What does Ricky Gervais do for a living?

Ricky Gervais is a multi-talented British comedian, actor, director, producer and writer who has found tremendous success in a variety of entertainment mediums. He first gained fame as the co-creator and star of the hit BBC comedy series The Office. Since then, Gervais has gone on to have a prolific career writing, directing, producing and starring in numerous television shows, stand-up comedy specials, films and podcasts. At the center of all his work is Gervais’ signature brand of biting, controversial humor that often pushes boundaries and challenges social norms.

Early Life and Career

Ricky Dene Gervais was born on June 25, 1961 in Reading, Berkshire, England. After graduating from University College London with a degree in philosophy, Gervais pursued a career in music, forming a new wave pop duo called Seona Dancing. Though the band was not commercially successful, the experience reportedly gave Gervais the itch to pursue a career as a performer.

In the 1990s, Gervais transitioned into a career in radio, working as an assistant manager at the radio station Xfm London. It was here that Gervais met his future co-writer and collaborator Stephen Merchant. When given a shot at hosting their own radio show, Gervais and Merchant developed outrageous on-air personas that served as early prototypes for their later television characters. Their radio program gained a cult following and soon led to opportunities to branch out into television.

Breakthrough Success on The Office

Ricky Gervais’ big break came in 2001 when the BBC commissioned him and Stephen Merchant to create a new comedy mockumentary series. The result was The Office, which premiered in July 2001 to critical acclaim.

Gervais starred as David Brent, the delusional, inappropriate boss of a paper company office. Gervais perfectly captured the cringe-worthy awkwardness of bad workplace behavior. His unlikable character provided viewers with plenty of uncomfortable laughs through his tone-deaf political incorrectness.

The Office became a cultural phenomenon in Britain. Gervais won two Golden Globe awards for Best Actor and Best Comedy Series. The success of the show launched Gervais into the upper echelon of British comedic talent.

Television Shows

Following The Office, Ricky Gervais went on to create, write and star in numerous popular television comedies:

• Extras (2005-2007, BBC/HBO) – Gervais plays Andy Millman, an actor struggling to get respect while playing demeaning roles. Notable guest stars included Kate Winslet, Ben Stiller and Samuel L. Jackson.
• An Idiot Abroad (2010-2012, Sky1) – Gervais sends his real-life friend Karl Pilkington on various vacations around the world and captures his reactions. The show was a major hit for Sky1.
• Life’s Too Short (2011-2013, BBC) – A mockumentary starring actor Warwick Davis as a fictionalized version of himself desperate to return to fame.
• Derek (2012-2014, Channel 4) – Gervais portrayed the title character, a nursing home worker who develops a strong connection with the elderly residents.
• After Life (2019-present, Netflix) – Gervais created, directs and stars in this series about a depressed man dealing with grief after his wife’s death. After Life has run for 3 seasons on Netflix.

Gervais’ ability to consistently generate new television shows spanning comedy, documentary and drama genres demonstrates his talents as an incredibly versatile creator and performer.

Stand-up Comedy

In addition to his television work, Ricky Gervais has established a very successful stand-up comedy career. He has released multiple stand-up specials featuring his boundary-pushing observational humor:

• Animals (2003) – Gervais’ debut stand-up show filmed in London.
• Politics (2004) – Touring show in which Gervais tackled controversial topics like charity and religion.
• Fame (2007) – Performance filmed in New York City.
• Science (2010) – Gervais skewered celebrity culture and promoted atheism.
• Out of England 2 – The Stand-Up Special (2010) – Part of his Fame world tour.
• Humanity (2018) – Netflix special where Gervais discussed aging, obesity, celebrity and outrage culture.
• SuperNature (2022) – Latest Netflix special containing transphobic jokes that generated significant controversy.

Gervais has proven he can fill arenas around the world with his raucous stand-up act. He has toured extensively through the UK, Canada, United States and Australia.

Feature Films

In addition to television and stand-up comedy, Ricky Gervais has also enjoyed a successful film career:

• Ghost Town (2008) – Gervais starred in this comedy as a dentist who gains the ability to see ghosts after a near-death experience.
• The Invention of Lying (2009) – Co-written and co-directed by Gervais with Jennifer Garner. It explores a world where lying doesn’t exist.
• Cemetery Junction (2010) – Gervais’ directorial debut was this 1970s coming-of-age dramedy co-written with Stephen Merchant.
• Muppets Most Wanted (2014) – Gervais played the sidekick to Constantine, an evil Kermit the Frog lookalike.
• Special Correspondents (2016) – Gervais wrote, directed and starred in this Netflix comedy film about a radio journalist couple who fakes war zone reports.
• David Brent: Life on the Road (2016) – Gervais wrote, directed and starred in this mockumentary comedy following his Office character David Brent trying to achieve rock star fame.

While Gervais found breakout movie stardom elusive, he has shown the ability to successfully translate his comedic talents onto the big screen both in front of and behind the camera.

Podcasts

Ricky Gervais entered the podcasting world in 2005 when he launched The Ricky Gervais Show featuring long-form conversations between Gervais, Stephen Merchant and colleague Karl Pilkington. It went on to become the most downloaded podcast in the world from 2006 to 2011.

