Ricky Gervais Biography
Ricky Gervais, whose full name is Ricky Dene Gervais, is a well-known English comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director. He is famous for co-creating, co-writing, and starring in the British television sitcoms The Office (2001–2003), Extras (2005–2007), and Life’s Too Short (2011–2013) with Stephen Merchant. Additionally, Ricky created, wrote, and appeared in the series Derek (2012–2014) and After Life (2019–2022).
Ricky Gervais Age
Gervais was born on June 25, 1961, in Reading, Berkshire, England. Ricky celebrates his birthday on June 25, every year. He is 63 years old as of 2024.
Ricky Gervais Height
Gervais stands at an approximate height of 6 feet and 2 inches.
Ricky Gervais Family
Gervais was born at Battle Hospital in Reading, Berkshire, to Eva Sophia (née House; 1925–2000) and Lawrence Raymond “Jerry” Gervais (1919–2002). His father, of Franco-Ontarian descent, has French Canadian and Iroquois heritage. Ricky has three siblings: Larry (1945–2019), who was a schoolteacher, Marsha (born 1948), a teacher specializing in special needs children, and Bob (born 1950), a painter and decorator.
Ricky Gervais Wife
Since 1982, Ricky has been in a relationship with Jane Fallon, an English author known for her bestselling novels including Getting Rid of Matthew (2007) and Got You Back (2008).
Ricky Gervais’s Net Worth
Gervais has an estimated net worth of $160 Million which he has earned through his successful career as a comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director.
Ricky Gervais Education
Gervais attended Whitley Park Infants and Junior Schools before continuing his education at Ashmead Comprehensive School for his secondary education. After a gap year spent working as a gardener at the University of Reading, Ricky enrolled at University College London (UCL) in 1980. Initially intending to study biology, he switched to philosophy after two weeks and graduated with an upper second-class honors degree from UCL in 1983.
Ricky Gervais Career
Gervais made his mainstream TV debut in September 1998 with Channel 4’s Comedy Lab series, where his one-off show Golden Years featured a character named Clive Meadows, a devoted David Bowie fan. He gained wider national recognition early the following year on Channel 4’s satirical comedy program The 11 O’Clock Show, replacing Ali G. Known for his provocative and politically incorrect persona, Ricky’s role included a liberal use of expletives and controversial statements.
During this period, he worked alongside comedians like Mackenzie Crook, who later co-starred in The Office. In 2000, Ricky presented his chat show, Meet Ricky Gervais, on Channel 4, which received mixed reviews and has since been humorously criticized by Ricky himself. Alongside these projects, he contributed to BBC sketch shows such as Bruiser and The Jim Tavare Show.
In 2003, The Observer named him one of the 50 funniest performers in British comedy, and in 2010, he was included in the Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people. Before his comedy career, Ricky worked in the music industry, attempting a pop star career in the 1980s with the new-wave band Seona Dancing and managing the then-unknown band Suede.
Ricky Gervais Armageddon
Gervais’s comedy special, Armageddon, debuted on Netflix on December 25, 2023. The special sparked controversy due to a joke about cancer patients. Despite this, Armageddon won the award for “Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television” at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, although Ricky did not attend the ceremony.
Ricky Gervais Show
Gervais, Karl Pilkington, and Stephen Merchant collaborated to create The Ricky Gervais Show podcast. In January and February 2006, it consistently held the top position as the world’s most popular podcast. The podcast was officially recognized in the 2007 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records as the most downloaded, averaging 261,670 downloads per episode during its initial month.
Ricky Gervais Afterlife
On May 9, 2018, Netflix announced the production order for the first season of the comedy-drama After Life, created and directed by Gervais. Ricky also starred in the series and served as an executive producer alongside Duncan Hayes, with Charlie Hanson as the producer after Life premiered on March 8, 2019.
Following its success, Netflix renewed After Life for a second season on April 3, 2019, which premiered on April 24, 2020. In May 2020, it was reported that Ricky had signed a new deal with Netflix, which included plans for a third season of After Life.
Ricky Gervais Stand-Up
Gervais is a stand-up comedian who began his career in the late 1990s. He has participated in five international stand-up comedy tours. Alongside Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, Ricky created The Ricky Gervais Show podcast, which led to spin-offs such as An Idiot Abroad (2010–2012), featuring Pilkington and produced by Ricky and Merchant. In 2016, he wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy film David Brent: Life on the Road.
Ricky has also appeared in Hollywood films including For Your Consideration (2006), the Night at the Museum trilogy (2006–2014), Ghost Town (2008), and Muppets Most Wanted (2014). He wrote, directed, and acted in the romantic comedy film The Invention of Lying (2009) and the Netflix-released comedy Special Correspondents (2016).
Ricky Gervais Quotes
- “You won’t burn in hell. But be nice anyway.”
- “Just because you’re offended, doesn’t mean you’re right.”
- “Remember, when you are dead, you do not know you are dead. It is only painful for others.
- “The best advice I’ve ever received is, ‘No one else knows what they’re doing either.”
- “Mondays are fine. It’s your life that sucks.”
- “You do your own thing and you see if you survive.”
- “Beliefs do not change facts. Facts, if one is rational, should change beliefs.”
- “No one wants to see cool people doing brilliantly. I want to see the struggle. That’s the fun bit.”
Ricky Gervais Social Media Platforms
He is active on his social media accounts and often posts on his Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.