RICKY Gervais enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame when he burst on to the scene in the early noughties.
This was all thanks to his hit sitcom The Office - a show which helped launch his incredible career, and boost his bank balance.
Who is Ricky Gervais?
Ricky Dene Gervais was born in Reading, Berkshire, on June 25, 1961, and is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, director and singer.
He initially worked in the music industry, attempting a career as a pop star in the 1980s.
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I am always excited to see remakes of my work, particularly as I’ve ended the David Brent saga now with Life On The Road.
Ricky Gervais on the future of The Office
Back then, Ricky was the singer of the new wave act Seona Dancing and also the manager of the then-unknown band Suede, before ditching music and turning to comedy.
The talented star started his TV career on The 11 O'Clock Show on Channel 4 between 1998 and 2000, which was followed by his own talk show, Meet Ricky Gervais.
But he hit the big time and was launched to international stardom when he wrote and starred in the BBC's mockumentary The Office.
The hit series followed the mundane lives of a group office workers and their out-of-touch boss, David Brent.
In 2016, Ricky brought the character back for the spin-off movie, David Brent: Life On The Road.
However, at the time the actor revealed this is the last time fans are likely to see Brent, or The Office, again.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: “I am always excited to see remakes of my work, particularly as I’ve ended the David Brent saga now with Life On The Road."
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Meanwhile, The Office was followed by Extras in 2005 - which he co-wrote, starred in and co-directed with Stephen Merchant.
He also starred in and wrote Derek, and was highly praised for his Netflix show After Life.
Ricky is also well known for his sell-out stand-up tours which also feature on Netflix.
This includes the TV special Ricky Gervais: Armageddon, which dropped on Christmas Day 2023.
What is Ricky Gervais' net worth?
Ricky has amassed quite a fortune during his time in the spotlight.
He has a net worth of around £126M which has been made through his TV shows, film roles and stand up tours.
However, despite his extreme wealth Ricky has always insisted he is not motivated by cash – and refuses to blow his riches on flashy motors and £50K watches.
The actor revealed this is down to his upbringing, where he was taught the value of money.
In 2020, Ricky tweeted: “I had no money growing up, I didn’t have any until I was 40. But I still had everything.
“My mum, she gardened, she grew, she cooked, she sewed, she knitted, she decorated, she did everything she could. And she gave me everything I wanted except money."
Is Ricky Gervais married?
Ricky has been with his partner Jane Fallon since 1982, but they are not married, nor do they have kids.
She is a best-selling author, which includes her books Over Sharing, and Just Got Real.
Ricky previously told The Times why they chose not to get married, and said: "There's no point in us having an actual ceremony before the eyes of God because there is no God".
When asked why they hadn't had children he answered: "We didn't fancy dedicating 16 years of our lives. And there are too many children, of course".
Is Ricky Gervais vegan?
In 2023, Ricky confirmed he was a vegan, during a chat with Jimmy Fallon.
The actor thinks that a non-judgmental approach to veganism might encourage more people to join a vegan journey.
In an interview with WSJ Magazine, Ricky said that he doesn't want to force people to go vegan and thinks it's all about educating others.
Speaking to the publication he said: "I don't want to preach about it because when I was vegetarian, I saw people on Twitter making other people who were trying feel bad.
"For me, it's not about being 100 per cent vegan. One, it's about being better than you were yesterday. It's about education."
The outspoken star is also an animal rights activist, and is known for posting anti-animal cruelty pictures on his X/Twitter account
Some of his biggest movies include:
- Night at the Museum (2006)
- Stardust (2007)
- Ghost Town (2008)
- The Invention of Lying (2009)
- Muppets Most Wanted (2014)
- David Brent: Life on the Road (2016)
