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.