| Caption | Gervais at the 2007 BAFTAs |
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| Birth name | Ricky Dene Gervais |
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| Birth date | June 25, 1961 |
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| Birth place | Reading, England |
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| Medium | Stand-up, television, film, music, books, radio, podcast |
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| Nationality | British |
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| Genre | Observational comedy, Improvisational comedy, Cringe humor |
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| Subject | British culture, American culture, everyday life, self-deprecation, obesity, body image, race relations, relationships, current events, religion |
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| Influences | Garry Shandling, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Louis C.K., Woody Allen |
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| Active | 1983–present |
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| Domesticpartner | Jane Fallon(1982–present) |
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| Notable work | David Brent in The OfficeAndy Millman in ExtrasHimself in The Ricky Gervais ShowDr. Bertram Pincus in Ghost TownDr. McPhee in Night at the Museum |
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| Website | http://www.rickygervais.com/}} |
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Ricky Dene Gervais (; On 20 February 2006, after the conclusion of the twelve-podcast series, it was announced that all future episodes would be available from Audible.com at a "nominal fee" (later, these had to be called audiobooks in accordance with iTunes policy). Two more series—-each with six podcasts—-were released between February and September 2006.
In late 2006 three more free podcasts were released. Together called "The Podfather Trilogy", they debuted individually at Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. These three were known by Ricky and Steve as "The Fourth season". In October 2007 another free full-length podcast was released through iTunes; this podcast was originally given out for free during a performance of Gervais's Fame tour in London. On 25 November 2007 Gervais, Merchant, and Pilkington released another free full-length podcast, which lasted just over an hour.
In August 2008 Gervais, Merchant, and Pilkington recorded their fifth season of audiobooks, totalling 4 chapters, which were released on 16 September 2008.
Television
Gervais has contributed to the
BAFTA-winning
The Sketch Show (ITV), penning several sketches. His mainstream-TV debut came in September 1998 as part of
Channel 4's "Comedy Lab" series of pilots. His one-off show
Golden Years focused on a
David Bowie–obsessed character called Clive Meadows. Gervais then came to much wider national attention with an obnoxious, cutting persona featured in a topical slot that replaced
Ali G's segments on the satirical Channel 4 comedy programme
The 11 O'Clock Show in early 1999, in which his character used as many
expletives as was possible and produced an inordinate amount of politically incorrect statements. Among the other regular featured comedians on the show was
Mackenzie Crook, later a co-star of
The Office. Two years later, Gervais went on to present his own comedy
chat show for Channel 4 called
Meet Ricky Gervais; it was poorly received and has since been mocked by Gervais himself.
The Independent newspaper has described Gervais as "obsessed by his own
celebrity", but adds, "Who wouldn't want to be
Peter Lawford in a comedy
Rat Pack?" in reference to
Ricky Gervais Meets...; the article, however, also describes him as "a very funny man" who "created one of the great
sitcoms".
Throughout this time, Gervais also wrote for the BBC sketch show Bruiser and The Jim Tavare Show, and he had cameo roles in Channel 4's sitcom Spaced; it is speculated that the cameo is indeed The Office character David Brent. However, both series of Spaced finished airing before The Office premiered. Gervais also appeared in a few of Channel 4's 'Top 100...' list programmes, and he voiced the character of Penguin in Robbie the Reindeer's Legend of the Lost Tribe. His voice was redubbed for the US market.
On 5 January 2006, he interviewed Larry David in a one off special, Ricky Gervais Meets... Larry David. On 25 and 26 December of the same year Channel 4 aired similar specials in which he interviewed the actor/comedian Christopher Guest and comedian Garry Shandling. There are no plans for further episodes of "Meets...", although editions with John Cleese and Matt Groening were recorded in 2006, for broadcast in 2007. A source claimed, "The Shandling experience put him off for good".
Gervais and co-writer Stephen Merchant made a film called Cemetery Junction, set in 1970s England, about class, love and fulfillment. The film was released in April 2010.
