Steve Coogan has reflected on his own behaviour in the wake of #MeToo.
The actor and comedy star has co-written a new series based on the anti-sexual harassment movement, titled Chivalry, alongside Sarah Solemani.
In a new interview, he said the project stemmed from “an argument” the pair had while on the set of Michael Winterbottom film Greed in 2018.
“I was just playing devil’s advocate and firing off salvos, knowing I was in the safe space with Sarah Solemani,” Coogan told The Times. “And someone said, ‘You two should write something.’”
The actor and writer added that #MeToo “was an education for me”, stating: “As a man, you rewind and look at your behaviour.”
Coogan also said that his impulse when women started sharing their experiences was to “shut up and listen”.
He went on to criticise the “passive” men who remained silent on the subject, attributing some of the “responsibility” to these types.
“A lot of men have felt strangulated, petrified, and don’t know how to even start that discussion,” he said, adding: “They don’t say anything, and after a while that point of view atrophies, because it’s unheard.”
The new series follows a feminist director (Solemani) who is hired by an old-school producer (Coogan), who is increasingly out of touch in a post-#MeToo world.
Chivalry, which also stars Sienna Miller, starts on Channel 4 on Friday 21 April.
