Coogan: Critics drive me on
STEVE Coogan has said that being underestimated and criticised in the media fuels his creativity.
The Middleton-born actor revealed that articles doubting his abilities have driven him to work, and he relishes the provocation.
He has said that the motivation to make Alan Partridge Alpha Papa came directly from taking exception to critical comments in the press.
Coogan takes the role of Stan Laurel in the critically praised release Stan And Ollie, and wanted to do justice to the comic actor.
He was drawn to the intimidating task by the wish to tackle challenging work, but criticism has fuelled his ambition in the past.
Coogan told the Press Association: “One of my favourite things is to be underestimated, because it’s like petrol in my tank. It’s like, ‘You think that? OK, fine’.
“I remember when we did the Alan Partridge movie, someone wrote an article in a newspaper, ‘Why they should never make an Alan Partridge movie’ and I went, ‘Right we’re doing that’.
“I’d never met this guy, he’d written this article; I thought for that reason alone I’m going to make it and make it funny.”
Alpha Papa was the top entry into the UK box office on its opening weekend, but Coogan has now risked playing an iconic star in a role that he said was challenging and emotional.
Coogan revealed he was moved by the pathos of the film.
He said: “There’s a trepidation about doing something like this, but again, to try and do work that you want to be proud of almost always involves the risk of failure. And this is one of those things.”
Stan And Ollie is due to be released in the UK on January 11.