Ricky Dene Gervais (born June 25, 1961) is an English comedian, actor, director, producer, musician and writer.
Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator Stephen Merchant. In addition to writing and directing the shows, Gervais also played the lead roles of David Brent in The Office and Andy Millman in Extras. Gervais has also starred in a number of Hollywood films, assuming leading roles in Ghost Town and The Invention of Lying. He has performed on four sell-out stand-up comedy tours, written the best-selling Flanimals book series and starred with Merchant and Karl Pilkington in the most downloaded podcast in the world as of March 2009, The Ricky Gervais Show.
He has won a multitude of awards and honours, including seven BAFTA Awards, five British Comedy Awards, two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and the 2006 Rose d'Or, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. In 2007 he was voted the 11th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups and again in the updated 2010 list as the 3rd greatest stand-up comic. In 2010 he was named on the TIME 100 list of the world's most influential people. Gervais hosted both the 2010 and 2011 Golden Globe Awards.
Known For
Ricky Gervais: Armageddon
Self
2023
Kick Out the Jams: The Story of XFM
Self
2022
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank
Ika Chu (voice)
2022
George Michael: Freedom Uncut
Self
2022
Ricky Gervais: SuperNature
Self
2022
Classic Albums: Suede - Coming Up
Self
2021
The Willoughbys
The Cat (voice)
2020
The Nazi Pug: Joke or Hate?
Self (Archival Footage)
2019
Suede: The Insatiable Ones
Himself
2018
Ricky Gervais: Humanity
Himself
2018
George Michael: Freedom
Self
2017
Jim Norton: Mouthful of Shame
Self (uncredited)
2017
David Brent: Life on the Road
David Brent
2016
Special Correspondents
Albert Finch
2016
The Last Laugh
Self
2016
The Little Prince
The Conceited Man (voice)
2015
Derek Special
Derek
2015
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
Dr. McPhee
2014
50 Years of BBC Two Comedy
Self
2014
Muppets Most Wanted
Dominic Badguy
2014
The Unbelievers
Self
2013
David Blaine: Real or Magic
Self
2013
The Office Retrospective
Self
2013
The Return of Brent
David Brent
2013
Escape from Planet Earth
Mr Bing (voice)
2013
Learn English with Ricky Gervais
Self
2012
Spy Kids: All the Time in the World
Voice of Argonaut
2011
Talking Funny
Self
2011
Ricky Gervais: Out of England 2
Self
2010
Meet Karl Pilkington II
Himself
2010
When Karl Met Warwick
Self
2010
Ricky Gervais Live 4: Science
Himself
2010
Cemetery Junction
Len Taylor
2010
This Side of the Truth, A Truly 'Honest' Making of The Invention of Lying
Self
2010
Prequel: The Dawn of Lying
Mark Bellison
2009
SpongeBob's Truth or Square
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
2009
The Invention of Lying
Mark Bellison
2009
Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants
Self
2009
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Dr. McPhee
2009
Ricky Gervais: Out of England
Himself
2008
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Self (uncredited)
2008
Ghost Town
Dr. Bertram Pincus
2008
Ricky Gervais Live 3: Fame
Himself
2007
Living with Ricky Gervais 2
Self
2007
Stardust
Ferdy the Fence
2007
Concert for Diana
David Brent
2007
Taping Nigel II: The Gimpening
Self
2007
Karl Pilkington: Satisfied Fool
2007
Night at the Museum
Dr. McPhee
2006
For Your Consideration
Martin Gibb
2006
Ricky Gervais Meets... Larry David
Himself
2006
Valiant
Bugsy (voice)
2005
Ricky Gervais Live 2: Politics
Himself
2004
Ricky Gervais Live: Animals
Himself
2003
Offensive: The Real Derek and Clive
Self
2002
Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe
Penguin (voice)
2002
How I Made The Office by Ricky Gervais
Himself
2002
The Wind in the Willows
Mole
Manila, Manila/America is in The Heart
Ricky Gervais (Voice)
