Ricky Dene Gervais (/dʒərˈveɪz/jər-VAYZ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, television producer and filmmaker. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcomsThe Office (2001–2003),Extras (2005–2007), andLife's Too Short (2011–2013) withStephen Merchant. He also created, wrote, and starred inDerek (2012–2014) andAfter Life (2019–2022).[1] Gervais was also executive producer of and had cameos in the American rendition ofThe Office (2005-2013).
Gervais initially worked in the music industry. He attempted a career as a pop star in the 1980s as the singer of thenew-wave actSeona Dancing. The band did have success in thePhilippines with the song "More to Lose".[6] He also managed the then-unknown bandSuede before turning to comedy. He appeared onThe 11 O'Clock Show on Channel 4 between 1998 and 2000, garnering a reputation as an outspoken and sharp-witted social provocateur. In 2000, he was given a Channel 4 spoof talk show,Meet Ricky Gervais. He achieved greater mainstream fame the following year with hisBBC television mock documentary seriesThe Office, followed byExtras in 2005. He also wrote theFlanimals book series.
Gervais has mentioned in interviews that, as an 11-year-old, he asked why his siblings were so much older than he was; his mother bluntly told him that he "was a mistake".[15] Gervais has spoken of his appreciation for his family's extreme sense of humour. He toldBBC Radio 4'sDesert Island Discs that he and his brother Bob spent most of their mother's funeral "crying with laughter". They had been asked by thevicar to tell him something about their mother prior to the service, with Gervais saying, "My brother, just winding up the vicar, said, 'She was a keen racist.' And the vicar said, 'I can't say that!' So Bob went, 'Oh, OK then... she liked gardening.'"[11]
For six months in 1983,[21] during his final year as a student at UCL, Gervais and his best friend Bill Macrae formed thenew wave pop duoSeona Dancing. They were signed byLondon Records, which released two of their singles—"More to Lose" and "Bitter Heart". The songs failed to make an impact on theUK Singles Chart.[22] Despite not being successful in the UK, Seona Dancing did manage to score a hit in thePhilippines with "More to Lose".[23] Gervais also worked as the manager forSuede before they became successful in the 1990s.[24]
In 2013, Gervais performed a live tour asDavid Brent along with his bandForegone Conclusion, Brent's fictional band inThe Office.[25] He and the band performed songs written under the Brent character, including "Equality Street" and "Free Love Freeway".[26] Gervais also produced a series of YouTube videos, 'Learn Guitar with David Brent', featuring acoustic guitar versions of nine songs. In 2016, as part of theLife on the Road film promotion, Gervais published theDavid Brent Songbook[27] of 15 songs, which he also recorded for the albumLife on the Road as David Brent and Foregone Conclusion.
Gervais worked as an assistant events manager for theUniversity of London Union (ULU), then was head of speech at the alternative radio stationXfm.[28] Needing an assistant, he interviewed the first person whosecurriculum vitae he read:Stephen Merchant.[29] In 1998 Gervais's position was made redundant when the station was taken over by theCapital Radio group.[30] Around this time he was also a regular contributor toMary Anne Hobbs's Radio 1 show, performing vox pop interviews in unlikely locations.[31]
After the first series ofThe Office, Gervais and Merchant returned to Xfm in November 2001 for a Saturday radio show, where they began working withKarl Pilkington, who produced the shows and later collaborated with them on their series ofpodcasts.[32] In October 2017, Gervais began hosting the weekly radio showRicky Gervais Is Deadly Sirius onSirius XM,[33] which ran until 2019.[34]
On 5 December 2005,Guardian Unlimited began offering free weekly podcasts, includingThe Ricky Gervais Show featuring Gervais, Merchant and Karl Pilkington.[35] Throughout January and February 2006 the podcast was consistently ranked the number 1 podcast in the world. It appeared in the 2007 edition of theGuinness Book of World Records as the world's most-downloaded podcast, with an average 261,670 downloads per episode during its first month.[36] 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.[37] These three were known by Gervais and Merchant as "The Fourth Season". In October 2007 another free full-length podcast was released through iTunes, after being originally given out for free during a performance of Gervais'sFame stand-up tour in London. On 25 November 2007 Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington released another free podcast of just over one hour.