Other appearances
On 2 July 2005, Gervais appeared at the
Live 8 event held in
Hyde Park, London, where he performed his famous dance. He produced a series of short films for the cause, linked acts from the studio with
Jonathan Ross, and also introduced the group
R.E.M..
Gervais also has a role in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV, as himself, appearing in his role as a comedian in a comedy club, and as an interviewee on radio station We Know The Truth. For this, a special 3-minute act was written, recorded and fully motion-captured.
Boxing
In 2002, Gervais took part in a
charity boxing match against
entrepreneur Grant Bovey — known largely by the public due to his relationship with TV personality
Anthea Turner. On his Saturday afternoon radio show on
Xfm London Gervais and partners Merchant and Pilkington had discussions on both Gervais's attitude towards boxing and training in general, as well as his likelihood of victory against Bovey. Initially, Merchant had questions as to why Gervais was participating in the event, due to his dislike of slight pain and his inexperience with fitness in general.
In the weeks before the event was scheduled to take place both Merchant and Pilkington voiced their doubts as to his fitness due to illness which he had suffered weeks before the event, humorously, by stating that both they and Gervais's family had written up a petition to the BBC stating "Please do not let this man box."
Gervais was trained for the three-round contest by famous boxing trainer brothers Frank and Eugene Maloney, at their Fight Factory gymnasium. It was the second televised charity boxing match, the first being Bob Mortimer against Les Dennis, for Comic Relief. The fight was televised by the BBC, and Gervais came out on top by a split decision verdict. Gervais later said that the experience was the 'most difficult thing' he had ever done. He donated his £5,000 prize money to the training of a Macmillan nurse.
Concert for Diana and Live Earth
On 1 July 2007, Gervais performed at the
Concert for Diana in
Wembley Stadium, a music event celebrating the life of the late
Princess of Wales. Towards the end of the event — after a pre-recorded introduction from
Ben Stiller - Gervais appeared along with fellow
Office star
Mackenzie Crook. They performed
Freelove Freeway, a song previously heard in the fourth episode of series one of
The Office. Due to a technical problem, Gervais then had to fill time until he was able to re-introduce
Elton John to close the show, so he did the
David Brent dance again, as well as singing the "Little Fat Man" song as performed by
David Bowie in episode two of the second series of
Extras.
On 7 July 2007, Gervais appeared at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, London. Gervais introduced Rob Reiner appearing in the guise of spoof film director Marty Di Bergi, who in turn introduced Spinal Tap. At the start of the concert, Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, who was acting as compère for part of the event, announced that Gervais would be appearing and performing an 'extended 25-minute set', which ultimately failed to happen. It is unclear whether this was meant as a joke, perhaps referring to the time Gervais had to fill at the Concert for Diana the previous Sunday, or if it was simply cut because of time constraints, but in an off-stage segment later Moyles actually expressed disappointment that it had not occurred. Gervais himself however did reference his appearance at the Diana concert the previous week, saying, 'Now listen, we're running late, so I'm gonna be off this stage in 30 seconds, whether Elton John is fucking ready or not,' making him one of a number of people to swear on live TV at the event.
In July 2007, following Gervais's appearance at the memorial concert for Diana, Princess of Wales, The Guardian ran a column by Daily Mirror television critic Jim Shelley entitled "Call Me Crazy... But Has Ricky Gervais Lost It?" The following week, The Guardian noted that Gervais had responded with "an exhilaratingly foul-mouthed tirade" on his website, concluding with the words, "Yes I am resting on my fucking laurels you cunt!" In this video Gervais mocked Jim Shelley typing the words "Resting on his laurels" as Gervais jokingly lashed out by stating he was resting on his laurels and that he was not going to make another show for television, quipping "What's the point? What is there to beat?".
