Is Ricky Gervais Too Good for Hollywood?
Filed under: Comedy, Deals, Sony, Fandom
I have this feeling the brilliant Ricky Gervais probably won't make it big in Hollywood. Now before you get all riled up, hear me out: Whenever Gervais gets the chance to 'ingratiate' himself into the Hollywood big-time, let's face it, the results are less than cuddly. In fact, more often than not the guy winds up on a demo reel of controversial moments. Gervais is someone who can't sit down with Elmo without it turning into a moment of subversive comedy, and that is what I love about him. But the biggest thing that stands between Gervais and a big movie career (other than an absence of a six-pack and capped teeth) is that the man just couldn't care less about playing nice -- and it's that quality that has earned my eternal respect (after all, it takes a lot of guts to put this scene in a Christmas special).Gervais has been making some inroads stateside with the romantic comedy Ghost Town -- a relatively successful film that tried to capitalize on Gervais' fondness of creating sympathetic yet unpleasant characters. Granted, it wasn't a big hit, but it was well liked enough and managed to win some fans who weren't strictly Office devotees. But I think the big test for whether or not Gervais becomes movie star is his directorial debut, This Side of the Truth, with Jonah Hill, Jennifer Garner, and Rob Lowe. But even if Truth doesn't work out, Gervais and long-time creative partner Stephen Merchant will be going back to slightly more familiar territory when they team up with Sony for a coming of age flick, The Men at the Pru, about a group of men working at an insurance company in the 1970s.
So as someone who is a big fan of Gervais, there is a part of me that wonders if making his brand of comedy popular with movie audiences means you're going to have to water it down just ever so slightly. Hopefully, This Side of the Truth will finally let everyone know just how funny he is, and with comedy vets like Tina Fey and Christopher Guest at his side, I doubt this film will fail. Then again, Gervais' brand of humor may not be for everyone, and sometimes the guy can be downright offensive. But that's what makes him who he is, and if Hollywood is going to change that, then I hope Mr. Gervais stays far, far away.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-27-2009 @ 6:25PM
Kurt Munro said...
Queue a bunch of idiots explaining how Gervais is overrated.
But, anyhow, he'll never be a massive movie star.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 6:33PM
bloggeroflamancha said...
Gervais is underrated. He'll never be a massive movie star like another British sensation Mr. Bean.
Of course I never thought Sacha Baren Cohen would be such a huge movie star and Russell Brand may soon be a movie star as well so it is possible that some British humor can be appreciated in these parts. Hopefully the American public has a better sense of humor than those attending the Golden Globes.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 7:40PM
Stan Wingson said...
Problem with him is he's very narrow in what he can believably portray. When he hits a perfect fit role like The Office or Extras he is truly perfect. But to try and wedge him into a crappy rom-com like Ghost Town is just an embarrassment. He should stick with doing his own material and tell Hollywood to stick it.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 9:08PM
SunKing said...
One issue is that Ricky Gervais: 'The Actor', doesn't have much of a range when it comes to portraying various characters. This isn't a terrible problem - Woody Allen has been playing the same character for years, as has Nicolas Cage (never thought you'd hear those two names in the same sentance, huh?). And just like Woody Allen, Gervais is the opposite of leading man material. Woody Allen is possibly one of the most prolific, successful American directors alive today; there is no reason to suggest Gervais couldn't succeed in the same way.
Like Allen though, all good things come in moderation. They are both acquired tastes and there is only so much I can handle of them. It all depends on how willing the American populous are to taking Gervais to their bosom.
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 10:02PM
Brandon said...
Karl Pilkington has got a head like a F****** Orange!
Reply
3-27-2009 @ 10:24PM
Robin said...
Kudos on a great post, Jessica. That's exactly right. I kind of like Gervais being a secret I'm in on ;)
Reply
3-28-2009 @ 11:37AM
pete thomson said...
Yeah hes maybe a secret in America but in the UK hes a household name- He can be funny and have a genuine down to earth side but he also believes his own hype!! He did wonders with Ghost Town which otherwise would have been terrible but as said he does have a very limited acting range. If he can shake things up a bit and make some of the Hollywood product a little less bland hats no bad thing!!
Reply
3-28-2009 @ 12:36PM
Matt said...
Is Gervais too good for Hollywood? Yes, absolutely. He is quite possibly the funniest person on the planet. He comes from the school of Larry David, Woody Allen and Garry Shandling. Top notch humour.
Reply
3-29-2009 @ 7:36AM
English Gavz said...
I'm British and trust me, you're not missing out on much, Gervais isn't that good a comedian, he's never made me laugh and personally he's kind of rubbish.
Reply