Steve Coogan Explains the Key to Writing Believable Dialogue

Steve Coogan challenges what you think you know about people.
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[@davebartholome2924]

It’s not just great advice for writing dialogue-it’s great advice for anyone who wants to be a better human being.

[@andrevrd]

You have to understand the person you disagree with - That is great dialogue writing advice.

[@xeroxre6837]

Good advice for life too

[@Ruylopez778]

@P H Good advice for people that pigeon hole others they disagree with, too.

[@ellenorchid01]

Very well said

[@charliem.p.4864]

This channel is full of treasures for a writer.

[@S7EVE_P]

I could listen to Steve Coogan speak all day. Intelligent, street wise and humble. Top bloke in my opinion. Interviewer does a great job here - doesn't speak over the guest, allows the guest to be the focus. A rare thing these days.

[@johnclavis]

I know, right? As much as I love Coogan's acting, now I just want to listen him speak extemporaneously as himself about this and that. Imagine having a beer with the man. That's be worth picking up the tab! XD

[@ENigma-um8zw]

Listen if you have not to, From The Oasthouse, and then obviously I Partridge We Need To Talk About Alan, and Nomad if you really mean it (and happen to love Alan Partridge as I do)

[@annala2956]

It is worth mentioning how Judi Dench is artful at playing intelligent and common very convincingly. Steve seems like a genuine and interesting fellow

[@mrkeogh]

She was great in this movie!

[@aty1085]

This is a very deep conversation because it's in black and white.

[@WordUnheard]

It's in black and white, because this is a very deep conversation.

[@robertdavis4192]

Its not black and white, you must be color blind. Coogan's chartreuse skin tone is quite sexy imo

[@UnfamiliarPlace]

And all I want to know is whether his vest and jacket are the same colour or not!

[@donnadizucchero]

True. But also BC Coogan has white threads in his black head)) I really liking him more and more after he hit 50. Before he was just an entertainer. Now the closeted philosopher comes out...

[@faro717]

No it isn’t!

[@paulburkhart2619]

Does everyone have enough tweed? Ok, we can start.

[@ChristopherHillman]

:) LOL

[@LynnHarrod]

Taking the audience's perception of a character and turning it 180 is tricky. Coogan's "you thought you knew this character, but you actually didn't" is awesome to achieve, but it's a fine line to inconsistent writing. It's delicate.

[@johnmcdonald1237]

This guy has gave me so many laughs through my life. Thank you Steve.

[@vargaso]

Coogan is smart as hell.

[@kingloser4198]

Smart as that guy in the pinstripped suit

[@nigelcarren]

Nice waistcoat/jacket combo. I met Steve Coogan at the BBC in early 90's, when he swapped places with the man, the legend, the late great Bob Monkhouse. Monkhouse swapped places with Steve Coogan, Monkhouse then sat next to me as the cameras were turned off and then Mr Coogan let rip and turned the Monkhouse up to 11 until he was told to stop. He was truly hilarious, and after 10 minutes the producer said ok, we have to carry on filming the show (Bobs full house), and Steve then sat back next to me (I didn't recognise him until after he had done his thing). At the end of the recording of the show I said hello and asked what he was doing? He explained he regularly he comes down to try material and characters out. My memory of him was a thoroughly humble nice down to earth but VERY funny chap. That was a big night for me that, not so much because I shook hands with the man who would later evolve and become my spiritual king Alan Gordon Partridge, but because up until that very moment I had considered doing stand-up, but I knew watching Mr Coogan right then, that I would never have had the nuts to grab the mic from Monkhouse. Respect, and if you are reading this Mr Coogan. Remember me... you thought I was Rick Astley? Merry Xmas... see you in Strasbourg 🎄

[@nigelcarren]

