Ricky Gervais
Born 1961 · Age 64
English comedian, actor, writer, television producer and filmmaker; co-creator of The Office and long-term collaborator with Stephen Merchant. Prominent stand-up, podcaster, actor and host of multiple Golden Globes.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Reading, Berkshire
Ricky Dene Gervais born at Battle Hospital, Reading, Berkshire, England.
Gap year as gardener at University of Reading
Spent a gap year working as a gardener at the University of Reading before university.
Began working various post-university jobs (early career)
Worked a variety of odd jobs including roles connected to music promotion and events management prior to Xfm; later credited with early involvement with Suede's beginnings.
Enrolled at University College London (UCL)
Started at UCL intending to study biology; changed to philosophy after two weeks.
Met long-term partner Jane Fallon
Met Jane Fallon while at UCL; relationship began in 1982 and continues.
Graduated from UCL (BA, Philosophy)
Awarded a degree in Philosophy from University College London (graduated 1983). (Sources vary on classification: commonly cited as lower-second.)
Formed Seona Dancing (new-wave duo)
Formed Seona Dancing with Bill Macrae during his final year at UCL; signed to London Records and released singles 'More to Lose' and 'Bitter Heart'.
'More to Lose' becomes a hit in the Philippines
Although Seona Dancing failed to chart in the UK, the single 'More to Lose' achieved notable success in the Philippines.
Worked with/managed early Suede (approx.)
Credited with helping the then-unknown band Suede in early career stages before they became successful in the 1990s. (Year approximate from sources.)
Hired as Head of Speech at Xfm; met Stephen Merchant
Became head of speech at London radio station Xfm; interviewed/hired Stephen Merchant as his assistant — beginning of their creative partnership.
Xfm redundancy and early TV contributions
Position at Xfm was made redundant in 1998 after Capital takeover; contributed to BBC sketch shows and began appearing on TV (Comedy Lab 'Golden Years' in Sept 1998).
Became regular on The 11 O'Clock Show
Appeared on Channel 4's The 11 O'Clock Show (1998–2000 era) gaining wider national attention for a loud, provocative persona.
Creation of David Brent (short film/Seedy Boss)
Stephen Merchant made a short docu-soap parody in August 1999 featuring a 'Seedy Boss' which later formed the seed of The Office's David Brent character.
Hosted Meet Ricky Gervais (Channel 4)
Given a Channel 4 spoof talk show 'Meet Ricky Gervais' in 2000; it ran for six episodes and was cancelled.
Co-wrote 'Training' episode (The Office) cited as favourite
Gervais cited the episode 'Training' among his favourites; he co-wrote episodes of The Office with Merchant (noting creative milestones in 2001–2003 run).
The Office (UK) Series 1 premieres
Co-created, co-wrote and starred as David Brent in The Office; first six-episode series aired July–August 2001 in the UK.
Named most powerful person in TV comedy (Radio Times)
Following the success of The Office's second series, Radio Times named Gervais the most powerful person in TV comedy.
First successful Edinburgh Fringe show (Rubbernecker)
Performed a successful show at the 2001/2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe circuit (Rubbernecker noted at Café Royal in 2001); began wider stand-up career in late 1990s/early 2000s.
Named one of 50 funniest performers by The Observer
The Observer placed Gervais among the 50 funniest performers in British comedy.
The Office Christmas specials and widespread acclaim
Two-part Christmas special aired in 2003; The Office became a major critical success and replaced by international remakes later.
Golden Globe wins for The Office (U.S. attention gateway)
The Office won Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and Gervais won Best Actor (year often cited as 2004), helping open doors in the U.S.
Multiple BAFTA and British Comedy Award wins (cumulative)
Across his career he accumulated numerous BAFTA Awards (total commonly cited as seven) and British Comedy Awards (commonly cited as five). This entry marks the period when such awards consolidated his standing (2000s).
Produced 'An Idiot Abroad' (2010–2012) spin-off
Gervais and Merchant produced An Idiot Abroad (2010–2012), a travel documentary starring Karl Pilkington that spun off from their podcast material.
Extras premieres on BBC
Co-created, co-wrote, directed and starred in Extras with Stephen Merchant; first series debuted 21 July 2005.
Launched The Ricky Gervais Show podcast
Guardian Unlimited began offering free weekly podcasts featuring Gervais, Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington (Dec 5, 2005).
Published 'Flanimals' series begins
Released children's book 'Flanimals' (2004) followed by sequels 'More Flanimals' (2005) and 'Flanimals of the Deep' (5 Oct 2006).
Starred in For Your Consideration and Night at the Museum (cameo)
Appeared in Christopher Guest's For Your Consideration (2006) and had a cameo in Night at the Museum (2006).
Podcast worldwide #1 and Guinness recognition (downloads)
During Jan–Feb 2006 the podcast was consistently number 1 worldwide; 2007 Guinness Book entry cited average 261,670 downloads/episode in first month.
Won Rose d'Or (2006)
Received the Rose d'Or award in 2006 (one of two Rose d'Ors he has won: 2006 and 2019).
