Ricky Gervais Q&A

The star of 'The Office' discusses his role in 'Night at the Museum'.

Dec 22 2006

It seems from the production notes that when you make a film like this with someone like Ben Stiller, that for you two guys it’s a bit of a mutual appreciation society?

Only for press conferences. I hate him… No, it was great fun. I've worked with him before so I knew what to expect. I just got an email out of the blue from him, saying 'I worked on 'Extras', I've got a part for you in this new film I'm doing, do you want to return the favour, no pressure?' I wouldn't have thought the next thing for me would have been a Hollywood blockbuster, and I'm pretty sure it will be a blockbuster. I'm not a film snob at all. I much prefer a really good Hollywood blockbuster than a thought-provoking art house movie, because you know entertainment is sort of where it's at. But I'm always looking for comedy plus. I don't see the point of just doing a knockabout comedy, because it's quite easy to make a load of people laugh, it's often a reflex action, but to make them cry is harder without manipulating them, and this film doesn't do that. It doesn't skimp on the comedy, it has got heart, it's visually amazing, but the effects, as fantastic as they are – and they are incredible – they are a supporting role to the story and that's the way it should be. There are so many things now where the story's the supporting role to the visual effects; it's someone showing off with a big bag of toys, but this doesn't do that.

Are you now an honorary British member of that comedy frat pack with Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and the rest?

I don't think I'm a member of any club. I just think it's sort of me and Steve [Merchant] alone. It's nice to be asked and it's nice to be asked back, but I don't see myself as part of an acting fraternity or a comedy fraternity, because I see myself much more as a writer/director, or at least an aspiring writer/director. Not necessarily in film, although we would want to do that. For me, it was a challenge and it was a dipping my toe in the water. It's funny because people keep saying, 'he's got a cameo', which is very flattering, because I seem to have missed out on the twenty years building my parts up and then just doing cameos. Like Roger Moore or something.

So are you still surprised by the direction your career is taking?

Well, the first two weeks of 'The Office' took me by surprise. But I still think I have the same attitude now as I had then. Don't aim at an audience, don't aim at winning awards, just do it for you. If you water it down and try and be the biggest thing in England, you might succeed, but it will just be for a couple of years and it won't go global. The same universal things were nailed one hundred years ago, things like Laurel and Hardy, and it's just a matter of how much you water them down and ruin them for an audience.

You seem to have built up a nice working relationship with Ben Stiller.

Yes, well, I knew he was a fan of 'The Office'. Basically everything we've done has come from the success of 'The Office' and particularly in America. It was a small show, only on BBC America, and despite what you hear from other people, being on BBC America that does not make you big in America. But where 'The Office' was big…of the million people watching it, half a million worked in Hollywood, and it was everyone's favourite show. So we approached people we knew had said their favourite show was 'The Office' and they said yes and, you know, that kudos, that little bit of faith, it gives you one chance. If 'Extras' had been awful or they'd had a bad time, you quickly use up your good will. But I still feel they're doing me a favour. I still feel when I get someone like David Bowie, you know, they're doing me a favour and I’m always grateful.

Did you come up with the idea of your 'Night at the Museum' character never finishing a sentence?

Err, no, the idea that he tried to start an analogy or metaphor and not quite grasp at the words was actually in the script. I came up with different examples maybe, I can't remember. But that was what was exciting about it. That was the funny bit in the script really. There's this pompous person who's worked hard to get where he is and he's holding onto it. He's not the wittiest man in the world and he doesn't want to be, but deep down he'd like to be invited to the pub with the rest now and again.

Is he a bit David Brent-ish then?

Well, he's David Brent in that he's got a blind spot, but he's different in the sense that where David wants to say 'I'm a comedian, I'm the funniest guy in the world' and David Brent's thing, I suppose, is mistaking respect for popularity, MacPhee thinks that it's silly. He says he doesn't need popularity, he wants business. But deep down he'd want a hug, so he's similar and very different. And he's more tragic than Brent, because he's alone a lot, whereas at least Brent could go through the denial by mucking around with people.

As it's one of the themes of the film, if you could bring any person back to life, who would it be?

It would have to be Laurel and Hardy. Charles Darwin would have to be in there. I'd want to go, 'God, you took a risk there. That was great', as an atheist myself. He was on dodgy ground coming out saying, 'You know what? We came from monkeys.' I like brave people like that. Laurel and Hardy because I just love them. And I wish Homer Simpson was real. I wish God was real. And Churchill as well. I'd like to get him off his head. I love the idea that he used to go and smoke cigars and drink brandy. They used to take cocaine to stay up all night apparently. No wonder he wanted to fight them on the beaches, he'd fight anyone.

How was the Hollywood experience then?

It was fantastic. I went on the set and it was the opposite of something like 'The Office'. That was a chair and a table. We were flown up there on this one – myself and my girlfriend went first class and stayed in the nicest hotel in Vancouver and it was amazing. We went to our trailer and it was huge and I went up to the set and Shawn [Levy, the director] came up to me and said, 'Hi, is everything ok? Is your trailer ok?' I said, 'It's bigger than my hotel room!' and he went 'Do you want a bigger hotel room?' I thought, 'This is the place for me.' I'm a very lazy man and I worked out that my ideal film would've been starring in 'Phone Booth'. It was a nine-day shoot and some of the time they were sitting on the floor of the phone booth. When I'm in charge, when I am directing, I actually say things to Steve like, 'I think I'll sit down in this one.' He goes, 'You're just saying that because you're legs are tired, aren't you?'

Do you have a favourite scene in the movie?

I do and it's not with me in it. It's Ben slapping a monkey and Robin Williams coming in and going, 'My God, man, why are you slapping a monkey?' Which is an amazing line. It's up there with, 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.' 'Why are you slapping a monkey?' It has to be asked.

'Night at the Museum' is released on Boxing Day.

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