Steve Coogan Can Shine As Philip Seymour Hoffman's Replacement In 'Happyish'

British actor and comedian Steve Coogan has replaced the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in the upcoming dramedy pilot Happyish. The untimely death of Hoffman earlier this year left a gaping hole in the movie industry, though - and I think enough time has passed to say this - it also left several high quality parts up for grabs, given the 46-year-old was the greatest of his generation.

Hoffman didn't do dud roles and Thom Payne in Happyish was another nugget. It is now down to Coogan to play the 44-year-old guy who begins to feel his age when a 25-year-old kid waltzes in and becomes his new boss. The young, trendy executive knows the industry spiel and Thom is left trying to discover a path to happiness. Nick Venable of Cinema Blend has tipped up Modern Family's Adam DeVine to play the smart-ass boss - and that could be right on the money.

More: check out our Steve Coogan pictures

The Showtime press release tells us that Happyish is "a comedic, soul-searching examination of our pursuit of happiness, a pursuit that might just be the very thing causing our unhappiness in the first place."

It's the work of This American Life contributor Shalom Auslander, who will also executive produce the pilot. Director Ken Kwapis (The Office) will helm the first episode, with production ready to begin in New York City in December.

"Steve's range is astounding - he is a comedy legend, a gifted satirist, and he possesses the unique combination of talents this role demands," said Auslander.

More: Philip Seymour Hoffman was clean for 23 years

The casting of Coogan is wise. He does down-on-his-luck, self-deprecating thing extremely well (see The Trip), though has tons of experience in straight up comedy too (Alan Partridge). He's sort of the guy you try and get before you settle on Simon Pegg.