Steve Coogan was born and raised in Manchester where he trained as an actor at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre. Shortly after Drama School, Steve landed his first job as an impersonator and comic on the satirical TV series, SPITTING IMAGE.
In 1992 Coogan won the Perrier Award for his show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Whilst appearing on various shows on BBC Radio 4, the iconic British institution that is Alan Partridge was born. The character moved from radio to TV and over the years has picked up a number of BAFTAs and British Comedy Awards. Steve has taken the character on two nationwide sell out tours, and is due to tour again in 2022. MID MORNING MATTERS aired on Sky Atlantic in February 2016 to critical acclaim and was followed by a mockumentary special, SCISSORED ISLE for Sky for which he won a BAFTA for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme. In 2019 Alan returned to BBC One in THIS TIME WITH ALAN PARTRIDGE to rave reviews and was nominated for Best Comedy Programme at the Broadcast Awards. THIS TIME WITH ALAN PARTRIDGE was back on our screens in 2021 for series 2. Alan has been the subject matter of two books I Alan Partridge: We Need To Talk About Alan released in 2011 and Alan Partridge: Nomad released in October 2016. In 2021 Coogan launched FROM THE OASTHOUSE: THE ALAN PARTRIDGE PODCAST for Audible which was nominated for a British Podcast Award.
Recent TV appearances include THE RECKONING in 2022 and STEPHEN in 2021. Previously Coogan starred in SAXONDALE in 2006, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM in 2007, THE SIMPSONS in 2012, HAPPYISH in 2015 and four seasons of THE TRIP with Rob Brydon including the latest instalment, THE TRIP TO GREECE. Coogan won the BAFTA for Best Male Comedy Performance in 2011 for his performance in the first series.
For his work across TV and film, Coogan has won seven BAFTA Awards and seven British Comedy Awards. He was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Actor for his role in the critically acclaimed STAN & OLLIE, starring opposite John C. Reilly and he was awarded The Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy in 2019,
In addition to THE TRIP series, which was released theatrically in a number of territories, Coogan has collaborated with filmmaker Michael Winterbottom on four feature films 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, A COCK AND BULL STORY, LOOK OF LOVE and most recently GREED, co-starring Isla Fisher.
His recent screen work includes THE LOST KING in 2022 as well as the critically acclaimed PHILOMENA, co-starring Judi Dench which he co-wrote with Jeff Pope and produced under his Baby Cow production label. PHILOMENA won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in addition to being nominated for Outstanding British Film and Best Film. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.
His other film credits include THE DINNER, MINDHORN, RULES DON’T APPLY, THE PAROLE OFFICER, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, TROPIC THUNDER, IN THE LOOP, ALAN PARTRIDGE: ALPHA PAPA, THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, IRREPLACEABLE YOU, MINIONS and DESPICABLE ME 2 and 3.
In 1999 Coogan set up Baby Cow Productions. Baby Cow have produced many successful and award winning programmes including ALAN PARTRIDGE, THE MIGHTY BOOSH, THE TRIP, GAVIN & STACEY, ZAPPED, UNCLE, RED DWARF, SENSITIVE SKIN, CAMPING, MOONE BOY, STARLINGS and HUNDERBY. They are currently in pre-production with CHIVALRY which Coogan has co-written and in which he will be co-starring with Sarah Solemani for Channel 4; in production on WITCHFINDER with Tim Key and Daisy May Cooper for BBC Two; and in post-production on the feature films THE FANTASTIC FLITCROFTS starring Mark Rylance and THE LOST KING written by Coogan and Jeff Pope starring Coogan and Sally Hawkins.
