Ricky Gervais Movies
Born in Reading, England, Ricky Gervais worked in the music industry as a radio DJ, band manager, and music supervisor before getting into comedy. As a writer, he provided scripts for the U.K. television series Bruiser and The Sketch Show. As an actor, he was seen quite a bit on The 11 O'Clock Show and provided the voice of the Penguin in the animated show Robbie the Reindeer: Legend of the Lost Tribe. In 2000, he had his own show called Meet Ricky Gervais. On the big screen, Gervais appeared as the bouncer in the U.K. comedy Dog Eat Dog. He's most known, however, as the writer/director/star of the hit BBC comedy series The Office. He plays David Brent, regional manager of the Wernham Hogg paper company in the London industrial suburb of Slough. A brilliant observation of the contemporary workplace, the show has won a variety of awards over in Britain. Gervais received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2003. Projects for 2004 include voice work on the animated film Valiant and producing an Americanized version of The Office with director Greg Daniels. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide- 2001
Tim (Martin Freeman) tells Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) that he's leaving the firm to go back to school and study psychology. Gareth tests Tim's skill by asking him, "What am I thinking right now?" Tim makes a couple of good guesses, but it turns out to be, "Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?" David (Ricky Gervais) is upset with Donna (Sally Bretton) when she shows up late for work, especially as she never came home the night before. His consternation grows when Donna makes it clear that she spent the night with a man. David interviews candidates for a new position as his assistant, despite the fact that he's been told to cut staff. David defends this action, saying, "Who's to say that hiring staff won't save us money in the long run?" and complains that "I'm doing my own stapling." He quickly decides to hire Karen (Nicola Cotter), a pretty blond, and asks her where she'll be going to celebrate, because he may turn up there with his friends. Gareth gives Donna a private seminar on "Hidden Dangers in the Workplace." Tim, having spent the day trying to convince people that he was only asking Dawn (Lucy Davis) out as a friend, decides to spend the evening out carousing with David, Gareth, and Chris Finch (Ralph Ineson). They go to a sleazy nightclub called Chasers, which Gareth says is "a fun place, but it's full of loose women." At the club, they run into Karen, who spurns David's feeble advances, and Donna, who publicly displays her newfound affection for Ricky (Oliver Chris), much to David's chagrin. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
The American TV version of the award-winning British sitcom The Office opens by establishing its faux documentary format, as Michael Scott (Steve Carell), regional manager of a branch office of Dunder-Mifflin Paper, jumps through hoops to convince the filmmakers that he presides over a happy, well-running ship. This is but one of Michael's many pathetic self-delusions: he also thinks he's the epitome of "cool," he's convinced that everything he says is a laugh riot, and even worse, he actually labors under the misapprehension that he is qualified for his job. Meanwhile, Dunder Mifflin's employees inadvertently but efficiently put the lie to Michael's self-serving prevarications: sales rep Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) continually cooks up methods to undermine his hated cube-mate, the obnoxious know-it-all Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson); receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) continually deals with Michael's insensitivities and flubs; and office temp Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) acts mostly as an observer of the insanity around him. Some of the episodes in The Office's six-episode trial run carried over general plot ideas from the earlier British series, particularly the threat of wholesale downsizing that weaves through the various plots and subplots; however, only the pilot was a direct adaptation of one of the U.K. version's episodes. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Carell, John Krasinski, (more)
Welcome to Wernham Hogg, a suburban paper company where "life is stationery." Critics and fans alike have lauded this hilarious, biting look at everyday office life, told in the mockumentary style of cult comedy classics such as This is Spinal Tap and The Larry Sanders Show. The show revolves around David Brent, (an instant classic character widely compared to Basil Fawlty of Fawlty Towers) the oblivious general manager who instigates petty office rivalries. The wince-worthy Brent still considers himself "a friend first and a boss second...probably an entertainer third."
