6) Alan Partridge
I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve seen Steve Coogan do. I have yet to discover his early work, but his break into American movies like Ben Stiller’s Night at the Museum and Tropic Thunder and finally his own starring performance in the criminally underrated Hamlet 2 made me realize what a unique comedic talent he is. More recently, The Trip and Philomena have exhibited his range and depth as both an actor and a screenwriter, the latter of which earned him a couple of Academy Award nominations.
Not that this newfound repute has made his most famous character, Alan Partridge, any more high-minded. After playing the role in various radio and television productions, Coogan finally brought him to the silver screen in Alan Partridge (also known as Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa), a wonderfully bonkers story revolving around Partridge’s radio studio being held hostage by a disgruntled ousted disc jockey, with Alan being called upon to try to save the day, at least in his mind. Hilarity ensues, aided by Coogan’s mix of verbal and physical humor. There’s a lot of his physique on display too, in case that sells you on seeing it.
Continue reading on the next page…