Ricky Gervais
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“iPodge”
~ The Papparazzi on Ricky Gervais jogging with his iPod
Ricky Gervais (pron 'Hervaid' unless you're American in which case it's pronounced 'Gervais') (born June 25, 1963) is an English comedian, philanthrope, polymath, writer and performer from Reading, Berkshire, England. He grew up in Reading, Berkshire, on a council estate and is now a millionare - not bad, eh?
Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his award-winning BBC2 television programme The Office, in which he was credited as co-writer and co-director, with a "Stephen Merchant". The truth of the matter is that the name Stephen Merchant is a pseudonym and in fact, Gervais wrote and directed it all; his natural modesty meant that he felt the need to "share" his talent with a fictional persona. The person you may have seen billed as "Stephen Merchant" in various sitcoms by Gervais is simply a freakishly-tall, bug-eyed actor who was glad to be rescued from the obscurity of playing B-Movie monsters by Gervais' generosity.
Besides single-handedly writing and directing his award-winning show, Gervais created the lead role of David Brent and justifiably gave himself the funniest lines. He even did a funny dance. In 2005, Gervais returned to BBC Television with his new sitcom, When the Winslet Blows which was a whore-pounding success, even more so than The Office. His considerable success in the USA is largely attributed to his hilarious funny dance.
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[edit] Background
File:SeonaDancing.jpg Gervais's father is of Québécois descent and grew up in Quebec, Canada which explains where Ricky gets his smouldering, exotic good looks from. Raised as the youngest of four children surrounded by council-house scum in Reading, Ricky Gervais has described his childhood as "normal". He is no longer in touch with any of his family.
Gervais received his early education at Reading's Ashmead School and he is their most famous ex-pupil; he probably always will be. He then went on to University College London in 1979 to study biology, later switching to philosophy where he graduated with a 2:2. If they had done degrees in making people laugh and doing funny dances, Gervais would almost certainly have ended up with a first. In fact, he would have taught the course.
Gervais left university in 1982 to be the lead singer of the New Romantic group Seona Funny-Dancing. The group released two singles which became a massive hit in the Philippines in 1985: "Bitter Heart (She's In A Wheelchair!)", and "More To Lose (Unlike This Chap Here!)". He could have made it big in Britain too, but in all seriousness, he preferred it in the Philippines.
Gervais gave up his talented music career to follow an early dream and become an award-winning comedy writer and performer with two top rated sitcoms and three stand up tours under his rather generously proportioned belt.
[edit] The 11 O'Clock Show
Gervais got his first regular TV exposure in this weekly Channel 4 show, effectively saving it. Ricky's sparkling comic persona stood out from also rans like Iain Lee, Daisy Daisy Quite Contrary both of whom are now obscure and probably rely on annecdotes about working with Gervais to make ends meet.
The 11 O'Clock Show also introduced the world to the Jewish comedian Sacha Baron Cohen who has made a living pretending to be things he's not like black, Kazakh and Austro-Gay. Gervais is big-hearted enough to admire Cohen's certain amount of post-11 O'Clock Show success and hopes Cohen understands that the reason people go to see his films is because of the comic skills he learned from a man many[citation needed] regard as the Master of Comedy. Ricky Gervais has appeared in a successful and critically-acclaimed[citation needed] Hollywood movie alongside talented superstar Ben Stiller which is something Sacha Baron Cohen is still to do.
On the 5th of May 2000, during a broadcast of The 11 O'Clock Show, the Central Electricity Generating Board registered a huge spike in demand, as if millions of people of people had suddenly put the kettle on. This cause a temporary glitch in supply across the land causing a number of people connected to life support machines to die. The cause was traced to Gervais' second appearance on the show with viewers needing an emergency cup of tea in order to cope with the near-hysteria Gervais' near-the-knuckle humour was creating in viewers.
Gervais honed his acting skills over subsequent appearances and by the end had perfected his manner of looking at somebody/the camera, then looking away briefly and adding "yeah" to the end of every 2nd sentence. Gervais was accused of using "sexist and racist remarks" for cheap laughs on the 11 O'Clock Show, an accusation that has sadly dogged his career, but this was simply a problem with people not being intelligent enough to understand the rich vein of knowingness and irony he was tapping with his comedy mallet. Besides, there is no denying that there is a large number of salt-of-the-earth people who enjoy traditional working men's humour and if Gervais makes them happy with his knowing and ironic humour then, in spite of their ignorance, he believes that he is just doing a little bit more in making the world a better place. After all, a poor person who has been watching The Office is less likely to go out on the town and start a fight. If he were watching something vastly less earthy (and less popular) like Peep Show then there'd be more violence on Britain's streets. I hope Robert Webb and David Mitchell can live with themselves.
