Background and career
Ricky Dene Gervais ( jər-VAYZ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer and director. He co-created, co-wrote, and starred in the British television sitcoms The Office (2001–2003), Extras (2005–2007), and Life's Too Short (2011–2013) with Stephen Merchant. He also created, wrote, and starred in Derek (2012–2014), After Life (2019–2022) and Alley Cats (2026). Gervais was also executive producer of and had cameos in the American rendition of The Office (2005–2013).
Gervais has received various accolades including seven British Academy Television Awards, five National Comedy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Satellite Award and the Rose d'Or twice (2006 and 2019). In 2003, The Observer named Gervais one of the 50 funniest performers in British comedy. In 2007, he was placed at No. 11 on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups, and at No. 3 in their 2010 list. In 2010, he was included in the Time 100 list of World's Most Influential People.
Gervais initially worked in the music industry. He attempted a career as a pop star in the 1980s as the singer of the new-wave act Seona Dancing, who were successful in the Philippines with the song "More to Lose", but were dropped by their label, London Records, following their second single, "Bitter Heart", due to a lack of success in the UK singles chart. He also managed the then-unknown band Suede before turning to comedy in the mid-late 1990s. He appeared on The 11 O'Clock Show on Channel 4 between 1998 and 2000, garnering a reputation as an outspoken and sharp-witted social provocateur. In 2000, he was given a Channel 4 spoof talk show, Meet Ricky Gervais. He achieved greater mainstream fame the following year with his BBC television mock documentary series The Office, followed by Extras in 2005. He also wrote the Flanimals book series.
Gervais began his stand-up career in the late 1990s. He has performed five multi-national stand-up comedy tours. Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington created the podcast The Ricky Gervais Show, which has spawned various spin-offs including An Idiot Abroad (2010–2012), starring Pilkington and produced by Gervais and Merchant. In 2016, he wrote, directed and starred in the comedy film David Brent: Life on the Road. Gervais has also starred in the Hollywood films For Your Consideration (2006), the Night at the Museum film series trilogy (2006–2014), Ghost Town (2008), and Muppets Most Wanted (2014). He wrote, directed, and starred in the 2009 romantic comedy film The Invention of Lying and the 2016 Netflix-released comedy film Special Correspondents. He hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times, in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, and 2020.
Gervais was born on 25 June 1961 at Battle Hospital in Reading, Berkshire. Gervais's father was Lawrence Raymond "Jerry" Gervais (1919–2002), a Franco-Ontarian of French Canadian descent who grew up on a farm in Pain Court, Ontario near Chatham. Lawrence immigrated to the UK while on foreign duty during the Second World War. He worked as a labourer and hod carrier before he met Gervais's English mother, Eva Sophia (née House; 1925–2000). They met during a blackout, settled in Whitley, Reading, and had four children. Eva died at age 74 of lung cancer. Ricky was the youngest child; his siblings are: schoolteacher Larry (1945–2019), Marsha, a teacher for special needs children (born 1948), and Bob (born 1950), a painter and decorator. Prompted by Bob, Ricky Gervais began to question the existence of God from about age eight.
How Ricky Gervais makes money
In May 2023, in the world-wide tour of his comedy special, Armageddon, he was reported to have an earned £1.41 million for a single stand-up gig, at the Hollywood Bowl, the highest-grossing one-off gig ever by a British comedian. In 2023, Gervais donated £1 million to animal charities. In 2025, he donated £2.5 million, once again in aid of various animal charities.