In August 2008, Gervais, Merchant and Pilkington recorded their fifth series ofaudiobooks with four chapters released on 16 September 2008, and described as theGuide To... series. There are 12 'Guides' to Medicine, Natural History, Arts, Philosophy, The English, Society, Law & Order, The Future, The Human Body, The Earth, TheWorld Cup 2010 andComic Relief.[38] The conversations typically begin on topic and go out on tangents about other subjects. In 2021, Gervais launched a paid-for audio series,Absolutely Mental, of his conversations with philosopherSam Harris. Season 2 was also launched in 2021, followed by season 3 in March 2022.[34][39]
Gervais has contributed to theBAFTA-winningThe Sketch Show (ITV), penning several sketches. His mainstream-TV on-screen debut came in September 1998 as part ofChannel 4'sComedy Lab series of pilots. His one-off showGolden Years focused on aDavid Bowie-obsessed character called Clive Meadows.[40]
Gervais then came to much wider national attention with an obnoxious, cutting persona featured in a topical slot that replacedAli G's segments on the satirical Channel 4 comedy programmeThe 11 O'Clock Show in early 1999, in which his character used as many expletives as was possible and produced an inordinate number of politically incorrect statements. Among the other regular featured comedians on the show wasMackenzie Crook, later a co-star ofThe Office. Two years later, Gervais went on to present his comedy chat show for Channel 4 calledMeet Ricky Gervais, which was poorly received and cancelled after six episodes, and Gervais has since mocked it.[citation needed] Throughout this time, Gervais also wrote for the BBC sketch showBruiser andTheJim Tavare Show.[41]
The Office started whenStephen Merchant had to make his short film while on a BBC production course. In August 1999 he made a docu-soap parody, set in an office, with help fromAsh Atalla who was shown a 7-minute video called 'The Seedy Boss'. Thus the character ofDavid Brent was created. Merchant passed this tape on to the BBC's Head of EntertainmentPaul Jackson at theEdinburgh Fringe, who then passed it on to Head of ComedyJon Plowman, who eventually commissioned a full-pilot script from Merchant and Gervais.[42]
The Office brand has since been remade for audiences inSweden,France,Germany,Quebec,Brazil,Chile,Czech Republic,Finland,India,Israel,Poland and theUnited States.[47] Gervais and Merchant are producers of the American version, and they also co-wrote the episode "The Convict" for the show's third season.[48] Gervais has said that the episode "Training" is his favourite, where Brent plays his guitar and sings. In 2021, on the show's 20th anniversary, he suggested the show would not have been produced in 2021 due tocancel culture: "I mean, now it would be cancelled. I'm looking forward to when they pick out one thing and try to cancel it. Someone said they might try to cancel it one day, and I say, 'Good let them cancel it—I've been paid!'"[49] In 2025, Gervais became an executive producer onThe Paper, a spinoff of the American version ofThe Office created byGreg Daniels, who had also created the American adaptation ofThe Office.
A Christmas special ofExtras aired on 27 December 2007 in the UK and on 16 December 2007 in the US, featuring guest appearances byGeorge Michael,Clive Owen,Gordon Ramsay, Jonathan Ross andDavid Tennant. ARolling Stone article remarks that, in makingExtras, Gervais was influenced byLarry David'sCurb Your Enthusiasm, particularly in the format of celebrities making fools of themselves or subverting their public personas.[51]
The Ricky Gervais Show is an animated TV show adapted from the podcast of the same name that debuted on US cable networkHBO on 19 February 2010.[53][54] In the UK, the first series began airing on 23 April 2010 on Channel 4. The show was developed using original podcast recordings fromThe Ricky Gervais Show starring Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Karl Pilkington. After receiving an enthusiastic following in the US, HBO recommissioned the show for a second series, which aired in 2011,[55] and a third series in 2012.