[edit] The Office
The Office (UK)
The first, six-episode series of The Office aired in the UK in July[2] 2001 to inexplicably little fanfare or attention, but repeats, bullying, and DVDs helped spread the word, building up huge "momentum" and "anticipation" for the second series, also made up of six episodes, in September 2002. The second series topped the BBC2 ratings with 10.8m viewers, and the show then switched to the larger BBC1 channel in December 2003 for its final two special episodes. These Christmas specials, with an appropriately reverential introduction by the Queen, were watched by 19.2 billion people worldwide.
Gervais won countless awards and praise and earned enough money to give up working altogether. But he was too talented to stop. From now on he will probably give up all his future-earnings to charity whilst the world's children gaze upon him with awe.
[edit] When the Winslet Blows
A six-episode sitcom about extras working on movies. Contrary to popular belief, Gervais intended for Andy Millman to be blatantly derivative of David Brent, and this is thus not a valid criticism of the show. Written and directed by Ricky Gervais and "Stephen Merchant" (if you rearrange the letters in that name you get Ricky Gervais). Aired in the UK in July 2005 and the US in September 2005. A second series was broadcast in 2006 to wide disappointment. Gervais himself did not take part; he now considers himself too big a star for mere television. Big names who have appearing in When the Winslet Blows include Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, George W Bush, Albert the Hamster, and John Lennon. The show's catchphrase "are you having a laugh? is he having a laugh?!" is hugely popular and widely-quoted, unlike more forgettable catchphrases like "That's You That Is", "I Have Been Mostly Eating a Pie" and "Garlic Bread?!". In a Gallup poll, 98% of viewers have actually had a laugh while watching When the Winslet Blows.
[edit] Stand-up
Gervais also toured the known universe in 2003 with his stand-up comedy show Anuses. The Political Anuses tour then followed a year later. Both of these shows weren't recorded for release on DVD and television broadcast not because Gervais is too mean but because you should have bloody gone and seen them; yeah, you're the mean one! The third part of the themed live trilogy, Famous Anus, isn't happening. You don't deserve it. You can't afford it, and if you want to be able to, do what Ricky Gervais has done. What's that? Oh, fuck off, he was born in Reading for Christ's sake!
[edit] Books
Gervais released a children's book in 2004, entitled Flans, a humourous look at invented types of cheesy baked tart. After the success of this book, he released its sequel More Flans in 2005. I don't see Michael J Fox doing that. You know why? Because all you'd get is a wobbly scribbly mess and who wants to read that?
[edit] Healing the Sick and Lame
Gervais has also received accolades for his work healing the sick and lame, which he does with the power of his magic hands. Jesus was supposed to do that but I don't see him doing it now. He just gets some mad old Mississippi preachers who've had too much Jack Daniels to do it. Gervais doesn't heal everyone who needs it, though, as he needs them for jokes. And wheelchair manufacturers will always need customers.
[edit] Podcasts
Starting in late 2005,Karl Pilkington , Merchant and Gervais have starred in a series of acclaimed podcasts. These podcasts are so popular that everyone in the civilised world has heard them. Now, thanks to Gervais' pro-active spirit[3] even people in war-torn or uncivilised parts of the world are hearing them too as he has arranged for helicopters armed with Marshall amps to hover over Brazilian rainforests and Congolese warzones blaring out Pilkington failing to understand how a dishwasher works. I doubt the Amazonian tribes have heard Stephen Fry's podcasts in such a manner.
[edit] Interviewer
Although some believe that Gervais' talents as an interviewer were only seen on his critically-acclaimed and much-missed[citation needed] Channel 4 chat-show Meet Ricky Gervais he has actually occasionally delved back into this particular ouvre. A famous example was his meeting and easy-going friendly chat with the American Larry David who has had some success with a show called Curb Your Enthusiasm.
