Knowing Steve
When one brother became a TV presenter and another brother became the lead singer in The Mock Turtles, the competition heightened considerably. Not to be outdone, Steve Coogan did an acting course at Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre and gave his first stand-up comedy performances during his time there.

A chance discovery by a TV talent scout soon secured him slots on shows such as Spitting Image, First Exposure, A Word in Your Era and Paramount City. He then won the coveted Perrier Award in 1992. But the landmark moment in his career came when he created Alan Partridge for the BBC Radio Show On The Hour.

The Partridge family
Alan Partridge, the pathetic yet hilarious TV-presenter-turned-graveyard-shift-radio-DJ, is arguably more famous than Coogan himself. But, over the years, Coogan has also been responsible for creating some of the most outrageous humans ever to grace our small screens.

There's Tony Ferrino, Portuguese Eurovision-Song-Contest-winner. Paul Calf, the ladies' man extraordinaire, who employs such irresistible lines as: "Look, I want to shag you, you want to shag me... I know I'm at least half right." And then there's Paul's foul-mouthed sister Pauline - the good-time girl Coogan describes as his "strong woman" persona.

Steve does Hollywood
After turning out a spectacular performance as Factory Records boss Tony Wilson in 24 Hour Party People, Coogan suddenly became hot property in Hollywood. Steve Coogan as a swoon-worthy leading man? Well, judging from the women he's been playing opposite these last few years, it's not that inconceivable.

His recent movie work includes A Cock and Bull Story with ex-X Filer Gillian Anderson, Happy Endings, with Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary), Lisa Kudrow (Friends) and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park) and Marie Antoinette with Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation) in the director's chair and Kirsten Dunst (Wimbledon, Spiderman) in the title role.

After living the Hollywood high-life as Mr Coogan, it seems that Steve no longer needs to turn to his alter-egos to command attention.

But what's all this we hear about Alan Partridge: The Movie? He might not have got a second series, but the light entertainment dinosaur seems to have scored his own flick. Jurassic Park! Watch this space...

I'm Steve Coogan
Despite experiencing extended periods of publicity shyness, there's been plenty of opportunity for Coogan to mouth off to the press...

...in Esquire: "I'm prepared to make myself look an arse, to humiliate myself."

...in The Times Magazine: "I've made mistakes in my personal life and, without wanting to diminish that, lots of people do. Not just comedians. Some bank managers do, too."

...in The Times Magazine: "What irritates me more than anything are the people who come up to me and say, 'I preferred you on Radio 4.' I want to punch them in the face."

...in GQ Magazine: "I want to be taken seriously as an actor. I think most people see comedy as less worthy than straight drama. Because it's funny, and you're laughing at it, people think it's therefore trivial."


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Partridge clips from OTH

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