Steve Coogan reveals why he didn’t want to understand Roy Keane’s perspective while making Saipan

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It’s difficult to recall many football disagreements that received as much public attention as the well-known falling-out between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy before the 2002 World Cup.

The disagreement – which unfortunately meant Roy Keane never got to play in a World Cup – began because the famous midfielder felt the team wasn’t preparing well enough for the tournament and quickly became a major talking point for fans.

I – Steve Coogan – can understand both sides of the argument, really. They both make sense and have a degree of believability, if you look at it objectively, that’s how I see it.

As an actor, I really made a point of not trying to understand Roy’s side of things. When I was playing Mick, I wanted to truly get into his mindset, and honestly, feeling too much sympathy for Roy would have made that harder. I needed to focus on Mick’s perspective completely.

Coogan explained that he spoke with McCarthy, trying to understand his motivations and what made him passionate about the topic. It wasn’t until he watched the film, though, that he really started to grasp both perspectives of the debate.

“That’s what’s so great about it,” said Éanna Hardwicke, who plays Keane. “It’s exciting to see how everything unfolds as you watch it. I really focused on my own part, but we did have some discussions about the script before filming, which was really helpful.”

I probably took the easy route and just focused on my part, figuring I’d appreciate the full story later. It wasn’t until I saw the finished film that I realized how dramatically different their viewpoints actually were.

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Coogan explained the film aimed to challenge viewers’ perspectives as they watched, noting that he didn’t want the audience to consistently side with one character throughout the story.

He described the goal as getting viewers to reconsider their own views. It wasn’t about convincing them to agree with a specific point, but rather encouraging them to constantly evaluate and shift their perspectives. Ultimately, the final conclusion they reach isn’t as important as the fact that watching it sparks empathy and gets them thinking.

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Coogan said making the film gave him a new perspective on Keane, especially understanding his famous temper.

He explained that the portrayal helps people connect with the subject, acknowledging he’s a very powerful personality. Understanding the background behind that power is key. He added that watching the film gave him a greater understanding of Roy Keane than he’d previously had.

I always saw Roy as someone with a lot of potential, but also a short fuse – a powerful player, but a bit rough around the edges. Seeing this footage, though, I realized there was a real depth and reason behind his anger that I hadn’t appreciated before.

Saipan is now showing in UK cinemas.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about film for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time has interviewed many famous actors and reviewed all kinds of movies.

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2026-01-23 14:08