Ricky Gervais' biography
Ricky Gervais is a British actor, comedian, and television producer. He's best known for creating and starring as the hilariously cringe-worthy boss in the British mockumentary sitcom The Office, and is often referred to as a modern-day Charlie Chaplin. In 2019, fans got to see Ricky in his dark comedy Netflix series After Life. Net worth: $140 million.
Early years
Ricky Dene Gervais was born on June 25, 1961, in Berkshire to Lawrence Raymond Gervais, a laborer, and Eva, who devoted herself to raising their four children.Ricky was the youngest of four kids in a working-class but close-knit, happy family. According to the actor, he inherited his sense of humor and optimistic view of life from his parents. Ricky spent most of his childhood and graduated high school in Whitley, a Reading suburb. His parents couldn't afford higher education, so he worked as a gardener before eventually enrolling at University College London. He graduated with a degree in philosophy.


The beginning of Ricky's career
In 1988, Gervais met Brett Anderson, the flamboyant frontman of the then-unknown rock band Suede, and became their manager.
In 1997, Ricky Gervais got his own humor radio show and hired Stephen Merchant as his assistant. Karl Pilkington joined the duo soon after. The show eventually became the podcast The Ricky Gervais Show, featuring dialogue between two hosts (Ricky and Stephen) and their wonderfully weird guest (Karl). Each episode, Pilkington would share recent events from his life, and the hosts would playfully tease him about his naïve and eccentric ways. The show was later adapted as animated series and was aired on British television.

Ricky Gervais portrayed David Brent, a white-collar middle-manager at a paper company who considers himself an awesome boss but is, in reality, impossibly pathetic. Martin Freeman and Mackenzie Crook, most widely known for their role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, also joined the cast of the legendary sitcom. Ricky was not only the leading actor but also a writer, director (alongside Stephen Merchant), and producer of the series.

The most influential person on BBC
Ricky Gervais' next project has only reinforced his status as the most influential artist on British television. He teamed up with Stephen Merchant once again to create another sitcom titled Extras. Ricky portrayed a failing actor, who as the show progressed, managed to become a B-list celebrity, while Merchant played his incompetent and bumbling agent.
From 2008 to 2013, Gervais appeared in several feature films, with the fantasy comedy Ghost Town being one of his most notable roles. He was cast in the leading role of a misanthropic dentist who could talk to ghosts. Greg Kinnear also starred in the film.


The comedy-drama series Derek, starring, written, and directed by Gervais, premiered in 2013 and became another massive hit. Gervais portrayed a rather peculiar care worker at a home for the elderly. Kerry Godliman, Tim Barlow, Tony Rohr, David Earl, and Doc Brown all joined the cast.
In 2018, Gervais participated in the filming of a Suede documentary. After all, he was with the band at the very beginning of their career and has been friends with Brett Anderson and Mat Osman for years.
Ricky Gervais' personal life
Ricky met Jane Fallon (born in 1960), his long-time friend and partner, during his time in college. They began dating in 1982 and moved in together by 1984, but never officially tied the knot. The couple chose not to marry or have children, believing the Earth is already overpopulated and there are too many kids who need help.

Ricky Gervais today
A black comedy web television series, starring Gervais, After Life premiered in 2019. It follows Tony, who lost his wife to cancer, and decided to punish the whole world for her untimely death. He says and does the cruelest things possible, trying to become his worst self, but fails spectacularly. The cast of After Life includes Kerry Godliman, Tom Basden, Diane Morgan, and others.