and drives a Ford Cortina. '' Pauline Calf's Wedding Video'' won the 1995 BAFTA Television Award for Best Comedy. Other Coogan creations include Tommy Saxondale, Duncan Thicket, Ernest Eckler and Portuguese Eurovision Song Contest winner Tony Ferrino. Duncan Thicket has appeared in a tour of live shows. Coogan, along with his writing partner Henry Normal, founded Baby Cow Productions in 1999. Together, they have served as executive producers for shows such as '' The Mighty Boosh'', '' Nighty Night'', '' Marion and Geoff'', '' Gavin & Stacey'', '' Human Remains'' and '' Moone Boy'', as well as the Alan Partridge feature film '' Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa''. They have also produced ''Where Are the Joneses?'', an online sitcom which uses
wiki A wiki ( ) is a form of hypertext publication on the internet which is collaboratively edited and managed by its audience directly through a web browser. A typical wiki contains multiple pages that can either be edited by the public or l ...
technology to allow the audience to upload scripts and storyline ideas. Other TV shows he has starred in include ''Coogan's Run'', '' Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible'', '' Monkey Trousers'' and '' Saxondale''. Coogan has provided voices for the animated series '' I Am Not an Animal'' and '' Bob and Margaret'', two Christmas specials featuring '' Robbie the Reindeer'', and an episode of the BBC Radio Four spoof sci-fi series '' Nebulous''. He played the Gnat in the 1998 TV adaptation of '' Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' starring Kate Beckinsale,


2003–2009: Film roles and standup

Coogan starred in BBC2's '' The Private Life of Samuel Pepys'' in 2003, and '' Cruise of the Gods'' in 2002 and portrayed
Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order (band), New Order, A Certain Ra ...
boss, Tony Wilson in the film, '' 24 Hour Party People'' (2002). In 2006, he had a cameo in the '' Little Britain'' Christmas special as a pilot taking Lou and Andy to Disneyland. Coogan has played himself several times on screen. First, in one of the vignettes of
Jim Jarmusch James Robert Jarmusch ( ; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director, screenwriter and musician. He has been a major proponent of independent film, independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films such as ''Stranger Than Paradise'' ...
's 2003 film '' Coffee and Cigarettes'', alongside Alfred Molina. Second, in 2006 Coogan starred with
Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...
in Michael Winterbottom's '' A Cock and Bull Story'', a self-referential film of the "unfilmable" self-referential novel '' Tristram Shandy'' by Laurence Sterne. In the film, Coogan plays a fictional, womanising version of himself. The first film that Coogan co-wrote with Henry Normal was '' The Parole Officer'', in which he also acted alongside Ben Miller and Lena Headey. He has an uncredited cameo in ''
Hot Fuzz ''Hot Fuzz'' is a 2007 buddy cop action comedy film directed by Edgar Wright, who co-wrote the film with Simon Pegg. Pegg stars as Nicholas Angel, an elite London police officer, whose proficiency makes the rest of his team look bad, causing hi ...
'', scripted by '' Shaun of the Dead'' writers
Simon Pegg Simon John Pegg (; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. He and Wright co-wrote the ...
and Edgar Wright. He also starred in the '' Night at the Museum'' trilogy in which he played Octavius, a miniature Roman general figure, alongside Owen Wilson's Jedediah, a miniature cowboy figure. In 2007, Coogan played a psychiatrist on
Larry David Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer. He is known for his dry wit, portrayals of awkward social situations, and brutally honest takes on everyday life. He has received two Prim ...
's '' Curb Your Enthusiasm'' on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
, and in 2008, starred in the BBC1 drama '' Sunshine''. In March 2008, it was confirmed that Coogan would return to doing comedy as part of his first stand-up tour in ten years. The tour, named "Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge and other less successful characters", saw the return of some of his old characters including Paul Calf and Alan Partridge. Reviews of the tour were mixed. Much of the criticism focused on the apparent unrehearsed quality of some of the performances and on Coogan's nervous stage presence. ''Chortle'' comedy guide described it as "most definitely a show of two halves: the superlative Alan Partridge plus a collection of characters that are not only less successful, but woefully less funny". As the tour progressed and the problems were ironed out, reviews were very positive. Dominic Maxwell of ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' described the show as "twice as entertaining as most other comedy shows this year". Brian Logan of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' awarded it four stars and described it as "shamelessly funny". Reviews such as the one from the Trent FM Arena exemplified how much the show had improved after dealing with the glitches on its first few dates: "When Steve Coogan first brought this show to Nottingham last month, the reviews were poor... the intervening weeks have made a big difference, and last night's audience at the Trent FM Arena went home happy. More please, and soon." In 2008,
BBC Worldwide BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetised BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...
bought a 25% stake in the production company. It did not offer the largest sum, but was chosen by Coogan and Normal owing to their previous work with and strong connection with the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
. In 2009, Coogan was featured, alongside Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer and Julia Davis, in the spoof documentary TV film ''Steve Coogan – The Inside Story''. The same year he spoke on the influence of
Monty Python Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy ser ...
on his comedy when he appeared in the television documentary, '' Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut)''.