The Office adapted internationally
By the mid-2000s The Office had been remade in numerous countries (including U.S. 2005), with Gervais and Merchant as producers on the American version.
Channel 4 ranked him among top stand-ups
Placed at No. 11 on Channel 4's '100 Greatest Stand-Ups' in 2007 (later placed No. 3 in their 2010 list).
Primetime Emmy Award — Outstanding Lead Actor (Extras)
Won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Extras (2007); Steve Carell accepted on his behalf.
Named Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society (2008)
Became an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society in June/December 2008 and joined events such as 'Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People'.
Lead role in Ghost Town
Starred in Ghost Town (2008) — his first leading role in a Hollywood feature film.
Wrote/directed/starred in The Invention of Lying (film)
Co-wrote, directed and starred in the romantic-comedy The Invention of Lying (premiered LA 21 Sept 2009; UK/US October 2009).
Headlined New York Comedy Festival at Carnegie Hall
Headlined the sixth annual New York Comedy Festival at Carnegie Hall in November 2009.
Appeared and wrote for The Simpsons (guest-writer/voice)
Credited as the only British comic to write and star in a Simpsons episode; episode became highest-rated in Sky One history (date referenced in mid-2000s/2006-era sources).
The Ricky Gervais Show animated series debuts (HBO)
Animated TV adaptation of the popular podcast premiered on HBO in the U.S. on 19 February 2010 and on Channel 4 in the UK on 23 April 2010.
Included in Time 100 list of most influential people
Named to the Time 100 list of the World's Most Influential People in 2010.
Hosted Golden Globes (first time)
Hosted the Golden Globe Awards for the first time (2010); later hosted in 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2020.
Life's Too Short premieres
Co-wrote and appeared in Life's Too Short (premiered BBC Two 10 November 2011; HBO US rights Feb 2012).
Filmed Derek pilot
Filmed a 35-minute pilot for Derek in November 2011; pilot aired 12 April 2012.
Derek series commissioned and aired
Channel 4 aired the Derek pilot (12 April 2012) and commissioned full series which aired in early 2013; Derek recommissioned for second series (premiered 23 April 2014).
David Brent live tour with Foregone Conclusion
Performed a live tour in character as David Brent with band Foregone Conclusion; performed songs from the Brent persona.
Cemetery Junction (co-wrote); continued film output
Co-wrote Cemetery Junction (released UK 14 April 2010) and remained active writing/producing films with Stephen Merchant and others across 2009–2016.
Appeared in Muppets Most Wanted; Night at the Museum films run through 2014
Starred in Muppets Most Wanted (2014) and continued association with Night at the Museum film franchise (2006–2014).
Released Special Correspondents (Netflix)
Wrote, directed and starred in Special Correspondents, released on Netflix in 2016.
Won BAFTA/LA Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy (approx.)
Recognised with major industry honours, often cited in profiles (BAFTA/LA Charlie Chaplin Britannia Award for Excellence in Comedy in 2016 referenced by Walk of Fame summary).
Wrote/directed/starred in David Brent: Life on the Road
Wrote, directed and starred in the film David Brent: Life on the Road (2016), reviving The Office character for a feature film.
Started Sirius XM weekly radio show
Began hosting 'Ricky Gervais Is Deadly Sirius' on Sirius XM in October 2017; the show ran until 2019.
Netflix orders After Life
Netflix announced a production order for After Life (9 May 2018); Gervais created, directed, starred and executive produced the series.
Won Rose d'Or (second time)
Won the Rose d'Or award again (2019) — second time after 2006.
Hosted Golden Globes (fourth time overall)
Hosted the Golden Globe Awards again (2019/2020 appearance listed as 2020 hosting year); he has hosted five times (2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2020).
After Life season 1 premieres on Netflix
After Life premiered on Netflix on 8 March 2019; Gervais wrote, directed and starred as the lead.
After Life season 2 released; signed new Netflix deal
After Life season 2 launched 24 April 2020; in May 2020 Gervais signed a new deal with Netflix that included a third season of After Life.
Launched paid audio series 'Absolutely Mental' with Sam Harris
Launched a paid audio series 'Absolutely Mental' in 2021 featuring conversations with Sam Harris (seasons followed into 2022).
Resumed SuperNature stand-up tour after COVID-19 delays
SuperNature tour resumed in August 2021 following cancellations/postponements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Armageddon world tour and highest-grossing British comedian gig
Armageddon world tour culminated in a single gig at the Hollywood Bowl reported to have earned £1.41 million — highest-grossing one-off gig by a British comedian (reported May 2023).
Released Netflix special 'Armageddon'
Netflix released the Armageddon stand-up special on 25 December 2023; it was the global #1 most-watched show on Netflix per Walk of Fame summary and received award attention.
Won Golden Globe for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on TV (Armageddon)
Armageddon special won the Golden Globe for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television at the 81st Golden Globe Awards (2024).
Net worth estimated
Multiple contemporary sources estimate Ricky Gervais's net worth around USD 160 million in 2025 (various media profiles).
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Honoured with the 2,813th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Television category) on 30 May 2025; ceremony included Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and Christopher Guest as speakers.
Key Achievement Ages
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