- Starring:
- Ricky Gervais
- 2006
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, creators of the British version of The Office, penned this episode, in which Michael discovers that a new employee is an ex-con. Michael ultimately gets rattled when his staff begins equating the office with prison. Meanwhile, Andy (Ed Helms) receives tips on how to woo Pam from an unlikely source -- Jim. ~ Dean Maurer, All Movie Guide
- 2001
It's Tim's (Martin Freeman) 30th birthday, so he shows up to work early, in the goofy radio hat his mother bought for him. David (Ricky Gervais) is excited because the quiz is tonight, and he and his pal Chris Finch (Ralph Ineson), sales rep extraordinaire, intend to dominate, as they have in years past. But David fears a threat when he learns that Ricky (Oliver Chris) was once a contestant on "Blockbusters," a television quiz show. Lee (Joel Beckett) and Dawn (Lucy Davis) present Tim with a giant inflatable penis. Lee talks about his plans for the future with Dawn. He figures they'll move in with his mum, and after having a few kids, Dawn might get a part-time cleaning job. "Got to dream a dream," sighs Dawn, and when Tim chuckles at this, Lee takes offense. David explains to the film crew, "There are things I would never laugh at. The handicapped," he elaborates. "Because there's nothing funny about them. Or any deformity." Dawn tries to organize drinks for Tim's birthday, but David is worried that it will interfere with the quiz. Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) is the quizmaster, which guarantees no shortage of questions about warfare. When Ricky and Tim team up to beat David and Finch, it leads to drunken recriminations, another challenge, and one employee's humiliation. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Lee (Joel Beckett) and Dawn (Lucy Davis) have an argument, and Dawn is considering calling off their engagement. Tim (Martin Freeman) tries to reassure her that things will work out, while Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) helpfully tells Dawn that she has another potential suitor in a warehouse worker he refers to as "Monkey Alan." "He fancies you," Gareth tells her, "even if no one else does." Rowan (Vincent Franklyn), a facilitator, comes in to assist with some company training exercises, but his efforts are thwarted by David's (Ricky Gervais) meddling. First the team watches a video on customer service called "Who Cares, Wins," hosted by Peter Purves. Then David mucks up a role-playing exercise. Rowan asks them each to share their "ultimate fantasy," starting things off by mentioning that he'd like to have his own island. David's ultimate fantasy is "to live forever," and Gareth, arriving late and perhaps misunderstanding the exercise, answers, "Two lesbians, probably. Sisters. I'm just watching." When Tim is asked for his input, he replies, "I never thought I'd say this, but could I hear more from Gareth, please." When Keith (Ewan Macintosh) mentions that his real interest is music, it prompts David to pull out his old guitar, and most of the rest of the day is spent listening to him play his unique music, including a number about "free love on the Free Love Freeway." Eventually, Tim reaches the breaking point, decides to quit, and makes a decision involving his friendship with Dawn that will come back to haunt him. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Pretty Donna (Sally Bretton) arrives in the office. David (Ricky Gervais) explains to everyone that she's the daughter of good friends of his, and staying at his flat, so "hands off." Gareth (Mackenzie Crook) offers to show her the ropes, and orders Tim (Martin Freeman) to move so she can use his desk. Tim does not recognize Gareth's authority. Noticing that Gareth is carrying his mobile in a shoulder holster, Tim spends the day calling Gareth repeatedly with a one-word obscene message. While showing Donna the office e-mail system, David opens up a doctored photo. It's his head on the body of a nude woman who is "servicing" two men. "I'm angry, not because I'm in it," explains David, "but because it degrades women...which I hate." He argues with Gareth about who hates sexism more. David assigns Gareth to discreetly investigate and find out who's responsible for the photo. Gareth uses the conference room as his office, and the interrogations begin. Jennifer Taylor Clark (Stirling Gallacher) shows up to find out that, to keep up morale, David has told his people there would be no redundancies. "Surely it's going to be worse for morale in the long run when there are redundancies and you've told people that there won't be," she explains. "They won't remember," he replies weakly. David eventually feels compelled to tell Jennifer that he's fired "Julie Anderton," who worked in the warehouse. A visit to the warehouse finds no record of such a person, but Jennifer does happen upon a group of workers watching a tape of two dogs rutting. Gareth's investigation inevitably leads to Tim, but it turns out that someone closer to David is to blame for the photo. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Inspired by the true-life story of carrier pigeons who were trained to carry vital information for the Allied forces across the English Channel during World War II, this computer-animated adventure comedy focuses on Valiant (voice of Ewan McGregor), a wood pigeon who has volunteered to do his part for England during the war. While Valiant believes in the cause, he's not exactly a quick study in his training under a no-nonsense sergeant (voice of Jim Broadbent), and his new pal Bugsy (voice of Ricky Gervais), a vermin-carrying former denizen of Trafalgar Square, fares even worse in the courage department. However, when one of the key British birds, Mercury (voice of John Cleese), is captured by notorious Nazi falcon Von Talon (voice of Tim Curry), Valiant and his crew must spring into action to keep the lines of communication open in time for D-day. Along the way, Valiant also finds time to romance avian nurse Victoria (voice of Olivia Williams) and French resistance agent Charles De Girl (voice of Sharon Horgan). Produced at the British Ealing Studios, Valiant also features the voice talents of John Hurt, Rik Mayall, and Hugh Laurie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ewan McGregor, Ricky Gervais, (more)