2010–2019: ''The Trip'' and ''Philomena''

In 2010, he worked again with Brydon and Michael Winterbottom for the partially improvised BBC2 sitcom '' The Trip'', in which he and Brydon tour northern restaurants. The movie was followed in 2014 with the film, '' The Trip to Italy'', about him and Brydon taking a food-tasting trip through Italy, followed by '' The Trip to Spain'' (2017) and '' The Trip to Greece'' (2020). He worked again with director Winterbottom in '' The Look of Love'' (2013), about '50s porn-king, Paul Raymond. Partridge returned in 2010 with a series of shorts, '' Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge'', written with new writers Rob and Neil Gibbons. It was followed by the spoof memoirs '' I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan'' (2011) and ''Nomad'' (2016), the feature film '' Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa'' (2013), and several TV specials. In his autobiography, Coogan wrote that ''Alpha Papa'' was the hardest he had ever worked and that the production was fraught; however, he was proud of the finished film. Coogan produced, co-wrote and co-starred in the drama film ''
Philomena Philomena ( ), also known as Saint Philomena (; ) or Philomena of Rome ( 10 January 291 10 August 304) was a virgin (title)#Virgin martyrs, virgin martyr whose remains were discovered on May 24–25, 1802, in the Catacomb of Priscilla. Three ti ...
'' (2013). He portrayed the real-life journalist Martin Sixsmith, who helps a former resident of an Irish Roman Catholic mother and baby home, Philomena Lee, played by
Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...
, find her son after decades long absence. The film received acclaim and was a financial success. The '' Variety'' critic Justin Chang wrote, "The two leads make decent sparring partners and better allies, and Coogan is especially good whenever Martin's impatient manner tilts into genuine moral indignation." Coogan received the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
Award for Best Screenplay as well as nominations for the
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include stage plays, mus ...
and the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay. The film earned four
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominations including for Best Picture losing to Steve McQueen's historical drama '' 12 Years a Slave'' (2013). Coogan's autobiography, ''Easily Distracted'', was published in October 2015. In 2016, after Henry Normal stood down, Christine Langan (head of BBC Film at the time) was hired by Coogan (creative director of Baby Cow Productions) as the new CEO; this led to BBC Worldwide increasing its stake to 73%. Since joining, Langan has executive-produced all of the content from Baby Cow Productions, including ''
Camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...
'', '' Stan & Ollie'', '' Zapped'' and ''The Witchfinder''. Coogan played the comedian
Stan Laurel Stan Laurel ( ; born Arthur Stanley Jefferson; 16 June 1890 – 23 February 1965) was an English comic actor, director and writer who was in the comedy double act, duo Laurel and Hardy. He appeared with his comedy partner Oliver Hardy in 107 sh ...
in the 2018 biographical film '' Stan & Ollie'', alongside the American actor John C. Reilly, who played Oliver Hardy. Todd McCarthy of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' wrote that Coogan "slips neatly into the role" and added, "Coogan and Reilly not only excel at creating convincing impressions of one of the most famous comic teams of the last century, but they do an uncanny job of recreating a handful of their famous routines, which today mostly play as mild yet expertly timed delights." For his performance, he earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. In 2019, Partridge returned to the BBC with '' This Time with Alan Partridge'', a spoof of magazine shows such as '' The One Show,'' followed by an
Audible Audible may refer to: * Audible (service), an online audiobook store * Audible (American football), a tactic used by quarterbacks * ''Audible'' (film), a short documentary film featuring a deaf high school football player * Audible finish or ru ...
podcast, ''From the Oasthouse'', in 2020. The podcast has now run for three seasons, including a free teaser episode where Partridge commented on the
coronation of Charles III and Camilla The Coronation of the British monarch, coronation of Charles III and his wife, Queen Camilla, Camilla, as Monarchy of the United Kingdom, king and List of British royal consorts, queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth re ...
.