Dear@A. Fox I am sure you are jesting, but check your calendar, Sir Monkhouse sadly died in 2003 (10 years after this)! I am not going to sit here and defend Mr Coogan either, he doesn't need me to do that (though I would like to read his reply... or better watch it on Blue-Ray). If you do want to research this story I was there as invited my by cousin Jayne ******* who was the first BBC camera-woman. I was trying to get into TV at the time and as a consequence I would stay every other weekend with her in Acton and hang with her invitation hang around on the floor and soak up the madness at the BBC whilst she worked and all whilst people still operated a bank of BBC computers for the sound effects (yes thats how long ago it was). I will save my Les Dawson story for another day, all I will say is it involved a moth! By the way, I was only one year old when The Beatles spilt up.... and in any case, I was too busy trying to grasp the idea of solids even if Lennon had asked. Merry Xmas to you all the same 🎄

[@nigelcarren]

No hard feelings@A. Fox , fancy a Kenco? Mine's unleaded! What does that mean?.... I dunno. Best wishes mate, always up for a chat... I used to speak to another man..... But he likes American things now! 😂 (You won't/ you can't out-Partidge me). Happy New Year to you too. 🎄🍻

[@nigelcarren]

@A. Fox In accordance with KZbin policy The abusive personal comments you posted on my channel have been reported to KZbin along with screen-grabs (similar to the above but only stronger language). Truly if you hate the BBC as you say above then kindly direct this hate to the BBC directly. I do not and never have worked for the BBC.

[@johnsmith-wx5fb]

Hes got a shooter!

[@georgemilo7649]

Do I spy a Limmy reference

[@Lukearthwalker]

"Challenging your own point of view". Genuinely attempting to understand a person that disagrees with you, that's what is *sorely* lacking in much of society today.

[@MrBam79]

For some reason I was fully expecting him to do his Michael Caine impression at 3:33.

[@TimNelson]

BRILLIANT and talented man. WONDERFUL peek into his fertile mind. Thank you.

[@darrendemello3225]

There is so much to love about this channel.

[@everest001]

Great excerpt of what seemed like a good interview. Thanks.

[@Luke-cz9tm]

0:29 Aaron Sorkin

[@feralmode]

100% agree but you gotta love Sorkin’s work.

[@alexandriac6641]

@@feralmode You really don't lol

[@tartfuel]

@@alexandriac6641 Sorkin writes about intelligent people working together who are at the top of their profession. There are no room for idiots. Coogan was writing something completely different.

[@alexandriac6641]

@@tartfuel In my opinion he writes irritating 2D characters and no matter who's speaking all I hear is Sorkin and his stupid infantile understanding of the world.

[@mrkeogh]

​@@alexandriac6641 Yeah, pretty much. His idea is to bamboozle viewers: if lots of (fictional) clever people "argue" and eventually say X, then I should believe X too. It's activism in a sense, but not honest enough to admit it. Effective but ultimately shallow.

[@manillascissor]

Dropping some writing knowledge right there. Good shit

[@mygul8484]

What a fantastic clip. Great advice- for writing and for life

[@KhanivoreQniba]

He has a great mind, love him.

[@deankruse2891]

Thank you for these videos

[@batfink274]

Yeah, we all love a good paradigm shift to make us question ourselves and our ability to judge.

[@IsiahTomas]

This got me thinking about an acting workshop I was in and how different everyone was, but how at the same time, could find a lot in common to chat about, after the class or over a few beers. The teacher had a lot of brothers who also got into acting like him. There were guys in drama majors in university, a teacher/musician, a webmaster, moms, a few dads, a chemist, one guy who used to be in charge of an oil company in a small town, people traveling from abroad, hobbyists, but we all pretty much got along. It really got me of the broadness and range of everyone, but also that we were basically looking at other, better ways to communicate and understand one another.

[@hcmate]

I could listen to him talk all day

[@ianbauer4703]

Intelligent answers, love Steve Coogan.

[@robertdavis4192]

Coogan makes a great point, Grey's Anatomy is a perfect example of that kind of dialogue, it really stands out when they have the actors standing in this really unnatural way like they're in a dance squad and about to break into some sick choreography. The camera moves in slowly on the main character's face as they slowly start telling a story during which everyone gives their full attention like human beings who give a shit about other people, and as the story trails on awkwardly, pointlessly referencing irrelevant non existent events that were obviously add after writing earlier plot points contradicting parts of this emotional moment, the character suddenly stops telling the story and says " I hear something outside" and in a quick stylized camera move the shot bounces between close ups where like falling dominoes, the dialogue goes 1 by 1 each side character echoing the thoughts that seem to be coming from only 1 person's brain.

