Steve Coogan

Steve Coogan began his career as a comic performer and impressionist, later working as a voice artist for television advertisements and the satirical series Spitting Image. In 1988, he provided vocals for the acid house single “Don’t Believe the Hype” under the name Mista E. He appeared in sketches for the ITV game show The Krypton Factor in 1989. In 1992, he won the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe alongside collaborator John Thomson and starred in the sketch show The Dead Good Show with Thomson and Caroline Aherne.

While working on the radio comedy On the Hour, Coogan created the character Alan Partridge with producer Armando Iannucci. The character later appeared in Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge (1992), The Day Today (1994), Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge (1994), and the sitcom I'm Alan Partridge (1997–2002), which earned two BAFTA Awards. His Paul and Pauline Calf characters appeared on Saturday Zoo in 1993 and later in video diaries and the series Coogan's Run. Pauline Calf's Wedding Video won the 1995 BAFTA Television Award for Best Comedy.

Coogan co-founded Baby Cow Productions with Henry Normal in 1999. The company produced series including The Mighty Boosh, Nighty Night, Marion and Geoff, Gavin & Stacey, Human Remains, and Moone Boy. Coogan also starred in television projects including Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible, Monkey Trousers, Saxondale, I Am Not an Animal, and Bob and Margaret. He appeared in the 1998 television adaptation of Alice Through the Looking-Glass.

In film, Coogan portrayed Tony Wilson in 24 Hour Party People and appeared in Coffee and Cigarettes, A Cock and Bull Story, Hot Fuzz, and the Night at the Museum trilogy. He co-wrote and starred in The Parole Officer. Television work during the 2000s included The Private Life of Samuel Pepys (2003), Cruise of the Gods (2002), Curb Your Enthusiasm (2007), and Sunshine. In 2008, he returned to stand-up with the tour “Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge and other less successful characters.”

Coogan reunited with Rob Brydon and director Michael Winterbottom for The Trip in 2010, followed by The Trip to Italy, The Trip to Spain, and The Trip to Greece. Alan Partridge returned in Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge (2010), the memoirs I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan and Nomad, and the feature film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.

In 2013, Coogan produced, co-wrote, and starred in Philomena opposite Judi Dench. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for the screenplay. He later portrayed Stan Laurel in Stan & Ollie, earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor. Alan Partridge returned again in This Time with Alan Partridge (2019) and the podcast From the Oasthouse (2020–present).

Recent projects include the Alan Partridge live tour “Stratagem” (2022), The Lost King, and the BBC series The Reckoning, in which he portrayed Jimmy Savile and earned a BAFTA Television Award nomination. In 2024, he appeared in Joker: Folie à Deux and starred in a London stage adaptation of Dr. Strangelove at the Noël Coward Theatre. In 2025, he joined the cast of the Netflix drama series Legends.