The Art of Breaking Character
Self
2007
Taping Nigel
Self
2005
Pictoplasma: Characters in Motion, Vol. 1
Audio Sample (Self)
2005
Ricky Gervais: Mortality
Self
Dog Man
Flippy (voice)
2025
Stand-Up: The Laughing Therapy
Self (archive footage) · (1 episode)
2024
German Genius
Ricky Gervais · (2 episodes)
2023
Save Ralph
Interviewer (voice)
2021
Talking Sopranos
Self · (1 episode)
2020
Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
Ricky Gervais (voice) · (1 episode)
2019
After Life
Tony · (18 episodes)
2019
The Alec Baldwin Show
Self · (1 episode)
2018
Child Support
Himself · (16 episodes)
2018
Michael McIntyre's Big Show
Self - Performer · (1 episode)
2016
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (2 episodes)
2015
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · (2 episodes)
2015
Hot Ones
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Galavant
Xanax · (1 episode)
2015
BoJack Horseman
Hedgehog at Orphanage (voice) · (1 episode)
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (5 episodes)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · (7 episodes)
2014
Learn Guitar with David Brent
David Brent · (9 episodes)
2013
Derek
Derek · (12 episodes)
2013
The Last Leg
Self · (1 episode)
2013
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Self · (3 episodes)
2012
Life's Too Short
Ricky Gervais · (7 episodes)
2011
David Haye versus
Self · (1 episode)
2011
Conan
Self · (3 episodes)
2010
An Idiot Abroad
Self · (19 episodes)
2010
Louie
Dr. Ben · (2 episodes)
2010
The Simpsons: Mischief & Mayhem
Self - Narrator
2010
The Marriage Ref
Self - Panelist · (2 episodes)
2010
The Ricky Gervais Show
Himself · (39 episodes)
2010
Live from Studio Five
Self · (3 episodes)
2009
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Self · (1 episode)
2009
Horne & Corden
(1 episode)
2009
The Graham Norton Show
Self - Guest · (14 episodes)
2007
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (1 episode)
2007
The One Show
Self - Guest · (5 episodes)
2006
Finding Leo
Self
2005
Alan Partridge Presents: The Cream of British Comedy
Self
2005
Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
Self · (1 episode)
2005
Extras
Andy Millman · (12 episodes)
2005
The Office
David Brent · (2 episodes)
2005
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self · (2 episodes)
2005
Living with Ricky Gervais
Self
2004
Meet Karl Pilkington
Self
2004
Golden Years
Clive Meadows · (1 episode)
2003
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
Self · (2 episodes)
2002
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
Self - Guest Announcer · (1 episode)
2002
Dog Eat Dog
Bouncer
2001
Alias
Daniel Ryan · (1 episode)
2001
The Office
David Brent · (12 episodes)
2001
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Ricky Gervais · (1 episode)
2000
Meet Ricky Gervais
(6 episodes)
2000
Vic Reeves Examines
(1 episode)
2000
Spaced
Dave · (1 episode)
1999
SpongeBob SquarePants
Narrator · (1 episode)
1999
Family Guy
Billy Finn (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
The 11 O'Clock Show
Self · (35 episodes)
1998
Parkinson
Self · (1 episode)
1998
Seedy Boss
David Brent
1998
The View
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
1997
The View
Self · (2 episodes)
1997
The Daily Show
Self · (10 episodes)
1996
Room 101
Self · (1 episode)
1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · (2 episodes)
1993
GMTV
Self · (3 episodes)
1993
The Simpsons
Charles Heathbar (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
The Simpsons
Ricky Gervais (voice) · (1 episode)
1989
This Morning
Self · (3 episodes)
1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self · (2 episodes)
1988
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest · (4 episodes)
1988
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1975
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Host · (5 episodes)
1944