Life's Too Short began airing onBBC Two on 10 November 2011.[56][57] Gervais and Stephen Merchant wrote this sitcom from an idea byWarwick Davis. It is described by Gervais as being about "the life of a showbizdwarf" and as "a cross betweenExtras andThe Office". The show stars actor Davis playing a fictionalised version of himself, as well as Gervais and Merchant.[58] Premium cable channel HBO, which co-produced the series with the BBC, had the US rights and began airing the series on 19 February 2012.[59][60]
An Idiot Abroad is a travel documentary produced by Gervais and Stephen Merchant in which a reluctant Karl Pilkington travels around the world, with his reactions to people and places recorded. Occasionally, Gervais and Merchant call to surprise him with a new place to visit or task to do. Pilkington reports back mostly complaining about the situation. Gervais says there is no planning; a camera crew follows his friend around filming for many hours, which Gervais edits down to an hour each episode.[61] Two series and a Christmas special have aired; series one involves Pilkington visiting theSeven Wonders of the World. In the second show, he chooses to complete tasks from a bucket list provided by Gervais, and in the special, Warwick Davis joins Pilkington on a journey followingMarco Polo's route from Italy to China.
In November 2011, Gervais filmed in London a 35-minute pilot episode for a potentialcomedy-drama series calledDerek, which aired on Channel 4 on 12 April 2012.[62][63] The pilot is solely written and directed by Gervais and features him in the title role of Derek Noakes, a 49-year-oldretirement home worker, who "loves animals,Rolf Harris,Jesus,Deal or No Deal,Million Pound Drop, andBritain's Got Talent." The character first appeared in a2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe sketch as an aspiring comedian who loves animals and still lives with his mother.[64][65] Gervais's co-hostKarl Pilkington makes his acting debut as Derek's friend and facilities-caretaker Dougie who also works in the retirement home. British comedianKerry Godliman plays Derek's best friend Hannah andDavid Earl plays Kev.[66]
Gervais said that the series is about "kindness [being] more important than anything else". He added: "It's about the forgotten—everyone's forgotten. It's all these arbitrary people who didn't know each other, and they're in there now because they're in the last years of their life. And it's about the people who help them, who themselves are losers and have their own problems. It's about a bunch of people with nothing, but making the most of it, and they're together." He chose to set the sitcom in a retirement home after he watchedSecret Millionaire—"It was always these people with huge problems who were helping other people. I thought about having Derek help old people because no one cares about old people in this country ... I think it's perfect for now."[67] Channel 4 commissioned a full series ofDerek that aired in early 2013.[68]Derek was recommissioned for a second series, which premiered on 23 April 2014.[69]Derek ended with a one-off final special,[70] broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK on 22 December 2014.
On 9 May 2018, it was announced thatNetflix had given a production order for the first season of the comedy dramaAfter Life. It was created and directed by Gervais, who also starred in it and executive-produced it with Duncan Hayes, withCharlie Hanson as producer; the series premiered on 8 March 2019.[71][72] On 3 April 2019, Netflix renewed the series for a second season, which launched on 24 April 2020.[73][74] In May 2020, it was announced that Gervais had signed a new deal with Netflix, including a third season ofAfter Life.[75] Before the announcement Gervais said, "For the first time ever, I would do a series three, because the world's so rich. I love the characters, I love all the actors in it, I love my character, I love the town, I love the themes… I love the dog!"[76]
Gervais began his stand-up career in the late 1990s. His first successful show was at the Café Royal as part of the2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[77] TitledRubbernecker, it also featuredJimmy Carr,Robin Ince and Stephen Merchant.[78] Gervais toured the UK in 2003 with his stand-up showAnimals. ThePolitics tour followed a year later. Both shows were recorded for release onDVD and television broadcast. The third part of the themed live trilogy,Fame, took place in 2007. It started inGlasgow in January and ended inSheffield in April.Blackpool reported selling out of tickets within 45 minutes of them going on sale.[79]Newsnight Review's panel sawAnimals during itsBloomsbury run and covered it in January 2003. They were not favourable, withPrivate Eye editorIan Hislop saying it was "cobbled together ... banal ... a bit flat".[80] After this, Gervais closed each show by calling Hislop an "ugly little pug-faced cunt".[81][82]Fame was the subject of some controversy in January 2007 when Gervais included a routine, ostensibly about how people will do anything to become famous, referring tothe murder of prostitutes in Ipswich.[83]
Gervais's fourth show was entitledScience, and commenced with an eleven-date tour in August 2009 at theScottish Exhibition and Conference Centre inGlasgow.[84] The DVD was released on 15 November 2010.[85] In November 2009, he headlined the sixth annualNew York Comedy Festival atCarnegie Hall.[86] In 2013, Gervais announced that his next stand-up show would be calledHumanity.[87] In December 2014, he said he was too busy to do the tour due to producing two films.[88] In May 2016, Gervais performed stand-up in London, starting with some low key warm-ups with cast members fromDerek.[89] He said: "Finally, I'm going to do some stand-up. The first in about six years if you don't count hosting theGolden Globes".