[@janosk8392]

Face-fok Limited This concept of throwing the audience into the surprise caused by showing up their (our) assumptions about others is so valuable as a subtle education tool. The actors role in truth.

[@guitourney]

Very good advice and the first thing I learned while reading Pavese. You can't judge your characters as a writer.

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

Cesare pavese, did he write la luna e Il falo? Anther great book with villaggio inside the title ? I have read something at school and were great

[@guitourney]

@@MzuMzu-nx1em Yes. Maybe you meant La casa in collina? It's my favorite book

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

@@guitourney I wish could have a nice chat about, but I m 42 , and those books were my homeworks for the high school. I rember only that I liked , that's all

[@5amJones]

I hope you all enjoyed my program, it was a joy to work on. Steve is a pleasure to work with and made the day a real treat for the entire crew. Thanks guys

[@dgm2485]

I feel like what he said at the start is so true. Makes me think of Tarantino dialogue. It's often clever and entertaining, but nobody talks like that in real life.

[@guimochet]

i love this.

[@keirferguson911]

So ruddy bloody brave..

[@nickhoschke6063]

Top bloke 👍

[@redlady935]

Amazing film. His best stuff

[@islrubsca2330]

what film are they referring to?

[@kingloser4198]

@@islrubsca2330 Filomena

[@Barrrt]

This is great.

[@adamglen5741]

Must've been not long after shooting the laurel and hardy biopic, he's still carrying the accent

[@Srewotgames]

“And then the whole train clapped”

[@dazpatreg]

Code for "i made this up"

[@kingloser4198]

And everybody lived happily ever after

[@martinwathen3807]

I was looking for a comment like this as soon as I heard him say it 😂

[@senoritaaurora5123]

It's just an expression

[@SarahSmith-nr2wj]

Coogan is a clever guy.

[@Nueztoy]

He's very engaging

[@kingloser4198]

The day when I noticed that everyone makes the same type of analogies in 'The Thick of It' was a sad day. It is still good though.

[@mikejlr]

Close character study isn't what the thick of it is about, though. It's a comedy where a bunch of mean people say awful things to each other. It's not a bad thing if they sound alike.

[@jacobsaul]

hanging out with malcolm tucker all day would change a person 😉

[@reginaldcrapo132]

I noticed this immediately and turned it off before finishing a single episode; a uniform style of analysis from every single character -- may as well just write a monologue.

[@hazuinf]

mikejlr You don’t have to be writing a close character study to want to improve your character writing, though. TTOI is great, but it does suffer at times from everyone talking like Malcolm. It could still be a comedy where a bunch of mean people say awful things to each other, while having more developed individual characters. That’s a false dichotomy

[@vooveks]

Just read your comment (a year later!)...I always thought that about TTOI. Yes, it was good, and the lines were good and they were funny, but it did suffer from what you are talking about. I would say that the characters were still characters, though. It’s not like the unrealistically snappy lines made them all generic as people. But yes, as far as realism goes, there was a bit of a dichotomy there, since it was in a verite style. People in real life just aren’t that quick at coming up with perfect retorts, or rather, not everyone is.

[@BodyInFlight1983]

He may understand Irish woman of a certain age but he hasn’t got a clue about farmers.

[@Plethorality]

Not many have, sadly.

[@seansense]

What doesn't he understand about farmers?

[@BodyInFlight1983]

S Reilly kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKm2k4eifZV-atk

[@HM-se1ig]

Get the cow off the boat

[@christhomas9221]

Coogan is one of the few celebrities that is on the right side of the intellectual/pretentious divide

[@servant141]

0:25 It's funny because he literally describes Letterkenny to a t.

[@mattkane3283]

The subway anecdote is achingly Partridge

[@andyharpist2938]

I felt he had a very valid point. On my building sites I learnt never to underestimate a man... The illiterate guy on the jack hammer might just be the world's best fiddle player, or might be able to tell you the world cup football team-members of all countries in 1966 and forward, to this day. I jostled against a stroppy bird reading her book in a morning tube one day scowling at each other...and got caught up against her on the way home again..her stern face dissolving into a smile.. "Oh its you again paper-barger!" I laughed too.. "Yes its me, and you again, Ms Crumpy! " She was in fact a lovely, modest, great girl, and she gave me her details.

