2019-10-16 The Hollywood Reporter

Backlot

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 98 OCTOBER 16, 2019

COO

GA

N:^ V

IAN

NEY

LE^

CAE

R/IN

VIS

ION

/AP

.^ FO

ND

A:^ J

OH

N^ L

AM

PAR

SKI

/GE

TT

Y^ IM

AG

ES.^

WA

LLE

R-B

RID

GE:

JE

NNY

AN

DER

SON

/GE

TTY

IM

AGE

S.^ L

EAR

:^ AM

AN

DA^

EDW

ARD

S/

GET

TY^

IMA

GES

.^ PE

ELE

: JE

AN

BA

PTI

STE

LA

CRO

IX/W

IREI

MA

GE.

CH

AN:

TIB

RIN

A^ H

OB

SON

/GE

TTY

IM

AGE

S.^ G

REE

D:^ C

OUR

TES

Y^ O

F^ LO

ND

ON

FIL

M^ F

EST

IVA

L.

Awards

Preview

A

comedy hero in the U.K.

for more than two decades

thanks largely to his

long-running comic creation Alan

Partridge, Steve Coogan joined

Hollywood’s prestige ranks with

2013’s Philomena and 2018’s Stan &

Ollie. Once again blending comedy

and what he likes to call “meat on the

bones,” Coogan’s latest feature, Greed,

which had its world premiere at the

Toronto Film Festival, is a satirical

attack on capitalism and sees

him playing a character heav-

ily based on “king of the high

street” and Top Shop owner

Philip Green. Ahead of receiv-

ing BAFTA’s Charlie Chaplin

Britannia Award for Excellence in

Comedy on Oct. 25 in Beverly Hills,

Coogan, 53, discussed using humor as

a Trojan horse, why being associated

with Charlie Chaplin is particularly

sweet and whether there’s anything

funny about Brexit.

Has Charlie Chaplin had any influence

over your work or career?

I’m a huge admirer of Chaplin. He was

an entrepreneurial pioneer in terms

of entertainers. One of the inherent

perennial problems with filmmaking

is that it’s a constant tension between

art and commerce. And what really

Chaplin did was make sure that the

emphasis was on art. As he grew

older, he tried to say things that were

important and of course was margin-

alized and painted as a communist

because he had a conscience.

Greed, while funny, also is a stinging

critique of modern-day capitalism. Is

comedy the best method to get

a message across?

I tend to gravitate toward

stuff that has meat on the

bones. Documentaries are

very important and a format

I love, but unfortunately people tend

to gravitate back to things that reflect

their own prejudices — so anything

that provokes or makes people ask

questions tends to preach to the

converted. But comedy is a great way

to sugar the pill on a difficult sub-

ject matter — you can make people

think who wouldn’t ordinarily think

about that stuff.

Was disgraced British retail tycoon

Philip Green the sole inspiration for your

Greed character?

There are a lot of Philip Greens out

there, but pound for pound Philip

Green gives you more value for your

money. Most other unscrupulous,

nefarious capitalists tend to be dis-

creet about it. He wasn’t. And that’s

what sets him apart. And makes him

more entertaining.

Brits are having a field day at the

moment and dominated the Emmys.

SCREEN

PIONEERS OF

THE OLD AND

NEW GUARD

Emmy and Oscar

winners round out

this year’s honorees

Britannia

Awards

Oct. 25

Beverly Hilton

JACKIE CHAN

The action icon who

has appeared in more

than 150 films will

pick up the Albert R.

Broccoli award.

JANE FONDA

The two-time Oscar

winner and Grace and

Frankie star will receive

the Stanley Kubrick

award for her film work.

JORDAN PEELE

The John Schlesinger

directing honor will be

given to the 40-year-

old helmer of the horror

hits Us and Get Out.

NORMAN LEAR

The legendary

producer and 15-time

Emmy nominee will

receive the Excellence

in Television Award.

PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE

Hot off her Emmys

domination, the

Fleabag mastermind

will be named British

Artist of the Year.

Is there anyone you consider to be the

most exciting talent coming out of the

U.K. right now?

Wel l, Phoebe Waller-Bridge has obvi-

ously kicked things up a notch, and

I admire her greatly. It’s great that,

irrespective of her being a woman,

she’s just talented and original and

also doesn’t fit into any category. I

always appreciate it when people try

to do things differently and do things

afresh rather than being derivative.

Is there a role or project of yours that

you’re most proud of?

One that stands out is 24 Hour Party

People, a film I made 20 years ago with

Michael Winterbottom. It’s something

that, as the years go on, my fondness

for it grows. But I don’t tend to wallow

or look backward that much; I’m more

interested in what I’m doing next. The

most important thing is that any-

thing I do be about something other

than the literal subject matter that

is used to tell the story. It has to have

some substance.

As a comic, is there anything to be

gleaned from the current Brexit chaos?

I think it’s contemptible. Boris

Johnson is a contemptible individual.

I think [Vote Leave campaign director

and a central figure in HBO drama

Brexit] Dominic Cummings should be

hung, drawn and quartered, publicly.

Like most people in the country, I’m

exhausted by it. But I am vehemently

pro-European, especially with Putin,

China and Tr u m p’s USA as the power

brokers in this world.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

No Laughing

Matter

Steve Coogan

on his love for

‘ meat on the

bones’ comedy

By Alex Ritman

Coogan stars as a billionaire fashion mogul in

Greed, which will be released in 2020 by Sony

Pictures Classics.