Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a BAFTA-winning English actor, comedian, writer, impressionist and producer. Born in Middleton, Greater Manchester, he began his career as a stand-up comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early 1990s, Coogan began creating original comic characters which he presented in stage shows, this led to him winning the 1992 Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, for his show with long-time collaborator John Thomson. The most prominent characters he developed at this time were Paul Calf, a stereotypical lower class Mancunian and his sister the promiscuous Pauline (played by Coogan in drag).Working with Chris Morris, Patrick Marber and Armando Iannucci for On the Hour and The Day Today, Coogan developed his most popular and most developed character; Alan Partridge, a socially awkward and politically incorrect regional media personality, who developed to feature in his own eponymous television series, Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge and I'm Alan Partridge, which were well received and were nominated for five BAFTAs in total.
English actor whose versatile character portrayals, range of voices and gift for mimicry have earned him comparisons with the late Peter Sellers.
Has worked on BBC radio.
Trained as an actor at Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre.
Based the character of Alan Partridge on a radio presenter who interviewed him just as he was becoming famous. Coogan began mimicking the interviewer during the interview and from this came the inspiration for Coogans most famous creation.
His father was born in Manchester, of Irish descent. His mother is from Mayo, Ireland.
The third of six children.
Older brother of Brandan Coogan (MUTV presenter) and younger brother of Martin Coogan (ex-lead singer of The Mock Turtles).
His show, Steve Coogan is The Man Who Thinks Hes It, was nominated for a 1999 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Entertainment for the 1998 season.
Aidan McArdle is his cousin.
Has a daughter, Clare, from his relationship with solicitor Anna Cole.
Worked with Jackie Chan in Around the World in 80 Days .
Was considered to play Peter Sellers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers .
An accomplished mimic, his legion of uncanny impressions include Sean Connery , Roger Moore , Pierce Brosnan , Stephen Hawking , Michael Caine , Ian McKellen , Liam Neeson , Ray Winstone , Alan Rickman , Harry Enfield , John Major , Al Pacino , Martin Sheen and more.
Actors say they do their own stunts for the integrity of the film but I,did them because they looked like a lot of fun.
In comic acting, to improvise effectively is quite difficult. A lot of,actors can improvise up to a certain level - an entry level, which is,when you see the actors having more fun than the audience.
I have never wanted to be famous, as such - fame is a by-product. Me,myself, personally, I like to keep myself private. I have never said I,am a paragon of virtue, a model of morality. I simply do what I do. One,could argue that there are those who make their career out of being,famous and those people do enter into a Faustian pact, where they use,the press to raise their profile. They exploit the press for their own,ends. They are in the fame game.
Alan Partridge is becoming more and more like me.
I have never wanted to be famous, as such - fame is a by-product.
