Ricky Gervais’s Net Worth:
Ricky Gervais has a net worth of $140 million as a British-born actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker. He made the great majority of his fortune as the creator of the TV show The Office. In 2001, the show debuted as a limited-run British series. It was converted into an American version in 2005, which aired 201 episodes over nine seasons. The American version of The Office is one of the most profitable series in syndication history, with rights and fees totaling billions of dollars. As a result, Gervais continues to earn tens of millions of dollars from the show whenever a contract is renewed or sold to a new platform.
Early Life:
Ricky Dene Gervais was born in Reading, England on June 25, 1961. Ricky was reared as the youngest of four siblings by his father, a repatriated French-Canadian. Gervais studied philosophy at University College London after finishing secondary school and earning a degree. Gervais met Jane Fallon in university, with whom he has been in a relationship since 1982.
Beginnings of a Career
Ricky Gervais began his entertainment career in radio after a failed attempt to become a pop sensation. He met Stephen Merchant, who he eventually recruited as an assistant while functioning as head of speech at XFM. They would go on to create The Office. Ricky Gervais began his television career producing sketches for the British comedy show The Sketch Show before going on to anchor The 11 O’Clock Show as a purposely rude and politically incorrect host. He also appeared in a comedy show called Meet Ricky Gervais, which was not a big hit.
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Achieve Success in the Office
While studying film production in 1999, Stephen Merchant developed a seven-minute short film for an assignment. The character of David Brent – Ricky Gervais’ future role on The Office – was depicted in the short film. The short film was seen to BBC executives, who requested a pilot script from Gervais and Merchant. The pilot script was written by the two, and the BBC approved the show.
The Office was a flop at first. It was only available in a six-episode run, and few people bothered to watch it. However, word of mouth grew and people began purchasing DVDs. It was soon evident that there was a demand for a second season. The BBC has once again given the green light for the next season, much to the delight of fans everywhere. After the successful release of this second season in 2003, Gervais and Merchant were regarded as comedy masterminds. Following The Office’s success in the United Kingdom, the show was remade in the United States, with Gervais and Merchant serving as producers. Furthermore, The Office has been remade for audiences in other countries, including Brazil, Sweden, France, and many more. Gervais later remarked that the critical acclaim he gained for The Office enabled him to prosper in the American entertainment industry in the coming years.
Earnings from Syndication
Various producer and creator credits earned Gervais and his co-creator Stephen Merchant tens of millions of dollars during The Office’s first run. Ricky’s genuine fortune has come as a result of extraordinarily profitable syndication and licensing deals in recent years. Ricky controls at least 10% of The Office’s syndication equity points. In other words, he receives 10% of all income made by the show.
Ricky Gervais has easily earned more than $100 million before taxes through syndication sales to date.
Comcast’s NBC paid $500 million in June 2019 for the rights to telecast The Office beginning in 2021. Previously, the show aired on Viacom-owned networks such as Comedy Central. The show was also available on Netflix for a long period.
Following The Office
Ricky Gervais appeared in a number of other TV shows after the popularity of The Office. The first was Extras, a show in which well-known celebrities played comic versions of themselves on fictitious film sets. In 2010, Gervais launched his own show, The Ricky Gervais Show. Furthermore, Ricky Gervais was involved in the creation of shows such as Derek, Life’s Too Short, An Idiot Abroad, and After Life.
Improvised comedy
Since the 1990s, Ricky Gervais has been a successful stand-up comedian. His stand-up career took off following The Office’s success, and he has toured widely with his act over the years. His comedic specials have been aired on Netflix on multiple occasions.
Film
Ricky Gervais has been in a number of high-profile films over his career. In 2005, he played “Bugsy” in the animated film Valiant. One of his most well-known roles was as a museum director in 2006’s Night at the Museum. He later returned to the role in the film’s sequels. Gervais went on to appear in films such as Ghost Town, The Invention of Lying, and Special Correspondents during the next few years.
Ricky has won seven BAFTA Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and three Golden Globe Awards – a ceremony he has hosted five times as of this writing.
Netflix
Ricky supposedly received a $20 million payment from Netflix for a comedy special in 2018. Netflix had already acquired his program “Humanity” for a reported $20 million. Ricky earned $25 million from his different efforts between June 2017 and June 2018. That was enough to make him one of the world’s top five highest-paid comedians.
Personal Existence
Ricky Gervais and his girlfriend, Jane Fallon, have decided not to marry or have children. Gervais has been involved in a variety of charity initiatives, but he is best recognized for his advocacy of animal rights. Ricky Gervais was rumored to have committed to bequeathing his whole fortune to animal rights organizations in 2015. He is an outspoken opponent of all sorts of hunting, poaching, and illicit animal trading. Ricky Gervais has received multiple awards and has been commended by organizations such as PETA for his different acts and donations towards animal welfare. Gervais is also an atheist and a proponent of same-sex marriage.
The couple paid approximately $6.5 million on a London house in 2006. This property was advertised for sale in 2015 for $11.8 million. They moved into a new home in 2016, which they purchased for just under $16 million.