Jeff Pope and Steve Coogan

Jeff Pope is an award-winning British producer and screenwriter. He is also the Head of ITV Productions Factual Drama.

Among Pope's television and film writing credits are Fool's Gold: The Story of the Brink's-Mat Robbery (1992), The Place Of The Dead (1997), Essex Boys (2000), Bob Martin (2000), Dirty Filthy Love (2004), Christmas Lights (2004), Pierrepoint (2005), Northern Lights(2006), City Lights (2007), The Fattest Man in Britain (2009), Mrs. Biggs (2012), and Philomena (2013) which he co-wrote with Steve Coogan.

As a producer, Pope's credits include Fool's Gold: The Story of the Brink's-Mat Robbery (1992), The One That Got Away (1996), The Show (1997), This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper (2000), Bob Martin (2000), Essex Boys (2000), Christmas Lights(2004), Northern Lights (2006), City Lights (2007), Pierrepoint (2005), and The Fattest Man in Britain (2009).

In addition to winning a BAFTA for the television drama See No Evil: The Moors Murders in 2007, Pope was also nominated in 2001 for My Beautiful Son, and again in 2004 for Dirty Filthy Love. He and Coogan won the 2013 Venice Film Festival prize for best screenplay with Philomena. For his next project, Pope is prepping a biopic about legendary comedy duo Laurel and Hardy.

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Steve Coogan was born and raised in Manchester where he trained as an actor at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre. In 1992, he won the Perrier Award for his show and went on to win a BAFTA for “The Paul Calf Video Diaries.” While working in radio, he created the character Alan Partridge which he then transferred to television on the show “Knowing Me, Knowing You” which garnered 3 British Comedy Awards.

In 1999, Coogan set up his own production company with Henry Normal named Baby Cow Productions. Baby Cow Productions has produced several award winning programs including “The Might Boosh,” “Gavin and Stacey,” “Hunderby,” “Moone Boy” and “Hebburn.”

Coogan will next be seen in “Philomena” directed by Stephen Frears. In addition

to starring in the film along with Judi Dench, he serves as co-writer and producer. The film is adapted from Martin Sixsmith’s book, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, a true story about a journalist who helps a woman’s search for her son who was taken away from her after she became pregnant and was forced to live in a convent. Coogan was awarded the ‘Best Screenplay’ Award at the 2013 Venice Film Festival and the film won the ‘Audience Award Narrative’ at the 2013 Hamptons International Film Festival. The Weinstein Company will release the film on November 22, 2013.

Upcoming in 2014, he will be seen in “Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.” Coogan co-wrote the screenplay and it screened at the 2013 New York Film Festival. Directed by Declan Lowney, the film topped the UK box office upon its release on August 7, 2013.

In 2013, Coogan starred in Michael Winterbottom’s feature film “The King of Soho” in which he played real-life London porn baron turned property millionaire, Paul Raymond. In 2012, Coogan won his fifth BAFTA Award for his comedic performance in “Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places in My Life.”

His recent credits include “Despicable Me 2,” “The Look of Love,” “What Maisie Knew,” “Ruby Sparks,” “Arthur Christmas,” “Darkwood Manor,” “Our Idiot Brother,” “Marmaduke,” “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief,” “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” “Tropic Thunder,” “Happy Endings,” “Ella Enchanted,” and “Around the World in 80 Days,” among others.

Coogan is currently based in London.