Ricky Gervais: A 'Ghost' of a Chance

In both The Office and Extras — and to a certain extent in Ghost Town — Gervais fine-tunes the awkward art of tossing off an offensive remark and digging himself deeper and deeper into the ditch as he tries to explain his way out. It can be excruciating to watch. You don't know whether to laugh or cringe. ''The British Office is one of the main things that made me do what I'm doing now,'' says Jonah Hill (Superbad), who just finished shooting next year's This Side of the Truth opposite Gervais and Jennifer Garner. (Gervais co-wrote and co-directed the comedy about a world where lying doesn't exist.) ''Ricky finds these uncomfortable moments and lets them breathe,'' Hill says.

Christopher Guest, who also appears in Truth, rarely grants interviews, but when asked to comment about Gervais, he got on the phone right away. Guest, whose films include Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, is Gervais' idol. And the sentiment seems to be mutual. ''Most comedies are made to get to a punchline and it's left at that. In The Office and Extras, there are also great moments of sadness and desperation. And for me, that's interesting.... I think The Office is the best TV I've ever seen, period.''

Gervais, who splits his time between England and New York City, where he just bought an apartment with his longtime girlfriend, Jane, is the first to admit that the show that launched his career has been ''ridiculously'' overpraised. And he's stunned that it's now a global franchise with versions in America, Chile, Russia, Canada, and France. There's even an unofficial version in Germany. ''The Germans are the only ones who didn't want to pay for the rights,'' says Gervais, ''which is strange, because it's not like the Germans to take things that aren't theirs.''

When Gervais talks, it's sometimes hard to tell whether he is joking. Gags fly out of his mouth so fast, and in such a deadpan, that sometimes you feel like you're not so much interviewing him as just trying to keep up. In a string of recent stand-up performances, two of which were taped for an HBO special that will air in November, Gervais aims that same withering, rapid-fire delivery at such sacred cows as Stephen Hawking (''Pretentious. Born in Oxford, talks with that American accent''), Nelson Mandela (''He hasn't re-offended. Shows you prison does work!''), and Anne Frank (''No sequel? Lazy''). Of course, this only works because he lands the sharpest punchlines on his own chin. Or chins. In his act, he describes how his life has changed since becoming successful, complaining that he's no longer referred to in the British press as just ''Ricky Gervais, comedian.'' Now he's ''Ricky Gervais, Tubby Comedian.'' Or ''Ricky Gervais, Rotund Comic.'' Or, simply, ''The Chubby Funster.''

With his first film as a Hollywood leading man now hitting theaters, Gervais suspects that he's about to become a target on this side of the Atlantic, too. And, initially at least, it doesn't seem to bother him. ''The reason I chose to do Ghost Town is because it was by far the best script I got,'' he says. ''It's good, it's moving, and I figured if I didn't do this one then I'll never do one. To me, it's perfect. I don't care what it does at the box office. I don't care what it scores in focus groups. I don't give a f---. It's exactly how we wanted it. And I'll like it in 20 years as much as I like it now.''

Gervais knows that he's had a charmed run so far, what with all those awards, and Office spin-offs in Russia, and testimonials from heroes like Christopher Guest. But deep down, he seems to understand that it won't last forever. That some will see his bid to be a Hollywood star as a sellout, or an ego trip. And that drives him crazy. ''Trust me, I get no joy out of seeing my fat face on the screen,'' he says, getting worked up. ''I'm not trying to be a film star. I don't care if I never do another film again. I can create my own material and I've got to remember that. As exciting as it is to be a film star, it means nothing to me. Do I say that because I have no ego, or the biggest ego in the world? I don't know and I don't care.''

Gervais leans back on the sofa and runs his hand through his hair, trying to regain his composure. You're left waiting for a sign that he's joking, a punchline to break the awkward silence. But it never comes.

NEXT PAGE: Five splashy projects that Ricky Gervais says he turned down, and Dave Karger's chat with Gervais at the Toronto Film Festival