Academic sues Coogan for making him look ‘weaselly’
Actor made me seem like a devious bean-counter, complains don depicted in film about Richard III
‘No reasonable viewer would conclude that his motive was sexism’
STEVE COOGAN is being sued over the “weasel-like” portrayal of a university official in a feature film about the discovery of Richard III’S remains, the High Court has heard.
Coogan was a writer and producer of the 2022 film The Lost King, which follows the story of historian Philipa Langley and her search to find the king’s skeleton.
Now Richard Taylor, the deputy registrar of the University of Leicester at the time, is bringing legal action against the comedian and his production company Baby Cow over the way he was depicted in the film.
Mr Taylor, who was played by Lee Ingleby, claims that he was portrayed as “devious” and “weasel-like” during the search for the Plantagenet monarch under a Leicester council car park in 2012.
At a hearing in the High Court yesterday, which Coogan did not attend, William Bennett KC said his client Mr Taylor was presented as being “dismissive, patronising and misogynistic” towards Ms Langley.
The former university official is also bringing legal action against Pathé Productions over his portrayal in the film.
The Lost King focuses on the story of historian Ms Langley’s search for Richard III’S remains more than 500 years after his death, which involved University of Leicester archaeologists.
Mr Taylor’s barrister said in written submissions: “The relevant context is the ‘good versus bad’ narrative, which runs through the film.
“Ms Langley is portrayed as the gutsy underdog heroine struggling against opposition and the claimant as the arrogant villain.
“He not only takes steps to make sure that people do not know about her role but takes the credit, which was rightfully hers, for himself and the university.”
Mr Taylor, who is now chief operating officer at Loughborough University, was also shown as a “devious, weasel-like person” and a “suited bean-counter”, Mr Bennett told the High Court in London.
The barrister later said that Mr Taylor was portrayed as “mocking” Richard III’S disability and “linking physical deformity with wickedness or moral failings”.
Mr Bennett continued: “It’s a straightforward, plot-driven film where everything that is said and done matters.”
Coogan and the two production companies are defending the libel claim.
Andrew Caldecott KC, for the Alan Partridge star and companies, said in written submissions: “It is a feature film, not a documentary.
“It would be clear to the ordinary reasonable viewer that the film is not a documentary, it is a dramatisation of events.
“The concept of fictional films based on real events is not a new one.”
In England and Wales, it is understood that no individual holds the legal “right” to the story of their life being depicted in a film, television or writing. Others are free to produce content about a person without their consent if the information was obtained lawfully.
However, as Mr Taylor has done, an individual may consider bringing a defamation claim if a television show, film or book makes what they claim are false or injurious claims about them.
Mr Caldecott said the film states it was “based on a true story”, adding: “It is not a literal portrayal of exact words ... and would be understood as putting forward Ms Langley’s perception.”
The barrister denied that Mr Taylor is shown to be sexist or misogynist, adding his “concern is about Ms Langley’s amateur status and lack of historical expertise, and not her gender”.
He continued: “Whilst the film is clearly strongly critical of Mr Taylor and the university for sidelining Ms Langley at the dig and after the discovery of the body and not giving her sufficient credit, his clear motive is to exploit the discovery to further the university’s commercial interests.
“No reasonable viewer would conclude that his motive was sexism or misogynism.”
Mr Caldecott also said Mr Taylor was not portrayed as mocking Richard III’S disability, “and certainly not mocking disabled people in general”.
Judge Jaron Lewis will give a ruling on preliminary issues in the claim at a later date.