Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervaisis an English comedian, actor, director, producer, writer and former pop singer and manager...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth25 June 1961
CityWhitley, England
fooling people rock roll suit
People see me in the suit and they know I'm not fooling anyone, they know I'm rock and roll through and through.
fascinated shy whereas
I've always been fascinated with actors who have to be heroes, whereas I shy away from that,
boss friend
a friend first, and a boss second, entertainer third.
office people
So what if people think 'The Office' is better than 'Extras'? I had to do them in some order.
boss somewhere stuck themes trying
As long as they keep the important themes -- a job, work, a boss going through a mid-life crisis, trying to make a difference, being stuck somewhere you do not necessarily want to be.
kids night laughing
[As a kid] I did enjoy making people laugh but I was also attracted to funny people. I'm [still] quite happy to not be the one trying to make other people laugh. I'm happy laughing at someone else. I enjoy laughing and I'll happily be the one just laughing all night if you can make me laugh.
years ideas one-day
When I direct my own scripts, it's much easier as it's been in my head for a year already. What I love about this is having an idea and seeing it come to fruition onscreen. I would like to direct someone else's script one day, but I might not get round to it before I die - you can't legislate for being hit by a bus!
sarcastic depressing jobs
The service in L.A. is the best. You don't get sarcastic, surly, fed-up waiters and waitresses like you do in England. They're good at their job and they're there for the customer. The only depressing thing is a lot of them have written more screenplays than me.
fun writing challenges
I like big escapist films. It's odd because the type of comedian I am and the things I do when I'm writing and directing myself usually deal with the darker side of the human psyche and excruciating social faux pas. I often deal in taboos and the subjects I do as a stand-up are quite challenging. But my film roles have been much more fun and escapist.
beautiful heart rocks
It breaks your heart when you throw something away, but it's what left that counts. It's like worrying about the bits of rock you have knocked off in order to make a beautiful statue. You've wasted half the rock, yeah, but it's the Venus di Milo!
character thinking long
I think that's the fundamental thing - you can go anywhere you like as long as you're following a character that the audience likes and understands.
real character thinking
You try to make characters you care about, and I think realism helps. Even though this is a high concept, the characters have got to be real.
creating want stuff
I still see myself as a bit of a cottage industry. Being in a room creating stuff and seeing if anyone wants it, as opposed to going to work for someone.
thinking choices telling-the-truth
I think what makes us human is those choices - whether to tell the truth or not.