After ending The Ricky Gervais Show, he launched a series of other popular podcasts:

• Ricky Gervais Guide To… (2006-2008) – Shorter podcast episodes where Gervais analyzes concepts like philosophy, the arts, and society.
• Ricky Gervais Meets… (2009-2010) – Interviews with celebrities like Garry Shandling, Christopher Guest and James Lipton.
• The Ricky Gervais Podcast (2010-2011) – Freeform chats between Gervais and Merchant.
• Ricky Gervais is Deadly Sirius (2017-2018) – More conversations between Gervais and Merchant on Sirius XM.

Gervais has shown a knack for compelling audio content that connects with audiences. Even without the benefit of visual elements, he is able to keep listeners engaged through his humor and insightful discussions with colleagues and celebrities.

Animated Films & Television

Ricky Gervais has frequently lent his recognizable voice to characters in animated films and television shows:

• Valiant (2005) – Gervais voiced the pigeon Bugsy in this animated Disney WWII film.
• Robots (2005) – Gervais played the robot Marcel in the computer-animated comedy Robots.
• The Simpsons (2006) – Gervais guest starred as Charles Heathbar, a scammer who pretends to be Maggie Simpson’s British baby au pair.
• Family Guy (2007) – Gervais played Billy Finn, a dolphin Peter Griffin encounters at MarineLand.
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (2007) – Gervais did a voice cameo as himself in a single episode.
• SpongeBob SquarePants (2009) – Gervais voiced a seagull named Clamu in the episode “SpongeBob’s Truth or Square.”
• The Penguins of Madagascar (2010) – Gervais guest starred as the evil octopus Dave in two episodes.
• Louie (2011) – Gervais played an inappropriate doctor in one episode of the FX series.

While known mostly for live-action work, Gervais has frequently shown a willingness to take on small voice roles for established animated franchises. He is able to tap into his talents as a performer even without appearing on camera.

Video Games

Gervais has also made limited forays into the world of video games:

• Scarface: The World Is Yours (2006) – Gervais provided likeness and voice work for a brief cameo as an English skinhead.
• Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) – Gervais guest starred as himself in an in-game episode of the radio talk show Integrity 2.0.
• Fable III (2010) – Gervais voice acted as several characters including a male hero. He also wrote material for the game.

While not a major focus of his career, Gervais has shown a willingness to contribute his talents to a few video game projects over the years. Game developers likely appreciate the opportunity to incorporate Gervais’ renowned wit into their titles.

Awards Hosting

One of Ricky Gervais’ most high-profile roles in recent years has been hosting major Hollywood awards shows:

• 2010-2012 Golden Globes – Gervais’ controversial jokes about celebrities got him removed as host but also brought the Globes its highest ratings in years.
• 2016 Golden Globes – After a 4-year absence, Gervais returned as host for a less controversial performance.
• 2020 Golden Globes – Gervais hosted again and skewered “woke” culture in another controversial appearance.
• 2021 Golden Globes – In his fifth and most recent stint as Globes host, Gervais continued ruffling feathers with irreverent jokes.

Gervais has proven reliably entertaining and shocking when given the platform of major live television events like the Golden Globes. His reputation as an uncompromising provocateur makes him an intriguing choice to emcee star-studded Hollywood award shows.

Children’s Book Author

In 2021, Ricky Gervais expanded into a new field by publishing Flanimals, a children’s book featuring imaginary animal characters. He went on to release several more Flanimals books:

• Flanimals (2004)
• More Flanimals (2005)
• Flanimals of the Deep (2006)
• Flanimals: The Day of the Bletchling (2007)
• Flanimals: Pop Up (2009)
• Flanimals: The Big Match (2021)

The humorous books pair Gervais’ quirky animal creations with his clever wordplay. While certainly an unexpected venture for Gervais, the Flanimals series demonstrates his versatility as a creative talent.

Music

Ricky Gervais originally started out in music as part of the new wave band Seona Dancing in the 1980s. While that project fizzled out, Gervais has continued exploring music:

• The Office theme song “Handbags and Gladrags” – Gervais sings his own cover version of the song originally written by Mike d’Abo.
• Animals song “Freelove Freeway” (2003) – Gervais collaborated with musician David Brent on the gentle acoustic ballad.
• The Office Christmas songs – Gervais as David Brent recorded two comical holiday tunes, “Free Love Freeway” and “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.”
• Learn Guitar with David Brent (2017) – online guitar lesson sketches where Gervais promoted his Life on the Road film.
• After Life theme song “End of the World” – Gervais collaborated with musician David Brent on the piano-driven theme song for his Netflix series.

Music has remained a creative outlet over the course of Gervais’ multi-faceted career. While it never became his full-time profession, Gervais often cleverly incorporates original music into his various television, movie and online projects.

Conclusion

Ricky Gervais has proven himself as one of the most multi-talented performers and creators working today. He initially achieved fame on The Office but went on to demonstrate remarkable versatility across television, film, stand-up comedy, podcasts, animation, video games, awards shows, books and music.

Gervais repeatedly displays a willingness to branch out into new areas even later in his career. His unfiltered brand of humor and sharp wit provide the common thread whether he is acting, directing, writing or singing. After initially gaining prominence in England, Gervais has established himself as a major international star. Regardless of the project, audiences can always count on Ricky Gervais to provide uncompromising laughs by mercilessly satirizing hypocrisy, pretension and social norms.