Netflix viewers are eager to discover more about comedy icon Steve Coogan following his latest performance in the British 90s-set thriller Legends, reports the Mirror.

Legends launched today (May 7) on Netflix, yet audiences are already devouring the six-part series, which is inspired by a remarkable true story.

The programme chronicles a team of customs officers who transform into agents and assume 'legends' or alternative identities as they work undercover to penetrate Britain's most infamous drug gangs during Margaret Thatcher's war on drugs.

Coogan portrays Don, the leader of a clandestine unit which has been deployed into the field with scant training and no budget or formal acknowledgement for their perilous yet essential work.

Numerous viewers are curious to learn more about Coogan's life beyond the spotlight.

Here's the scoop, including his celebrity ex-girlfriends and a "truly terrifying" ordeal.

The actor has been romantically linked with several high-profile figures previously, most notably Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain's ex-wife, Courtney Love.

The duo shared a brief romance with the Hole star - and both individuals had some candid remarks about the relationship.

Love characterised the fling in a 2021 social media post as "one of my life's great shames" and proceeded to liken it to her solo musical project America's Sweetheart: "Like Steve Coogan, or crack, it's one of my life's great shames." Meanwhile, Coogan told GQ of their brief time together: "Some of it was true, most of it was b******s. To borrow the title of the film [2005's A Cock and Bull Story], it was 20 per cent cock and 80 per cent bull."

Alongside Love, Coogan was also romantically connected to model and restaurant heiress China Chow between 2008 and 2011, model Elle Basey from 2011 to 2014, and former TV presenter Melanie Sykes between 2018 and 2019.

He is the father of Clare Coogan Cole, whom he shares with TV producer Anna Cole.

Coogan is now believed to be in a relationship with model and actress Caitlin Walsh since 2021.

The star was raised in Middleton, Lancashire and completed his studies in Manchester, yet he recently confessed that he rarely gets the opportunity to use his natural accent in his work until he appeared in Legends.

He explained in a recent interview: "I've played a lot of different people in my career, and it was quite nice to play someone who is from the North of England, which is where I'm from.

"It's the first time I've been able to do my unfiltered, native accent, and that's also quite enjoyable."

Speaking further about his character Don in Legends, Coogan said: "He's no-nonsense and plain speaking, and people who meet him for the first time might consider him to be rude, unfiltered and direct.

"But they soon learn that he does care very deeply about the welfare of the people who work for him.

"He's quite a moral man, despite his bluff, forthright nature, and that's always an interesting character to play."

Coogan spoke openly in his 2015 book Easily Distracted, as reported by The Guardian, about his past drug use and mental health struggles, revealing that he suffered a "truly terrifying cocaine-induced panic attack" in 1992 while living in Edinburgh.

He went on to recount how he had "been up all night doing drugs" when he began to feel dizzy and found himself on the "verge of blacking out".

A distressed Coogan was rushed to hospital by a friend, convinced he was going to die.

He was, however, reassured by the attending doctor that he had suffered a panic attack and would need to remain in overnight for observation.

Rather than staying put, Coogan discharged himself, explaining: "I was scared of what might be written about me in the papers."

He continued to suffer panic attacks, which subsequently led to depression.

Coogan sought the help of a therapist, who confirmed he was experiencing panic attacks and taught him breathing techniques to cope with feelings of "impending catastrophe".

As his panic attacks subsided, the Philomena star admitted he began using cocaine once more.

He reflected: "I spent tens of thousands of pounds on everyone else's addiction, but it took me a long time to face up to my own." In his 2020 book Don't Look Back In Anger, which featured interviews from a host of Britpop era stars, Coogan revealed: "Some of the live shows I did I was still intoxicated from the night before. I didn't care. I had a feeling of indestructibility."

He went on to say: "But the bottom line is the drugs don't work."

Despite having kicked his drug habit, the star still regards himself as an addict.

Legends is streaming on Netflix now