Coogan: To Be or Not to Be Funny

Say the name Steve Coogan to someone from the United Kingdom and they'll probably smile. Or wince.

Mention the same name to an American and you can pretty much bet on a blank stare.

A head shot of the wiry funnyman might spark some recognition: " Ohhh, he's British, right? Is that the guy who does Mr. Bean?"

Sigh.

No. Coogan has his own outrageous (and outrageously pathetic) alter egos that have become iconic in British pop culture. Chief among them is Alan Partridge, a clueless buffoon of a radio personality.

But Coogan wouldn't mind if you didn't associate him with that character, either. To American audiences, and Hollywood casting agents, he just wants to be seen as a worthy actor.

"I wouldn't like to launch myself as the guy who just does funny characters," he says on the phone from Los Angeles during a press junket for "Hamlet 2," the first U.S. movie in which he appears as the lead actor. "I want to do funny, interesting films . . . play funny, interesting roles and work with funny, interesting people."

It has taken a while for the 42-year-old to get anywhere close to that point in the United States, but this month feels like something of a turning point, as he shows up on the big screen in two widely released comedies. In addition to "Hamlet 2," Coogan has a role in Ben Stiller's "Tropic Thunder," playing a put-upon director herding prima-donna actors through a jungle action movie.

In "Hamlet 2," he portrays a director of a very different sort. Coogan plays a high school theater teacher who can't gain an ounce of respect from his wife, students or administrators. When the school board threatens to shut down the theater department, the downtrodden instructor, Mr. Marschz (pronounced something like Marsh-uh-ZUH-ZUH), sets about creating a masterpiece play that will save the program.

The result is a time-traveling musical sequel to "Hamlet," replete with chorus-line songs such as "Rock Me, Sexy Jesus."

"I wanted to do something that was just a broadly funny movie," says Coogan, who had been scratching around for such an opportunity for several years before landing "Hamlet 2." "Something that was laugh-out-loud funny, but not brainless. And those are hard to find."

Coogan says his success in the United Kingdom was advantageous in his quest to break into the American market mostly in the sense that it allowed him to be choosy with roles. "I've got plenty that I can do in the U.K., so I'm not hostage to having to work here all the time -- or just do stuff that comes along," he explains. "I'm lucky in that I can be a bit more picky."