He continued hisHumanity show throughout 2017 and into 2018. He appeared atSF Sketchfest as part of the tour, which devoted a night in honour of him, alongside comedic legend and mentorChristopher Guest.[90] His next tour andNetflix specialSuperNature was announced in late 2018, where Gervais warned people not to travel to see "work in progress" as it would be a "shambles".SuperNature shows continued through 2019 and 2020.[91] Following significant cancellations and postponements as a result of theCOVID-19 pandemic, theSuperNature tours resumed in August 2021.[92]SuperNature received criticism for jokes abouttransgender people.[93] It won the Best Stand-Up Show at the National Comedy Awards.[94] In May 2023, in the world-wide tour of his comedy special,Armageddon, he was reported to have a earned £1.41 million for a single stand-up gig, at theHollywood Bowl, the highest-grossing one-off gig ever by a British comedian.[95] The show was released onNetflix on 25 December 2023 but faced controversy for making a joke aboutcancer patients.[96] The special later won for "Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television" at the81st Golden Globe Awards, but Gervais didn't attend the ceremony.[97]
One of the first animations Gervais voiced was the character of Penguin inRobbie the Reindeer'sLegend of the Lost Tribe.[98] He had a starring role inDisney'sValiant, withEwan McGregor,John Cleese andJim Broadbent, as pigeon Bugsy. Gervais guest-starred in an episode ofThe Simpsons entitled "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife". He is the only British comic to write and star in aSimpsons episode. The episode was the highest-rated inSky One's history; it revolved around the angle that Gervais was the episode's sole writer (and the first guest star on the show to also receive a writing credit for the episode of his appearance).
Gervais clarified the extent of his input in a joint interview (with Christopher Guest) forDazed and Confused magazine (January 2006): "No, all I did was put down a load of observations on an email and they made it look like aSimpsons script. I'm going to get the credit, but I think everyone in the industry knows it was a joint effort". Asked in a separate interview about how his idea for the episode (in which Homer swaps Marge on a game show) came about, Gervais replied: "I've always been fascinated with reality game shows but I think it was my girlfriend's idea. We watchCelebrity Big Brother at the moment, we watchI'm a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here... we watch all those reality TV shows—The Office came out of those docu-soaps".[99] Gervais, a longstandingSimpsons fan, presented a segment to mark the show's 20th anniversary onBBC Two'sThe Culture Show on 16 June 2007.
In 2012, Gervais made a guest appearance onFamily Guy in the episode titled "Be Careful What You Fish For". In the episode, Gervais plays a dolphin named Billy Finn who givesPeter Griffin aMercedes-Benz hood ornament, and Peter half-heartedly promises a favour to him. Soon, Billy moves to Quahog but outstays his welcome at Peter's. Peter tries to reunite Billy with his ex-wife in hopes that he will return to the ocean. The episode also featuredLucy Davis, with whom Gervais starred inThe Office.[100]
Gervais had a cameo role inSimon Pegg's andJessica Hynes's sitcomSpaced as Dave, an estate agent who mistakenly places the advertisement for a property for a couple that turns out to be the premise of the show.[101] Gervais has also guest-starred onAlias (in the third-season episode "Façade") as Daniel Ryan, a former Royal Navy bomb-disposal specialist turned rogueIrish Republican Army bomb-maker.[102] He has also made guest appearances onSesame Street.[103]Louis C.K. had Gervais play Dr Ben, his doctor, on two episodes of his seriesLouie. Gervais broke into his trademark hysterical laugh every time his character made Louie the butt of a joke.[104] In early 2015, Gervais guest-starred inGalavant, a four-week comedy mini-series, as Xanax the magician. It aired onABC and Gervais got to show off his singing skills.[105][106]
Gervais made a cameo appearance onSaturday Night Live in a Digital Short, during which he joked thatThe Office was adapted from a Japanese programme of the same name (with Steve Carell reprising his role as Michael Scott). The sketch re-creates scenes from the American and British pilot episode with Japanese elements (although in an exaggerated way). "It's funny", Gervais laughs at the end, "because it's racist".[107]