[@andyharpist2938]

@kittyand fox IS there no romance in you Kitty? Read my book.

[@jamescarter3196]

I've often felt Mr. Coogan reminds me of Peter Cook, and Peter also paid attention to the details of unique personalities he encountered. There's a bit in the TV movie 'Not Only but Always' about Pete and Dud, where Pete is walking down his street and sees a familiar fellow peering at the ground, and he claims that a garden rock just moved on its own. Next scene, Pete is playing this character onstage and earnestly but humorously exploring the situation. Coogan has many similar moments.

[@adjustablesquelch8535]

@@jamescarter3196 thats a bit odd as that was the E.L. Wisty character, based on a table butler at his school, Radley College

[@davidyoungquist6074]

Goes for writing dialog in novels as well.

[@mikepayne3069]

Michael Ball does an AMAZING American accent.

[@InfiniteHarmonics]

What show/movie is he referring to with the older irish women?

[@valdezlopez]

"when you have two characters with two points of view, you can't caricature one of them".

[@terminalpictures]

Hire the Gibbons brothers. The end.

[@HughRaine]

They're talking about The West Wing at the start. I couldn't bear it beyond the first episode.

[@billyletawsky8900]

What show are they talking about that he writes the dialogue for?

[@mursuka80]

10 seconds in and i thought "Ah, Sorkin".

[@ATRTAP]

Still waiting for Hamlet 3 Coogan.

[@MuricaTurkey]

LOL When he said, "All of sudden everyone's really smart and fast-thinking...", I thought of 1 specific writer who I liked at first but got quickly sick of and now can't stand. Lots of different characters, numerous TV shows...but the main hero, the foil sidekick, the lone quirky/Mary Sue female, and the slimy, insane nemesis with sexual tension...all basically the same in EVERY show. I think we all know who I mean lol

[@propositionjoe1515]

Sorkin?

[@Wulfuswulferson]

Is it in black and white because it was snowing in the studio?

[@markorollo.]

that thing about judging books, he's right but i still find it goes the other way more often than not, ive known a few suited up arseholes, ive also known the kind of guy with a green mohican, dressed in camouflage jacket, wearing 'bovver' boots, and piercings and tattoos everywhere, the type some would cross he street to avoid, and they were some of the nicest people ive ever known.

[@Habitatti]

I think it's kinda funny that the most sane people in the public eye are actors, comedians and writers.

[@robertdavis4192]

Id love for you to sit down with someone like Susan Boyle, and other performers who came upon success later in life, Harrison Ford for example too

[@drewevans3054]

hahaha he's referring to Sorkin

[@oldskool4572]

Northern working class solution to all problems; "Never mind. Lets have a cup of tea".

[@Ruylopez778]

until the problem is no tea, or no power for the kettle

[@Jessica-dd8xo]

Steve has never been working class.

[@taotoo2]

Is this him playing a new character?

[@peepiepo]

The beginning of this perfectly summarises Quentin Tarantino dialogue. I can't stand Tarantino films because it's like listening to Tarantino talking to himself. Addendum: I appreciate that you could call it is his style and a lot of people enjoy Tarantino's dialogue, his movies are obviously very popular. It's just something I personally find I do not enjoy at all.

[@22grena]

Agree.

[@TweekDash]

@A. Fox wtf?

[@FirstLast-cf4mi]

''it's so hard writing believable dialogue for an intellectual journalist...'' Fuck moi.

[@tonybates7870]

I think Tarantino's dialogue is hilarious. Is it naturalistic? Absolutely not. Do I think US villains talk like that? Of course I don't. But who cares? It's cinema. And it's fucking funny.

[@peepiepo]

@@tonybates7870 I can appreciate that people enjoy it, but it's just something that really grates on me

[@ValuedComment]

Anyone who's seen his Alan Partridge specials on Rupert Murdoch's Sky channel will know he can't write for s**t. He's a talented performer but his best stuff is thanks to the likes of Patrick Marber, Peter Baynham and Armando Iannucci.

