20 Terrific Ricky Gervais Quotes to INSPIRE Writers and Filmmakers

Comedy writer, director and actor Ricky Gervais has been bracing our screens since the early 2000s. Often outspoken and straight-talking, Gervais has conquered the comedy genre with his broad array of work. He’s also known, however, for his forthright, often controversial comments, particularly on the Golden Globes stage. But this forthrightness also makes his words insightful and unique. So we’ve compiled 20 Ricky Gervais quotes to inspire writers and filmmakers.

Ricky Gervais – The Long and Winding Road

Much of Ricky Gervais’ inspiration comes from his family, upbringing and life before fame. Born in Reading, Ricky originally studied Biology at University before changing to Philosophy. He then worked on the fringes and behind the scenes of music, TV and radio, even having a stint as the lead singer of a band.

He worked as an assistant events manager and acted as head of speech for radio station Xfm. It was when hiring an assistant in this job that he met Stephen Merchant, who was in his words, the first CV at the top of the pile. This twist of fate would eventually push Ricky more in front of the camera rather than behind it, Merchant taking note of Ricky’s talent for comedy and performing.

In addition to hosting a radio show, he also featured on late-night Channel 4 show, The 11 O’Clock Show and even got his own talk show, Meet Ricky Gervais. These, however, would be nothing compared to what was to follow and Gervais has since mocked his early work – his talk show, for example, flopping at the time.

It was a long road to his big break in The Office, hitting when Gervais was 40. But his early life and array of experience frequently shapes his work and is vital to it. From years spent working in an office to his focus on philosophical themes in films such as Ghost Town or The Invention of Lying.

Ricky Gervais provides a good lesson for aspiring writers, filmmakers and performers – the road is never straightforward. And it can often be a twist of fate and/or continually trying and failing that ultimately leads to success.