Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Dene Gervaisis an English comedian, actor, director, producer, writer and former pop singer and manager...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionComedian
Date of Birth25 June 1961
CityWhitley, England
atheist son special
I never understood redemption when I was young. Even before I was an atheist, I always thought with the prodigal son, "well, why's he getting the special treatment?".
thinking people laughing
It's quite easy to make a load of people laugh, it's often a reflex action, but I think to make them cry is harder without manipulating them.
writing ideas perfect
There's nothing as perfect as the initial idea. And the only reason I write and direct is to protect the writing, because that's what's most precious.
mom growing-up sorry
There was a nobility in poverty when I was growing up. My mom was poor but she was planting roses and she was cleaning the steps, you know what I mean. You didn't feel sorry for yourself.
growing-up memories class
I had great memories of growing up in a working class estate. I remember it being sunny all the time. So we're putting that on screen. It's not people wallowing in degradation.
brother growing-up memories
Everything you do is autobiographical. Yeah, I grew up in a town called Redding and I had older brothers and sisters so it's all my memories of growing up.
opportunity giving rich
I went to university with no money. I can't understand a society that wouldn't give a poor person the same opportunity as a rich person.
growing-up believe president
Americans are brought up to believe they can grow up to be the president of the United States. Brits are told, It won't happen to you.
real racist-jokes offensive
Real racist jokes or sexist jokes aren't funny - not because they're offensive, but because they're not true. As soon as a joke is based on an untruth, it's not funny.
emotional thinking intellectual
I think comedy has to be an intellectual pursuit. It comes down to logic and analysis. As soon as it becomes emotional, it's not comedy anymore.
never-fear subjects discussing
Never fear the truth. No bad can come of discussing a true subject. No bad at all.
reality documentaries tvs
You see reality TV and it's not reality TV. It's contrived and everything is plotted and scripted nearly. Documentaries are the same and just as bad.
thinking people empathy
The most important thing in comedy - apart from empathy, which I think is important even if disguised - is surprise. I like surprising people with the fact that something's even a joke at all.
art thought-provoking house
I'm not a film snob at all. I much prefer a really good Hollywood blockbuster than a thought-provoking art house movie because entertainment is sort of where it's at.