2020–present

In April 2022, Coogan began an Alan Partridge tour, ''Stratagem''. Reviewing the show for the ''Guardian'', Brian Logan noted that though Coogan had once tired of Partridge, he now "clearly takes pleasure in the performance". Coogan starred in the 2022 film ''The Lost King'', playing the husband of the writer Philippa Langley, who discovered the bones of King Richard III. Coogan played Jimmy Savile in the BBC One series '' The Reckoning'' (2023). Coogan said the decision to play Savile was "not one I took lightly", and that the script "tackled a horrific story which – however harrowing – needs to be told". Despite the controversy surrounding the series, Coogan's performance was mostly praised by critics, and he was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor. Coogan appeared in the 2024 film ''Joker: Folie à Deux'' as Paddy Meyers, a TV personality who interviews the Joker. Filming for the next Partridge project, ''Alan Partridge: How Are You?'', began in early 2024. Coogan stars in multiple roles in a London stage version of the 1964 film ''Dr. Strangelove'', adapted by Iannucci. The play opened at the Noël Coward Theatre on 8 October 2024.


In the media


Public image

Coogan has said that he likes to "keep [himself] private", and added: "I have never wanted to be famous, as such – fame is a by-product." He has been a British tabloid fixture since as early as 1996, and has stated that such outlets have subjected him to entrapment and blackmail, printed obvious lies about him, and have targeted his family and friends in attempts to extract stories from them. Coogan in some cases strongly denied allegations, but in others did not contest them because he wanted to shield vulnerable friends from adverse publicity. The tabloids also published intrusive information about his relationships and the schooling of his child. Coogan has also been critical of the broadsheet press, saying they have colluded with the tabloids in the interests of selling newspapers. In 2005, he said "''The Guardian'' tends to have its cake and eat it. It waits for the tabloids to dish the dirt and then it talks about the tabloids dishing the dirt while enjoying it themselves." He later gave credit to the same newspaper for its investigation of the phone hacking scandal. He has said that the press, by persistently intruding in his private life, has effectively made him "immune" to further attack as his "closet is empty of skeletons".


Phone hacking scandal

Coogan favours reform and regulation of the British press. He became a prominent figure in the News International phone hacking scandal as one of the celebrities who took action against the British tabloids in light of these events. He was made aware by his Telecommunications service provider, phone service provider of "possible anomalies" on his phone in 2005 and 2006. In 2010, Coogan's legal firm obtained a partially redacted version of Glenn Mulcaire's phone hacking, hacking notebook by a court order which showed Coogan had been targeted and his personal information was in the possession of Mulcaire. Mulcaire was forced by the High Court of Justice to disclose to Coogan's legal team who amongst the staff at the ''News of the World'' ordered him to hack phones. This information was obtained by Coogan's lawyers on 26 August 2011. Interviewed on ''Newsnight'' on 8 July 2011, Coogan said he was "delighted" by the closure of the ''News of the World'' and said it was a "fantastic day for journalism". He said the idea of press freedom was used by the tabloids as a "smokescreen for selling papers with tittle-tattle" and said the argument against press regulation was "moral bankruptcy, morally bankrupt". Coogan provided an eight-page witness statement to the Leveson Inquiry, and appeared at the inquiry on 22 November 2011 to discuss the evidence. He said he was there reluctantly representing a lot of celebrities who felt they could not speak out for fear of reprisals from the tabloid press. In March 2021, Coogan said "the tabloid press is controlled by a handful of tax shy billionaires with an agenda. Anyone who stands up to the press is attacked by them because they're bullies." He added "the fact that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Harry were attacked has nothing to do with jet-setting hypocrisy. It's because they broke the golden rule, which is to leave us alone and we'll go easy on you next time."