[@lizziebooth5397]

Takes great courage not to caricature a view we don't understand but it's so necessary right now

[@kingloser4198]

One of the reasons I hated Mr Robot.

[@lizziebooth5397]

@A. Fox 15 people think not. Suggest an online dictionary?

[@lizziebooth5397]

@A. Fox Forget the dictionary, there are clearly more pressing needs such as real human company and basic social interaction. Merry Christmas sweet troll x

[@Retrostar619]

@A. Fox Seems fairly eloquent, sensible and easy to understand to me. A logical follow-on from the vid.

[@martinhowser4094]

What show is he talking about writing? Key point missed?

[@ceeemm1901]

"Philomena", movie

[@archangecamilien1879]

I think I see what he's talking about..."old Irish wisdom"...same thing in Haiti, the uneducated peasants and such, older folks...there *is* a sort of wisdom that "cuts through" all that "supposed enlightenment"...coexisting with them occasionally "saying stupid things", haha...

[@archangecamilien1879]

A lot of Haitian proverbs/sayings show such wisdom...a lot of metaphors having to do with objects peasants use, things they deal with...

[@seanwebb605]

What happened to the chroma?

[@claireleb]

Mark Gattis and Steven Moffat suffer from exactly what Coogan talks about. Their dialogue is always, always, always whip smart and witty and the characters are always trading barbs and showing how clever they are. As entertaining as it is, they characters don’t feel real.

[@adjustablesquelch8535]

He can't have been long off of filming Stan and Ollie, you can see him doing Stan with his mouth a few times.

[@rawrcalumx]

An astute observation

[@N_Loco_Parenthesis]

It's weird editing, the way keeps cutting back to the interviewer looking at Coogan nervously.

[@Alpine_Joe]

I guess it would be hard to write Philomena with believable dialogue. No ... super easy. Barely an inconvenience.

[@Toxodos]

*cough cough* aaron sorkin

[@themistoklestheodosopoulos6253]

Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino, and Woody Allen. They all suffer from this bad habit of making all their characters sound the same. I could be reading the dialogue to one of their movie, have no idea what it is, and immediately know its on of their movies.

[@talesfromthejails]

Yes Steve but when did VAT start in the UK check your facts mate as in your book I recently read you had a scene in which your parents in the 1960s were arguing about their VAT returns which, IF you had checked, you would have known was not possible as at the time VAT did not exist in the Uk. That kind of rankled with me as I like to believe in the nonsense BUT as you know it has to be believable.

[@tonybates7870]

Psychic World Coogan was born in 1965 - I doubt he remembers the sixties. VAT began in the 70s, can't be bothered to look up exactly when but he's probably recalling an incident from the seventies.

[@talesfromthejails]

@@tonybates7870 The book he wrote was fiction I PARTRIDGE and VAT was introduced to the UK in 1973

[@tonybates7870]

Psychic World Ah, I see. Didn't know there was a Partridge novel, if that's what you'd call it - spoof memoir, possibly? Wouldn't mind reading that . . .

[@talesfromthejails]

@@tonybates7870 Tony it is amusing BUT the factual error concerning VAT kind of threw me. Same thing when I was reading ANGELA'S ASHES the author included a scene in which the children were eating curry, not possible in 1930's Ireland.

[@mjm5081]

I was that baby...I apologize...Just wanted a bit of attention...Everything's alright now(starts crying)

[@OBGynKenobi]

Yes but how would Michael Caine say it?

[@aaronbrooke-naylor3389]

It’s not transatlantic it’s northern 😅

[@aaronbrooke-naylor3389]

A. Fox manchester/lancs man I’m from there and Steve’s accent sounds like a local accent

[@RenewedRS]

He doesn't sound northern he's definitely doing a bit of an American accent.

[@david_4739]

@A. Fox out of wedlock???

[@_Shadbolt_]

It's his Northern soft Manchester accent mixed in with a kind of loose LA accent. That's transatlantic. He's a bit of an accent chamelion, but you can see it comes from a place of wanting to be understood. you can tell when he tanslates the word "daft" cos he was thinking the American guy might not get it.

