Ricky Gervais

Ricky Dene Gervais (/dʒərˈveɪz/ jər-VAYZ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, and musician renowned for his observational comedy and sarcasm. His big break came with the British television sitcoms The Office (2001–2003), Extras (2005–2007), and Life's Too Short (2011–2013) in which he co-created, co-wrote, and acted alongside Stephen Merchant. Gervais' other significant works include Derek (2012–2014) and After Life (2019–2022), both of which he created, wrote, and starred in. Gervais' work has earned him numerous accolades, including seven BAFTA Awards, five British Comedy Awards, two Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Rose d'Or awards (2006 and 2019). He was named one of the 50 funniest performers in British comedy by The Observer in 2003 and listed on the Time 100 list of World's Most Influential People in 2010.

Apart from his work in television, Gervais has also left his mark in the music industry. He started as a pop star in the 1980s as the singer of the new-wave act Seona Dancing and later managed the then-unknown band Suede before switching to comedy. He also ventured into stand-up comedy in the late 1990s and has since performed five multi-national stand-up comedy tours. Gervais' contributions to the entertainment industry extend to the written word with his Flanimals book series.