Personal life

In 1993, Coogan was living in Didsbury. He later lived in the manor house Ovingdean Grange in Ovingdean, East Sussex, until 2017, when it was advertised for sale at £3.25 million. As of 2022, Coogan has lived in Barcombe, in the Lewes District of East Sussex. Coogan married Caroline Hickman in 2002 and they divorced in 2005. He dated the model China Chow for three years. In March 2011, he was guest editor for the men's magazine ''Loaded (magazine)#Notable contributors, Loaded'', where he began dating the glamour model Loretta Rothschild, Loretta "Elle" Basey. They split in 2014. He has a daughter from a four-year relationship with the solicitor Anna Cole. Although raised Catholic, Coogan is now an atheist. A motoring enthusiast, he has owned a number of Ferraris, but ceased after calculating that the costs exceeded those of running a private plane. In February 2016, he was fined £670 and banned from driving for 28 days after being caught speeding in Brighton. In August 2019, he escaped the usual six-month ban for a further speeding offence as his next TV series depended on his ability to drive; he was given a two-month ban and a £750 fine. He was again spared six Driving licence in the United Kingdom#Points and endorsements, penalty points and a six-month ban for speeding in February 2025, reduced to five points and two months as a longer ban would have prevented filming of a new series of The Trip (2010 TV series), ''The Trip'', which would have affected the many people involved. He has been open about his depression and past drug use. He described himself as "half-Irish" in an interview in 2020, and was granted an Irish passport in March 2023.


Political views

Coogan has supported the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats and the Green Party of England and Wales, Green Party. He believes that the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party think "people are plebs" and that "they like to pat people on the head". In 2013, he voiced his support for abolishing the British monarchy. In August 2014, Coogan was one of 200 public figures to sign a letter to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in the Scottish independence referendum. Coogan endorsed the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in the 2017 United Kingdom general election, 2017 general election. He hosted a rally for Corbyn in Birmingham, saying: "The Tory tactic was to try to make this a choice between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn, but this has backfired as people – and I readily admit to being one of them – have started to listen to what Jeremy Corbyn says rather than what other people have been saying about him." In November 2019, along with other public figures, Coogan signed a letter defending Corbyn, describing him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him in the 2019 United Kingdom general election, 2019 general election. In December 2019, along with 42 other cultural figures, Coogan signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party in the election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few". In September 2023, Coogan addressed the Liberal Democrat Conference by video link, expressing that he would Tactical voting, tactically vote for the Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrats over the Labour Party in the 2024 United Kingdom general election, 2024 general election, as "the candidate best placed to kick the Tories out is the Lib Dem candidate". In October, Coogan was among more than 2,000 cultural figures to sign a letter calling for a Gaza Strip, Gaza ceasefire and accused the UK government of "not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them" in the wake of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. Following criticism that the letter did not acknowledge the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel, Coogan said that "it goes without saying that what Hamas did is evil beyond imagination — it was horrific and brutal". In June 2024, Coogan was one of more than 100 cultural figures to sign a letter calling for Labour to halt sales of arms to Israel if it is elected. That month, ahead of the general election, he endorsed the Green Party of England and Wales, Green Party and campaigned for Siân Berry.


Acting credits and works


Film


Television


Stage


Stand-up tours


Awards and nominations

Coogan's show ''Steve Coogan in character with John Thomson'' was winner of the Perrier Award for best show at the 1992 Edinburgh Fringe. He has won numerous awards for his work in TV including British Comedy Awards, BAFTAs and The South Bank Show award for comedy. In 2003, he was listed in ''The Observer'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In 2005, a poll to find the ''Comedians' Comedian'' saw him being voted amongst the top 20 greatest comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.


See also

* List of Academy Award winners and nominees from Great Britain * Martin Brennan (character)


References


External links

* * *
Coming to a cinema near you ... Alan Partridge as Our Man in Tashkent

Steve Coogan: From a Partridge to 'Cock and Bull
Fresh Air interview by Terry Gross
Steve Coogan on BBC Radio Desert Island Discs

Profile on Chortle
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