[@raminybhatti5740]

The issue discussed in the first 40 seconds is why I've never been able to enjoy anything written by Aaron Sorkin.

[@keirferguson911]

Was the personal crisis driving to Dundee with no shoes 🤔

[@barbarahourigan8462]

What does “common working class woman” mean?

[@kingloser4198]

A woman who has little money but is working yet has quite a financially restrictive life. Common could mean one of two things that are the same though one is sympathetic and one is not. It could mean that there are a lot of people like her and it is quite widespreed problem - not having any money - , or, that it would be easy to find someone like her as she has no individuality to set her apart.

[@barbarahourigan8462]

Thanks!!!

[@sondra2774]

I was hoping he'd have a point to his story...

[@mrfister1899]

What's up with SC's accent?

[@Volvican]

Why has his accent changed for this interview? How odd.

[@jamescarter3196]

He changes his accent very frequently between roles, so it either reflects what he's doing currently, or it's his real accent and neither of us have heard it before.

[@wrmty56413]

It's a trans-Atlantic accent (one of the more irritating accents)

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

Hey Steve coogan is a playboy , what a surprise he know a lot women .lucky guy

[@dystopia47]

Lotta cocaine and whores

[@bananaman3802]

Why use many word when few word will do?

[@namingisalwaysthehardestpart]

Thats great and all but She was only 16 years old

[@gjw000]

Why is he speaking with an American twang?

[@tmac8892]

I hate crying babies.

[@Gonegonegone977]

Test

[@goldenhair1981]

Is he putting on an American accent here?

[@laurencewaring8039]

Needless to say...

[@besty222]

Why's he talking in a cod-american accent?

[@keithrobson593]

besty222 I love the bloke but horrible isn’t it.

[@claresherman2278]

Because he’s in America and he’s one of those people who automatically picks up accents.

[@monstermunch4956]

There’s no American accent. What ya on about?

[@joachimmacdonald2702]

I think it’s just northern but a bit Irish

[@vaughanie23]

because he's really alan partridge masquerading as steve coogan...

[@matthawkins123]

How many people do you think he has driven to suicide? Over/Under 9.5???

[@zeppelin1qaz]

Why is Coogan talking American?

[@mrkeogh]

Coogan explaining why good comedy writing passes the test of time and shitty writing that relying on stereotypes, ad hominem attacks, and bad faith arguments (ignoring any idea of nuance or shades of grey) fails to move the conversation forward. It tells us uncomfortable truths about ourselves. Looking at you, Daily Show and Last Week Tonight: if you can't meaningfully challenge your own beliefs, maybe be so quick to attack others who can't challenge theirs.

[@phillhosking]

Brexit is working class wisdom Steve. Ahaaaaaaaaaa!

[@belafontelife9781]

I cringed so hard when he said "wanker", Americans using English slang is always embarrassing.

[@ulengrau6357]

Belafonte Life One imagines it’s less cringe-y when someone who is overall not thought of as a “wanker,” says it. In either case, he said it very quickly in passing, without emphasis; that matters.

[@kingloser4198]

It works the other way too and the happens a hell of a lot more often :-/

[@FPSBuzz]

I believe he was saying it as if it was the point of view of Steve. Because Steve is British, he would have thought wanker, which is why he said it

[@Picnicl]

Well I hate the use of the word 'cringed'. To cringe is a weakness or a vulgar kind of snobbishness of embarrassment. It means that your body or mind cowers. People with class cringe from no situation. They might be disgusted or disappointed by a situation but, if they have any character, they know that anything can happen under the sun and it makes them strive to change the situation or to rise above it, not be embarrassed by it in a way that vulgarly proclaims "I've got better social skills" as if postmodernism never happened - not if you say cringed you don't.

[@deldia]

And he said daft

[@wimbledan]

That believable writing got the tax payer to pay for his servants

[@JohannesLabusch]

Not impressed with the "cloud" wisdom. Depression is a cloud that passes, then comes back.

[@kelzuya]

That's Irish weather for you

[@Barrrt]

@@kelzuya lol

[@Barrrt]

Yeah but he was talking about feeling sad, not about depression.

[@Barrrt]

I hope you feel better though