Ricky Gervais, the British comedian, actor, writer, and outspoken thinker, is known for his razor-sharp wit and candid views on life. Behind the public persona is a balanced approach to health, embracing indulgence, prioritizing mental resilience, and integrating simple, sustainable habits.
Gervais's Philosophy on Humor and Honesty
Before realizing he was funny, Gervais recognized that humor was essential. Growing up, the worst thing was to be boring. "You could be a murderer, but if you were able to get a laugh, people would rather have a drink with you," he joked. Humor gives you an advantage socially, and "if you can’t fight, tell a joke." There's no class, race, or profession he feels uncomfortable around except someone without a sense of humor. Laughing is as important as making someone laugh.
Gervais's mother was honest without knowing it, which was funny. His dad was quiet and sarcastic, while his brother said things that he didn't know how he got away with, but end up with that person liking him. He saw that you can get away with anything. He never thought of comedy as a living because the funniest people he knew were not professional comedians. Comedy is about empathy, and if you understand every nuance, the reward is greater. It’s a mistake when funny people think they can write a sitcom, but it’s just them doing jokes, and you think, "no one acts like that."
Gervais says he lies all the time to avoid social engagements. He is frank about fibbing because his character in Ghost Town, Bertram Pincus, can't manage a tactful lie. Pincus, like Larry David in Curb Your Enthusiasm, is a fantasy figure for those frustrated by the need to stick to good manners. Gervais notes, "He thinks he's got special rights to be honest when actually it doesn't get you anywhere and it hurts people."
The Roots of Creativity: Real Life and Observation
Gervais's ideas come from real life. Everything he does is semi-autobiographical. The Office came from working in an office for 10 years, being a people-watcher, and doing impressions of people like David Brent. He liked using documentaries where people became famous for 15 minutes. David Brent was a show about fame, about ordinary people working an ordinary job who thought fame could sort everything out for him. Extras came from him being in the business for a while, still a study of fame.
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Derek comes from inside him, his family, and the surrounding world, just like David Brent is a part of him. Derek is him at eight before the world made him worry about what he says or peer pressure. All his family were care workers growing up, so he has 35, 40 years of anecdotes about care. He used his knowledge of all that to prepare this childlike, beautiful, sweet, heroic creature, a show about kindness, a man without pretension or a filter, and the backdrop to the reality of charity.
People need to categorize things, like whether Derek is a comedy or a drama. "What’s your real life? It’s a bit of both."
Gervais on Fame
Gervais has studied fame extensively. He was never impressed with people who were just famous, but with what people have done, and fame was not a part of what they did. He was impressed with sportsmen because of the sacrifices they made and achievements they made, and with scientists because of their brilliance. He fears fame in the sense that he didn’t want to be lumped in with those people.
Gervais acknowledges the prophetic nature of Andy Warhol's phrase about 15 minutes of fame. There are people famous for being famous who live their life like an open wound and get rewarded for it. He fears being lumped in with those people, because people are stupid.
Gervais's Health and Fitness
In 2010, Ricky Gervais lost around 20 pounds by going for jogs and cutting down on late-night meals. It wasn't so much about the weight, but that he "was a fat, lazy, out-of-shape slob." He didn't eat differently but "probably just stopped having that second meal at 11:30 at night." In 2017, he said the weight was "steadily going back on again" because his "knees are gone" and he can't run as well anymore. He lost the weight by exercise, not giving anything up, still eating what he wants, drinking wine every night, and working out like Rocky the next day. "But now my body won't let me do that anymore."
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One of Gervais’s most famous health nuggets is his unabashed love for cheese and wine-provided he “earns” them with exercise. Every evening, rain or shine, Gervais takes his dog for a walk-sometimes up to three miles-breaking the cycle of post-work inertia.
A Pragmatic Approach to Health
Ricky Gervais’s approach to health is pragmatic: he blends self-awareness, humor, and consistency to forge a lifestyle that feels achievable and rewarding. By weaving these holistic habits into your routine, you can channel a bit of Gervais’s lively spirit-proving that even the busiest creative minds can thrive physically, mentally, and socially.
Gervais's Perspective on Redemption and Empathy
Redemption is Gervais's favorite thing. As an atheist, he thinks forgiveness is the greatest virtue. "You have to be a very harsh person to not accept someone genuinely saying sorry." Redemption helps the viewer feel involved in the script. "In every good comedy or drama someone represents us. If they're redeemed, we feel we've been liberated, or saved. If it's done well, you're part of the journey. That's why everything begins or ends with empathy. If you've got that, you've got nearly anything. Everything else is the icing on the cake."
Gervais believes humans are basically self-interested. "I don't think there's any real altruism. But you want to be in a society where everyone's all right, otherwise it's not OK for you." Deep down, we'd like everyone to be happy, because then you're happy. He is interested in the science of a successful script. Fellow-feeling is just how your brain works, and understanding that is important because Gervais wants to harness it for dramatic ends. "Laughing is infectious. Crying makes you feel a bit sad," he says. "We're hard-wired. So if you get empathy on screen, it hits you on an emotional and subliminal and fundamental level."
After The Office, there was a rush to play unsympathetic characters, but with no redemption and no worthwhile journey. "You need representation, not just embarrassment. The Office would never have worked had Tim not existed. You need someone to roll your eyes with. You can't just have decapitated jokes. Then what you've got is a sketch show."
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Gervais splits his audience into two: his peers, and the rest of us, who'll laugh at anything. He likes doing things that are Trojan horses. "You start people watching with the knockabout stuff but then you take them to a different place. I know fully that with The Office, people tuned in for Brent and kept watching for Tim and Dawn."
Hosting the Golden Globes
After hosting the Golden Globes three years in a row between 2010 and 2012, Gervais swore he'd never do it again, comparing the experience to "a parachute jump." He hosted the 2016 Golden Globe Awards and the 2020 Golden Globes. In past years, he stirred up controversy while emceeing the show thanks to celebrity insults and off-color jokes. When he returns to the Golden Globes in 2020, it'll be his fifth time hosting - a record for the annual award show.
Other Facts About Ricky Gervais
- Ricky Gervais started dating girlfriend Jane Fallon in 1982 after they met at University College of London.
- While at University College of London, Ricky Gervais changed his major from biology to philosophy after two weeks.
- During his final year at University College of London in 1983, Ricky Gervais and friend Bill Macrae formed the music duo Seona Dancing.
- After his music career flopped, Ricky Gervais managed bands - including Britpop darlings Suede - in the late 1980s before becoming the head of speech at London's alternative XFM radio station.
- In 2004, Ricky Gervais released his first children's book, "Flanimals."
- Ricky Gervais is a huge animal lover and advocate who supports many animal rights groups and organizations.
- Ricky Gervais considers himself an atheist and humanist.
- In late 2005, Ricky Gervais's comedic radio program "The Ricky Gervais Show" became a podcast. Within months, it had become the No. 1 podcast in the world.
- Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais is also a Golden Globe winner.