Steve Coogan is one of nine children. He was born and raised in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in a large Irish Catholic family. Coogan started out as a comic and mimic in Ipswich, as well as doing voice-over work for adverts and impressions on Spitting Image. In 1988, he did impressions of Prince Charles which featured on the Urban label release "Don't Believe The Hype" by Acid House artist Mista E. The impressions were also used as jingles in 1988/89 on the Radio 1 FM Friday night dance music show Jeff Young's Big Beat. He also acted on the observation round on The Krypton Factor in 1989.

He teamed up with Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci, amongst others, on the Radio 4 comedy show On the Hour, where he gave birth to his most famous creation Alan Partridge. Alan went on to have his own radio show and also appeared on TV in The Day Today, and his own chat show, Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge. In 1997 he returned with the sitcom I'm Alan Partridge, which was followed by a second series in 2002. Partridge is part of Coogan's 2008 stand-up tour, and an Alan Partridge movie is in production.

Other Coogan creations include Tommy Saxondale, Duncan Thicket, and Tony Ferrino. Duncan Thicket has appeared on a tour of live shows. Other TV shows he has starred in include Coogan's Run, Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible, Monkey Trousers and Saxondale. Coogan has provided voices for the animated series I Am Not an Animal, the one-off BBC2 comedy about sheep in Combat Sheep, two Christmas specials starring Robbie the Reindeer, and an episode of the BBC Radio Four spoof sci-fi series Nebulous.

He starred in BBC2's The Private Life of Samuel Pepys in 2003, and Cruise of the Gods in 2002. In 2006, he had a cameo in the Little Britain Christmas special as a pilot taking Lou and Andy to Disneyland. In 2007, Coogan played a psychiatrist on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Notable film roles include Factory Records boss Tony Wilson in the film 24 Hour Party People, Mole in Terry Jones' The Wind in the Willows, Phileas Fogg in a remake of Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days with Jackie Chan, Ambassador Mercy in Marie Antoinette, Bruce Tick in The Revengers' Comedies, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", and Octavius, the first Roman Emperor and nephew to Julius Caesar, in Night at the Museum.

He stars as a failed actor turned high school drama teacher in the 2008 film Hamlet 2 and had a role in Tropic Thunder. It was announced on 8 August 2007, that he is also to star in a film adaptation of the life of Eddie 'the Eagle' Edwards. He was also recently in Finding Amanda alongside Brittany Snowand Matthew Broderick He will also return as Octavius in Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian.

He has won numerous awards for his work in TV including British Comedy Awards, BAFTAs, and The South Bank Show award for comedy. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In 2005, a poll to find The Comedians' Comedian saw him being voted amongst the top 20 greatest comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.