Gervais hosted the67th,68th,69th,73rd and77th Golden Globe Awards. His appearance in 2010 made him the first master of ceremonies since 1995. He stated: "I have resisted many other offers like this, but there are just some things you don't turn down."[108] His performance as host received a mixed response, with positive reviews from theNew York Daily News and theAssociated Press, but also some negative comments fromThe Hollywood Reporter.[109] His 2011 hosting of the awards was controversial for his jokes that were at the expense of many of the nominees, similar to theNew York Friars Clubroast-style jokes.[110] His jibes were described as setting "a corrosive tone" by one critic, though some celebrities were seen crying from laughter, leaving the overall reaction to be 'mixed'.[111][112] Gervais responded: "They are my friends, but I had to play the outsider."[46] His 2020 hosting performance, particularly the opening monologue, garnered both praise and criticism from the public and press. He later responded to the negative media coverage bytweeting: "I always knew that there were morons in the world that took jokes seriously, but I'm surprised that some journalists do." He also stated several times during the opening monologue that it would be his final appearance as host,[113] though he made a similar declaration during his first hosting performance in 2010.
Gervais was a guest judge onJerry Seinfeld's NBC showThe Marriage Ref alongside Larry David andMadonna.[114] He has also been a regular guest on Seinfeld'sComedians in Cars Getting Coffee.Talking Funny, which first aired on 28 April 2011, starred Gervais and fellow standup comediansLouis C.K.,Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld having an informal round-table discussion on stand-up comedy. This one off HBO special was well received by critics & audience alike.[115][116][117] In 2013, Gervais guest starred inDavid Blaine: Real or Magic, a television special where Blaine proceeded to run a large needle through his forearm in front of Gervais.[118]
In January 2006, Gervais interviewedLarry David in a one-off special,Ricky Gervais Meets... Larry David. On 25 and 26 December 2006 he interviewedChristopher Guest andGarry Shandling which aired on Channel 4. There are no plans for further episodes ofMeets..., although editions withMonty Python co-founderJohn Cleese andThe Simpsons creatorMatt Groening were recorded in 2006 for broadcast in 2007. A source claimed, "The Shandling experience put him off for good".[119] In January 2009, Gervais was a guest on BravoTVInside the Actors Studio season 15 withJames Lipton, where at one point of the interview he answered Lipton's question as David Brent, his character fromThe Office. Brent obliged the audience by singing his song "Freelove Freeway" with a guitar supplied to him by Lipton.[120]
Gervais has been onThe Late Show with David Letterman 26 times.[121] In 2008, he helped Letterman read out theLate Show Top Ten List, Top Ten Stupid Things Americans Say To Brits.[122] In mid-2014, upon hearing that Letterman was up for retirement, Gervais jokingly tried to discourage him by suggesting they go on a road trip where they would spend all their money.[123] Gervais has appeared on the BBC'sThe Graham Norton Show many times over the years. He has been onGraham Norton's couch with Stephen Merchant, co-creator and co-writer ofThe Office, to promoteCemetery Junction.[124] Another appearance saw him talk about his seriesLife's Too Short;Johnny Depp, who was there to promote his own film, was also present.[125]
Gervais is one of two featured comedians (the other beingKatt Williams) in the video gameGrand Theft Auto IV who performs at the Split Sides comedy club on the virtual stand-up stage and as an interviewee on the in game radio stationWe Know The Truth. For thestand-up bit a special three-minute act was written, recorded and fully motion-captured.[126]
Gervais released a children's book in 2004,Flanimals (illustrated by Rob Steen), which depicted nonsense animals. After the success of this book, he released its sequelMore Flanimals in 2005, withFlanimals of the Deep coming the next year. A new Flanimals book,Flanimals: The Day of the Bletchling, was released in October 2007.Flanimals: Pop Up was also published in 2009.[127]
The Office scripts have been released in book form, with series one issued in 2002,[128] and the remaining episodes following in 2003.[129]Extras: The Illustrated Scripts: Series 1 & 2 has been released, as well.[130]
The World of Karl Pilkington was presented by Gervais and Merchant. These were essentially transcripts ofXfm shows podcasts and featured illustrations by Pilkington.[131]
