Don't know who Steve Coogan is? Most Americans wouldn't know Coogan ("Around the World in 80 Days") if he bumped into them on the street. But in England, Coogan is a household name who has starred in hit TV sitcoms such as "I'm Alan Partridge." With the recent success of Ricky Gervais' original British sitcom "The Office" on DVD and "Extras" on HBO, the similarly low-key Coogan might be ready to make a name for himself on this side of the Atlantic. Coogan sat down with the Hitlist to discuss his new movie, "Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story," and the possibility of worldwide fame.

"Shandy" is another experimental comedy from director Michael Winterbottom ("24 Hour Party People," which also starred Coogan) that features the comedian as both the lead character in an adaptation of the classic novel "Shandy" and himself playing the same part in the movie's production (get that?). The first half of the picture is loyal to the book and the second half breaks the fourth wall and shows what goes on behind the camera on a low-budget British indie. Coogan is the first to admit the flick isn't an easy sell with any audience.

"For those who know me, this is pretty edgy," he says. "In America, they don't care about Steve Coogan, but it still works [with me playing] an insecure actor doing things he shouldn't."

"Shandy" appealed to Coogan not just because he'd worked with Winterbottom before but also because he's attracted to comedy "that reflects real life, very naturalistic comedy, not goofball comedy, and comedy that's slightly painful to watch."

And how hard was it to play himself in a movie? Coogan has more of an ego than his fans would assume. So much so, that he wants to make it clear that the unflattering Coogan on screen really isn't him.

"I exaggerated the negative aspects of myself. I give vent to my weaknesses and neuroses because it's more interesting," he says. "There's a part of me that's very rational and sensible, but if I tried to portray myself as a well-adjusted individual, it wouldn't be very entertaining."

"Shandy" could become a nice word-of-mouth hit, but if you miss it, you still have a chance to discover Coogan's talents. The actor told the Hitlist he's working with Ben Stiller on three different new projects: one that he would star in and co-write with Stiller and two others that Stiller is pestering him to appear in. Until then, you can't find a better example of Coogan's delightful style of neurotic humor than "Tristram Shandy."

"Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story" opens in New York and Los Angeles on Jan. 27.