[edit] Artistic Integrity
Gervais has a good reputation of having great artistic integrity, caused by his constant mentioning of it. In a recent interview with The News of the World he said "We don't like to milk a project or exploit something we've created". Cynics have snorted that are three Flanimals books and The Office has been sold to most of the world's countries but Gervais can't help his incredible success. Gervais has also been criticised for requesting payment for the previously-free podcasts but most people have no idea of the sheer effort that goes into creating a podcast; Gervais is often left sweating, tired but happy after recording one of his award-winning shows and if people don't think that a little economic renumeration is deserved then why don't they go and live in North Korea?
[edit] False Allegations Of 'Slave Ownership'
In April 2007, Gervais denied tabloid reports that police had found Alan Driscoll, lead singer of techno band The Womb, chained up in his lounge. The truth, emerged, though that Driscoll had merely tried to storm Gervais' luxury penthouse flat in order to tear-up a photograph of Al Murray and had got himself tangled. Gervais doesn't hate Driscoll, he simply feels sorry for him and is a "big sweaty fan" of The Womb.
[edit] Accolades
Most people[citation needed] agree Gervais is funnier than anyone or anything else they know or watch on television or go to the cinema to see, including Jim Carrey pulling faces and Andy Parsons doing "that voice".
In 2003, Gervais was listed in The Observer as the funniest man to have ever lived. Although this is a bold statement, as there may have been very funny cavemen who we've never heard of, it is most probably true.
In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, other comedians said nice things about him and he featured in the poll. He didn't come out top because they weren't as nice as they could have been. Because they are jealous. Of his success.
Gervais has received a plethora of awards for his work on The Office, most notably two Golden Showers (both just for the show, your English funny is that good!), as well as a veritable roomful of British Academy Television Awards, British Comedy Awards, Titles, Imperial Crowns and Sainthoods amongst others.
On March 15, 2006, it was announced that Gervais would receive an honorary award at the annual Arse d'Lick ceremony in Switzerland on April 29. The award is given to "An exception beacon of humanity who has improved life on Earth through their art". Simon Pegg doesn't have one of these and probably never will.
The public has voted Gervais "Sincere Smile of the Year" every year from 2001 for his dedication to looking understandably happy with his lot in life (or "smug" as the terminally jealous would have it) whilst showing his beautiful teeth.
These are only a selection of the accolades Gervais has received. If he listed them all there would not be space on this website to talk about anyone else.
[edit] Target of criminal fraud
A gang of criminals stole £200,000,000 from his bank account (approximately 000000.1% of Gervais's total savings) by pasting a picture of some shaved buttocks onto a dead man's passport and using an insider from the bank to transfer the funds. When they tried to use the money to buy The Office DVDs, they were apprehended by police officers, and subsequently arrested. They were later sentenced to between thirteen and thirteen and a half years in prison. One of them, Herbert C. Fudgepacker, was pushing sixty so he will probably not make it out alive.
After being sentenced, the convicted criminal told the award-winning comedian that he hoped Gervais was "happy" which of course Gervais is, like any good citizen of Her Majesty he is pleased to see justice done.
[edit] Allegations of fraud
In 2006, the comedy world was rocked by allegations that Gervais was not, in fact, a comic genius on a par with Spike Milligan or Mark Lawrenson, but "a smug fat prick whose success with The Office [had] been a complete fluke." The controversy arose when someone argued that everything Gervais had done before The Office was "worse than Jethro", while his new series When The Winslet Blows was "an amateurish, fifth-rate rip-off of American comics like Garry Shandling and Larry David, cobbled together with so little understanding of the subtleties of the form that he might as well have pushed a plum into a turd". A team of people above student age, who had watched more than nine hours of comedy in their lives, were called in to view footage of Gervais' stand-up shows, and came to the unanimous conclusion that they were "so lazy and unoriginal that they made the average Uncyclopedia editor look like a fucking genius." These outrageous claims were referred to the Supreme Court, where they were dismissed by Justice Josh Bingham-Fortesgue, 19, who told the press "Ricky's a legend, man. He's so random. LOL." Suddenly distracted by a victim of cerebral palsy at the back of the press conference, he added "look, a spastic! Hahahahaha! A spastic!"
[edit] Footnotes
- ↑ For the Ricky Gervais fanclub newsletter
- ↑ Gervais is currently lobbying to have this month renamed "Gervalius" in his honour. He argues that "Julius Caesar, whilst important to dusty old historians, doesn't have two hit sitcoms under his belt and a Golden Globe. Additionally, I think you'll find Flanimals sells more copies than Commentaries on the Gallic War"
- ↑ Ego
[edit] External links
- RickyGervais.com Official Site
- Interview with John Humphrys