Gervais directed and starred in,Special Correspondents, which began filming in May 2015.[141][142] The comedy starsEric Bana as a journalist and Gervais as his assistant. They pretend to report news from a war torn country but in actuality they are safe in New York.[143] The film was released on Netflix. Gervais directed and starred in the 2016 filmDavid Brent: Life on the Road, amockumentary following David Brent, a character first seen inThe Office series, as he lives his dream of being a rockstar.[144][145] On 5 November 2015 Gervais signed up to play Ika Chu, a villainous cat, in an animated filmPaws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, originally known asBlazing Samurai. The movie is about a dog (Hank) played byMichael Cera, who wants to be a warrior and fights with Ika Chu for the town of Kakamucho.[146]
In 2023, the BBC aired7 Minutes, a short film about two people wanting to commit suicide at the same train station. Directed by Gervais, the film is part of the station'sComedy Shorts series and was released in May 2023.[147][148] In March 2023, Gervais had teased the project when he tweeted a photograph from the setting.[149]
On 1 July 2007, Gervais performed at theConcert for Diana atWembley, a music event celebrating the life ofPrincess Diana 10 years after her death.[151] Towards the end of the event—after a pre-recorded introduction from Ben Stiller—Gervais appeared along with fellowOffice star Mackenzie Crook. They performed "Free Love Freeway", a song previously heard in the fourth episode of series one ofThe Office. Due to a technical problem, Gervais then had to fill time until he was able to re-introduceElton John to close the show, so he did the David Brent dance, as well as singing the "Little Fat Man" song as performed by David Bowie in episode two of the second series ofExtras.[152]
In July 2007, following Gervais's appearance at the memorial concert for the Princess of Wales,The Guardian ran a column byDaily Mirror television criticJim Shelley entitled "Call Me Crazy... But Has Ricky Gervais Lost It?", where he described Gervais as a "tiresome embarrassment". The following week,The Guardian noted that Gervais had responded with "an exhilaratingly foul-mouthed tirade" on his website, concluding with the sentence "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 that 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?"[153]
Gervais has homes inHampstead, London,[154] andMarlow, Buckinghamshire.[155] He also has an apartment in theBarbizon 63 building inManhattan, New York City.[156] He has been in a relationship with producer and authorJane Fallon since 1982, and states they have chosen not to 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 [their] lives… and there are too many children, of course".[157]
Gervais is a fan of theUFC andReading Football Club.[165][166] He is a music fan and has stated that his hero isDavid Bowie, with his favourite song being "Letter to Hermione".[167][168] He has also stated that his first experience of a live music gig was watchingIggy Pop.[169] In 2013, he wrote thatLou Reed was "one of the greatest artists of our time" following Reed's death.[170] Gervais is one of the 100 contributors to the book,Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You, of which all proceeds go toNHS Charities Together andThe Lullaby Trust.[171] Gervais is a supporter ofgay rights and has praised the introduction ofsame-sex marriage in England and Wales as "a victory for all of us", saying "anything that promotes equality, promotes progress ... You can't take equality 'too far'."[172]
Gervais has attracted criticism for the content of his stage routines and social media posts which have been calledtransphobic.[173][174] In June 2017, Gervais endorsedLabour Party leaderJeremy Corbyn in the2017 UK general election. He tweeted: "OK. I'm not telling you how to vote, but this is a fact. The only vote that will keepTheresa May out is a vote for Jeremy Corbyn. Cheers."[175]
Gervais joinedTwitter in December 2009 when he first hosted the 66th Golden Globes.[176] After a two-year hiatus, he returned to the platform in September 2011.[177] In 2012, Gervais won aShorty Award for Lifetime Achievement for his popular presence on social media.[178] As of July 2022, he was followed by 15 million fans whom he calls 'Twonks'.[179] Gervais uses social media to promote his work to his fans. After ten years, he brought back his character Brent on hisYouTube channel in a web seriesLearn Guitar with David Brent.[180][181] He also posts contests or questions to his fans as promotion for his series.[182]
