The Kings of Comedy

Titans of their cultural age, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy’s rich comedic legacy lives on in a new biopic which sees them brought back to life by Steve Coogan and John C Reilly. John Maguire meets the two stars in London

John C Reilly and Steve Coogan as Oliver Hardy and Stan Laurel

So what will we call this double act? “Oh, Coogan and Reilly. Obvious.” says Steve Coogan with a definitive nod. “I think you’ll find Reilly and Coogan has a better flow,” says John C Reilly, puffing out his chest a bit. “I can see that on a marquee.”

Whatever combination the two actors eventually settle on, there’s no confusing the legends they’re portraying in their new movie Stan and Ollie. “Hardy and Laurel ...