Ricky Gervais

Before working in comedy, Gervais worked in the music industry. In the 1980s he performed as a pop singer in the new wave duo Seona Dancing, which released the singles "More to Lose" and "Bitter Heart" under London Records. The group did not achieve commercial success in the United Kingdom, although "More to Lose" became popular in the Philippines. He also managed the band Suede before their commercial breakthrough in the 1990s.

Gervais later worked in television and radio. He appeared on The 11 O'Clock Show from 1998 to 2000 and presented the Channel 4 programme Meet Ricky Gervais in 2000. His wider recognition increased following the broadcast of "The Office" on BBC Two in 2001, followed by "Extras" in 2005. He has also written children's books, including the "Flanimals" series.

Gervais began performing stand-up comedy in the late 1990s and has undertaken several international tours. Together with Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, he co-created The Ricky Gervais Show, which was released as a podcast and later adapted into other formats, including the television series "An Idiot Abroad" (2010–2012), which featured Pilkington travelling internationally. In 2016, he wrote, directed and starred in the film "David Brent: Life on the Road". He has also appeared in films including "For Your Consideration" (2006), the "Night at the Museum" series (2006–2014), "Ghost Town" (2008) and "Muppets Most Wanted" (2014). He wrote, directed and starred in "The Invention of Lying" (2009) and "Special Correspondents" (2016). He has hosted the Golden Globe Awards on multiple occasions.

Gervais was born on 25 June 1961 at Battle Hospital in Reading, Berkshire. His father, Lawrence Raymond "Jerry" Gervais, was of Franco-Ontarian descent from Pain Court near Chatham, Ontario, and worked in manual labour after moving to the United Kingdom during the Second World War. His mother, Eva Sophia (née House), was English. The family lived in Whitley, Reading, and Gervais was the youngest of four siblings: Larry, Marsha and Bob. Eva Gervais died in 2000.

He has stated that during childhood he began questioning religious belief at an early age. He has also spoken in interviews about family anecdotes and humour. He attended Whitley Park Infants and Junior Schools and later Ashmead Comprehensive School. After a gap year working at the University of Reading, he studied philosophy at University College London, graduating in 1983 with a lower second-class honours degree. He met Jane Fallon at university, and they have been in a long-term relationship since 1982.

In 1983, while studying, Gervais formed the music duo Seona Dancing with Bill Macrae. The group was signed to London Records and released two singles, "More to Lose" and "Bitter Heart". After limited chart success in the UK, the group disbanded. Gervais later worked briefly as a manager for Suede before their rise to prominence.

In the late 1990s, Gervais worked in radio as head of speech at Xfm and contributed to radio programming, where he met Stephen Merchant. After Xfm was acquired by the Capital Radio group, his role ended. He later collaborated with Merchant and Karl Pilkington on radio programmes and podcasts, including The Ricky Gervais Show, which became widely downloaded and was later recognised for its distribution reach. He also hosted a radio programme, Ricky Gervais Is Deadly Sirius, from 2017 to 2019.

The podcast version of The Ricky Gervais Show began in 2005 and was released weekly for free. It became one of the most downloaded podcasts globally in 2006 and was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most downloaded podcast at the time. Additional episodes and series followed, including themed audio releases and later projects involving discussions between Gervais and philosopher Sam Harris.

Gervais's early television work included contributions to sketch comedy programmes and appearances in Channel 4 pilot projects. He gained wider recognition through his work on "The Office", which was developed from a short film made by Stephen Merchant and later commissioned by the BBC. The series initially received modest viewing figures but grew in popularity through word of mouth and repeat broadcasts. It received several awards, including a Golden Globe for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy, and Gervais received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. The format was later adapted internationally, including a US version in which Gervais served as an executive producer.

Following "The Office", Gervais co-created "Extras", in which he played Andy Millman, a supporting actor working in television and film. The series featured numerous guest appearances by actors and public figures and ran for two series and a Christmas special. Gervais received a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance in the series.

He later co-created and appeared in "Life's Too Short", a comedy series centred on actor Warwick Davis, and "Derek", a comedy-drama set in a care home. He also co-produced and appeared in "An Idiot Abroad", a travel documentary series featuring Karl Pilkington, which documented his travels to various international locations.

In 2019, Gervais created and starred in the Netflix series "After Life", a comedy-drama about a man coping with bereavement. The series ran for three seasons.

Gervais has performed multiple stand-up comedy tours, including "Animals", "Politics", "Fame", "Science", "Humanity", "SuperNature" and "Armageddon". His stand-up material has addressed topics such as celebrity culture, social attitudes and personal observations. Some performances have attracted public discussion and critical responses, particularly regarding specific jokes and themes. His 2023 special "Armageddon" was released on Netflix and was later recognised at the Golden Globe Awards.

He has also worked in animation and voice acting, including roles in "Valiant", "Robbie the Reindeer's Legend of the Lost Tribe", "The Simpsons" episode "Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife", and "Family Guy" episode "Be Careful What You Fish For".

Gervais has made guest appearances in several television programmes, including Spaced, Alias, Sesame Street, Louie and Galavant. He has also appeared in talk shows and entertainment programmes such as Inside the Actors Studio, The Late Show with David Letterman and The Graham Norton Show. He has participated in discussions and panel programmes including Talking Funny alongside other comedians.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricky_Gervais