Gervais, Ricky

▪ 2007

 “I'm a cult comedian who got more famous than he should have.” That was how British comedian Ricky Gervais described himself in a 2006 interview with Stop Smiling magazine. Gervais's stunning success, deserved or not, rested primarily on his situation comedy The Office, a send-up of the contemporary workplace, which he created and wrote with his long-time collaborator, Stephen Merchant. Set in the London suburb of Slough, The Office used a mock documentary style to follow the ups and downs of the staff of Wernham Hogg, a fictional paper company. Gervais starred as David Brent, the boss with serious delusions about his talents as an entertainer and a habit for being outrageously insensitive. The show, which debuted on BBC television in July 2001 and was later broadcast in the U.S. and elsewhere, ran for only 12 episodes across two seasons and then returned with a two-part Christmas special in 2003. Despite its short run, it was a hit with viewers and critics, winning numerous BAFTA and British Comedy awards as well as two Golden Globe Awards. Gervais and Merchant also were co-executive producers for an American version of The Office that debuted in 2005, and in 2006 plans were in the works for a French version.

      Gervais was born on June 25, 1961, in Reading, Berkshire, Eng. After completing his studies in philosophy at the University of London, he fronted the little-known band Seona Dancing, which scored a minor hit in the Philippines in 1985 with the song “More to Lose.” In 1996 he joined a new radio station, XFM, where he hosted a program and met Merchant. During the 1990s Gervais contributed comedy sketches to the BBC TV shows Bruiser and Golden Years, in which he also appeared. He began a regular role on the The 11 O'Clock Show and in 2000 briefly hosted his own talk show, Meet Ricky Gervais.

      After the success of The Office, Gervais moved on to new projects. He tried stand-up comedy and published a popular series of children's books based on imaginary beasts—Flanimals (2004), More Flanimals (2005), and Flanimals of the Deep (2006). Merchant and Gervais again collaborated on the sitcom Extras, which premiered on BBC2 in July 2005 and on HBO in the U.S. just two months later.

      Gervais's edgy humour was sure to find even larger audiences in 2006 with the production of the second season of Extras and the development of a new cartoon TV series, Flanimals. He also hosted “The Ricky Gervais Show,” an Internet podcast in which he and his mates, Merchant and Kyle Pilkington, engaged in casual (if sometimes bizarre) banter. The weekly show was downloaded by more than 500,000 listeners per episode, the most downloaded podcast ever. Gervais even found time in 2006 to play small roles in three motion pictures and to write and guest star in an episode of his own favourite TV sitcom—The Simpsons.

James Hennelly

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▪ British comedian

born June 25, 1961, Reading, Berkshire, Eng.

 

 English comedian, perhaps best known for his work on the television series The Office (2001–03).

      After completing his studies in philosophy at the University of London, Gervais fronted the little-known band Seona Dancing, which scored a minor hit in the Philippines in 1985 with the song "More to Lose." In 1996 he joined a new radio station, XFM, where he hosted a program and met Stephen Merchant, who became a frequent collaborator. During the 1990s Gervais contributed comedy sketches to the BBC TV shows Bruiser and Golden Years, in which he also appeared. He began a regular role on the The 11 O'Clock Show and in 2000 briefly hosted his own talk show, Meet Ricky Gervais.

      In July 2001 The Office, a send-up of the contemporary workplace, debuted on BBC television. Created and written by Gervais and Merchant, the situation comedy used a mock documentary style to follow the ups and downs of the staff of Wernham Hogg, a fictional paper company. Gervais starred as David Brent, a boss with serious delusions about his talents as an entertainer and a habit for being outrageously insensitive. The show, which was later broadcast in the United States and elsewhere, ran for only 12 episodes across two seasons and then returned with a two-part Christmas special in 2003. Despite its short run, it was a popular and critical success, winning numerous BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and British Comedy awards as well as two Golden Globe Awards. Gervais and Merchant also were co-executive producers for an American version of The Office that debuted in 2005.

      After the success of The Office, Gervais performed stand-up comedy and published a popular series of children's books based on imaginary beasts—Flanimals (2004), More Flanimals (2005), and Flanimals of the Deep (2006). He returned to situation comedy as a struggling actor in Extras, another collaboration with Merchant; it premiered in Britain in July 2005 and then in the United States just two months later. In 2006 Gervais hosted The Ricky Gervais Show, an Internet podcast in which he, Merchant, and Kyle Pilkington engaged in casual (if sometimes bizarre) banter. The weekly show was downloaded by more than 500,000 listeners per episode, making it the most downloaded podcast ever. Gervais also appeared in such movies as For Your Consideration (2006) and Night at the Museum (2006). In 2007 he received an Emmy Award for best actor in a comedy series for his work on Extras. The following year Gervais starred in his first leading role in a feature film when he played a man who emerged from a near-death experience with an ability to see ghosts, in Ghost Town (2008).

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