Personal life
Gervais currently lives in
Hampstead, having moved from
Bloomsbury, with his girlfriend of 28 years, producer and screenwriter
Jane Fallon. He says they chose not to legally marry because "there’s no point in us having an actual ceremony before the eyes of God because there is no God" or have children because they "didn’t fancy dedicating 16 years of our lives. And there are too many children, of course".
In August 2008, they bought a second home on the
Upper East Side of
Manhattan in New York City.
Gervais is a fervent supporter of animal rights, and has been a fan of wildlife documentaries since he was a child. He has spoken out against fox hunting and bull fighting, and has even written to Gordon Brown urging him to stop the use of black bear fur as caps for the Foot Guards.
He told Kirsty Young that he is an atheist during a 2007 interview for Desert Island Discs, later stating he lost his faith at age eight, and in June 2008 he became an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. In December 2010, he wrote an editorial for the Wall Street Journal defending his lack of faith. He is also a close friend of American comedian Jon Stewart and is a frequent guest on his programme, The Daily Show.
His main friends are fellow The Office and Extras co-writer and co-director and podcaster, Stephen Merchant; fellow The Ricky Gervais Show star, Karl Pilkington; Flanimals' illustrator Rob Steen; and comedian and warm-up act, Robin Ince.
Accolades
Gervais has received many awards for his work on
The Office, most notably two
Golden Globes (one for acting, one for the show itself), as well as numerous
British Academy Television Awards and
British Comedy Awards, amongst others.
Gervais received an honorary award at the annual Rose d'Or ceremony in Switzerland on 29 April 2006. The award is given to "an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to the global entertainment business".
On 16 September 2007, Gervais won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role of Andy Millman on Extras.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
Interviews
Time Magazine (2008). Renaissance Man: Ricky Gervais by Joel Stein
The Independent, et al. (2005). Ricky Gervais: My life as a superstar Electronic Version Independent News Media: United Kingdom
The Guardian Newspaper, et al. (2005). "Second Coming" Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007: United Kingdom
External links
in 2004
Ricky Gervais at the Oxonian Society video
Behind the scenes of The Office on BBC
Ricky Gervais's video interview on Big Think
Category:1961 births
Category:Living people
Category:20th-century actors
Category:21st-century actors
Category:20th-century writers
Category:21st-century writers
Category:Alumni of University College London
Category:BAFTA winners (people)
Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
Category:British people of French-Canadian descent
Category:English atheists
Category:English comedians
Category:English comedy writers
Category:English film actors
Category:English film directors
Category:English people of Canadian descent
Category:English people of French descent
Category:English podcasters
Category:English radio DJs
Category:English radio personalities
Category:English screenwriters
Category:English television actors
Category:English television directors
Category:English television producers
Category:English television writers
Category:English voice actors
Category:Emmy Award winners
Category:People from Reading, Berkshire
Category:The Office (U.S. TV series)
Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners
![The Manchester Eye ITV franchisee Granada Television has its headquarters in Quay Street, in the Castle field area of the city.[149] Granada produces the world's oldest and most watched television soap opera, Coronation Street,[150] which is screened five times a week on ITV1.](http://web.archive.org./web/20110412000441im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/7b/54/0f324ee8db3afa532efc8d9406ce_grande.jpg "The Manchester Eye ITV franchisee Granada Television has its headquarters in Quay Street, in the Castle field area of the city.[149] Granada produces the world's oldest and most watched television soap opera, Coronation Street,[150] which is screened five times a week on ITV1.")
![The Manchester Eye ITV franchisee Granada Television has its headquarters in Quay Street, in the Castle field area of the city.[149] Granada produces the world's oldest and most watched television soap opera, Coronation Street,[150] which is screened five times a week on ITV1.](http://web.archive.org./web/20110412000441im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/7b/54/0f324ee8db3afa532efc8d9406ce_thumb.jpg "The Manchester Eye ITV franchisee Granada Television has its headquarters in Quay Street, in the Castle field area of the city.[149] Granada produces the world's oldest and most watched television soap opera, Coronation Street,[150] which is screened five times a week on ITV1.")