Gervais uses social media to raise awareness of animal welfare. He tweets links to petitions to rescue animals from captivity, he highlights animals involved in scientific and biomedical research, and he encourages people to adopt dogs instead of buying them from breeders.[183] He won theGenesis Award from the Humane Society in March 2015 for his contribution to raising awareness for animal welfare on social media.[184] In 2014, he was named most influential London Twitter user.[185]
In 2002, Gervais took part in a charityboxing match againstGrant Bovey, for the UK charity telethonComic Relief. He was trained for the three-round contest by boxing trainer siblingsKellie and Eugene Maloney, at their Fight Factory gymnasium. It was the second televised charity boxing match, the first beingBob Mortimer againstLes Dennis. The fight was televised by the BBC, and Gervais came out on top by asplit decision verdict.[186][187] He donated his £5,000 prize money to the training of aMacmillan nurse who specialised in cancer support.[188]
Gervais is a supporter of animal rights and has stated that he will leave his fortune to animal charities.[189] Gervais named anAsian black bear, also known as a moonbear, Derek, after the protagonist from his seriesDerek.[190] In December 2013, Gervais bought a $1000 cake shaped like a moonbear to raise funds for Animal Asia.[191] Gervais is active in the prevention of illegal wildlife trade; he supported the handing over of ivory trinkets to the Metropolitan police in London.[192]
In 2015, Gervais donated a signed acoustic guitar to help raise funds for Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in Ontario, Canada, with a special call-out toPockets Warhol.[193][194][195] The guitar, which was signed by Gervais, was purchased by Danny Young from the United Kingdom, who has since had the guitar signed by several celebrities in order to raise further funds for the Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary. Celebrities who signed the guitar include:Brian May,Will Ferrell,Bryan Cranston,Dhani Harrison,Peter Frampton,Ricky Warwick andSteve Cutts.[196][197][198]
In 2017, Gervais was awarded the Lord Houghton Award for Service to Animal Welfare fromAnimal Defenders International.[199] Gervais was also awarded theHumane Society International Cecil Award in 2018 for his frequent social media efforts to end trophy hunting.[200] In 2021, Gervais joined theRewriting Extinction campaign to fight the climate and biodiversity crisis through comics.[201] Gervais created the comic story "Bullfight" in collaboration with the illustratorRob Steen. The comic was released in the bookThe Most Important Comic Book on Earth: Stories to Save the World on 28 October 2021 byDK.[202]
American remake of his show "The Office" co-created with Stephen Merchant Appeared in episodes: "The Seminar" and "Search Committee", and co-wrote "The Convict" with Stephen Merchant
Throughout his career, Gervais has won numerous awards, including sevenBAFTA Awards, fiveBritish Comedy Awards, twoEmmy Awards, fourGolden Globe Awards, and theRose d'Or twice (2006 and 2019). For his success in television, in 2006, the British public ranked him number 30 inITV's poll ofTV's 50 Greatest Stars.[230] In 2010, he was included in theTime 100 list of World's Most Influential People.[5] On 31 May 2025, Gervais received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. During the ceremony, he described the honour as "humbling" and attributed his success to "luck, persistence, and a little bit of pushing against the tide".[231]
^Dawkins, Richard (2012)."Richard Dawkins – Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life – Part 3".YouTube.In discussion withRichard Dawkins, Gervais recounted "... when I was about eight, [my brother Bob] was 11 years older than me so he was about 19 and I was drawing a picture of Jesus, you know, Bible studies and he came in and he looked at it and he went "why do you believe in God?" and my mum went "Bob!" and I knew from body language, why didn't she even want the question? Ah, she was hiding something from me and I thought about it and it all made sense, Then I started reading and I've been an atheist for 40 years."
^Heatley, Michael (2006).Ricky Gervais: The Story So Far... Michael O'Mara. pp. 23, 28.ISBN9781843172192.
^Plumplard.com (August 2004)."Ricky Gervais... Obviously". Rickygervais.com.Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved13 September 2011.
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