Steve Coogan has revealed an embarrassing mishap from his early career that has haunted him for years. The actor, known for his comedic and dramatic performances, admitted that he during his time as a stagehand.

while discussing their new drama, Brian and Maggie, in which he plays former Labour MP-turned-interviewer Brian Walden and r. "I did say to Harriet that we had worked together before, at the Royal Exchange in 1986," Coogan said.

"I was a stagehand who flew in lamps onto the stage. However, because it was a revolving stage - which I failed to revolve one night - I left her stranded as an actor just standing there on stage. But she says she doesn’t have any recollection of that! Of course, it’s haunted me for years."

READ MORE:

The drama explores the unusual connection between Walden and , with Coogan describing it as “a political love story of sorts.” He explained, "The story to me was a fascinating one, which was this political love story of sorts between a disillusioned Labour politician and Margaret Thatcher, who was quite a radical politician at the time.

"The two of them were outsiders, and that’s what attracted them to each other above and beyond their political views. I think Brian was naturally on the left, from a working-class background, and Margaret Thatcher as well was from the lower middle class, the small tradespeople background."

However, after an infamous interview Walden did with Thatcher in 1989 in which his questioning triggered the then PM's demise, the pair reportedly never spoke again.

Coogan admitted that his fascination with Walden goes back to his childhood when he avidly watched the long-form interviews on Weekend World and later The Walden Interview. "I was quite avaricious and a consumer of politics at the time," he said.

"The whole period of the 80s was incredibly colourful, even though I was anti-Thatcher. The characters in the cabinet were all very vibrant and interesting, so I was very familiar with Brian Walden. In fact, I did his voice on Spitting Image more than thirty years ago when I started out in the business."

Despite his long-standing dislike of Thatcher's politics, Coogan admits he has come to view her with more nuance over time. "Personally, I found her to be a very divisive figure and I think that she did untold damage to the notion of community and the idea of people helping each other," he said.

"Now looking back, I look at her with a slightly different lens, which is that of an outsider looking to make radical change. I don’t agree with the radical changes, but the fact that she had a radical approach I think is good."

For Dame Harriet Walter, taking on the role of Thatcher came as a surprise. "I was extremely surprised when my agent said there is this thing called Brian and Maggie and it’s about Brian Walden and Margaret Thatcher," she admitted.

"The interesting thing with Miriam Stoppard and Brian Walden, in the early days, was that it seemed as though Margaret felt that the person she was talking to was trustworthy and on her side." Walter praised Fenella Woolgar’s portrayal of Thatcher in The Reckoning but noted that her own take on the Iron Lady was different because of the stage in Thatcher’s life that the drama explores.

"My favourite of all, if nobody minds me saying this, is Fenella Woolgar who play Margaret Thatcher in ‘The Reckoning’ opposite Steve. Fenella is sensationally good at every little tick of Margaret," she said.

"I decided I don’t look anything like Thatcher," Walter adds. "I’m the first brown-eyed, dark-haired person who’s taken on the role, so I won’t go into this role attempting to do a direct impression but to just try and get behind the thinking of this person."

Walter admits YouTube helped her get into the role of Thatcher. "I got a few clues by watching some YouTube things of her talking woman to woman with Miriam Stoppard," she said. "I got the odd little ad-lib joke she’d do while preparing for an interview, just before the cameras rolled. Those were very, very helpful."

Walter also praised Coogan’s approach to the role of Walden, admitting she was surprised by his serious focus. "I thought it would be a laugh a minute and we’d all be rolling in the aisles as he does impersonations, but he takes his work very seriously," she said. "He set a real high standard."

Coogan, in turn, called working with Walter a "huge opportunity." He said, "It’s demanding because she’s so seasoned and I’m this hybrid with a background in comedy, but also someone who does a bit of drama. So I had to step up.

"It’s a testament to Harriet that she totally respected the brief of getting inside Thatcher’s head. She did a brilliant job, and it was a huge opportunity for me to work opposite her.

"It’s demanding because she’s so seasoned and I’m this weird hybrid with a background in comedy, but also someone who does a bit of drama. So I had to step up. So, I thank her for raising my game."

The drama, airing Wednesday and Thursday at 9pm on Channel 4, promises to deliver a gripping look at the unexpected connection between two outsiders who shaped British politics in their own ways.

READ MORE: