It’s been a few years now since Ricky Gervais first made the leap to the big screen. Yet the idea of David Brent as the love interest in a Hollywood rom-com still has a touch of the ridiculous about it. But in his new flick Ghost Town – the tale of a mean-spirited Englishman who dies during surgery but is revived only to find that he now has the ability to see do-gooding ghosts – Gervais has never looked more comfortable.
We know you’re choosy about films, Ricky. What made you do Ghost Town?
I did it because it was the best script I’ve read in five years. It’s a great story. What I liked about the character [Bertram Pincus] is that he says exactly what’s on his mind. And I have to watch what I say in real life, we all bite our tongues. Doing it this way I can say what I like and no one gets hurt!
Did you have to fight to make your character grumpy and British and not very Hollywood?
It went without saying. I think when people hire me, they don’t hire me to stand in the right place, look good and say the lines as they’re written, because everyone’s better at that than me. So I try and do my own thing. I really think body language means more than words – The Office was kind of like a study in that. With Ghost Town, I read the script and it was already great, but David Koepp [writer/director] came over and let me rewrite it with him for a few days and I ad-libbed my way through it.
And it didn’t matter about the Britishness?
Well you say it’s quintessentially British, as they said The Office was, but it’s not really. All the things I’ve done are influenced by Americans. This is very influenced by America. The character that I play is like one of those old wise-cracking guys like Groucho Marks and Woody Allen – laughing in the face of adversity but it’s doing them no good; a bit like Bill Murray too. There are very few British influences on the stuff I do. It’s just my accent that makes people think that.
You must have SOME British influences?
I suppose if there’s one British influence, there’s a bit of Tony Hancock – that existential sadness that we do best. That’s what we do absolutely best – the futility of life! [laughs]
How were reviews of Ghost Town in America?
Reviews were amazing! I know because I read them all. I read them all the next day [laughs]. I honestly never usually do that. Normally, people have to put them under my nose, but this time I was there with all of them in front of me. And all I was thinking was ‘that’s a good one; that’s a good one…’, and for the first few days it was at nearly 100% on Rotten Tomatoes [user-generated film review site] and I’d never seen that before. Anyway, I kept reading and it was another good one, then another good one, then I started thinking: ‘Oh no, there’s gonna be one bad one, and that’s the one that Britain’s gonna pick up on!’ and ‘That’s the one my family’s gonna read!’”
Did you want to read the reviews because this time you didn’t have creative control?
I’d like to think that, but the truth is – I wanted to know that even if the film stank that they said I was brilliant! [laughs]
So you’re proud of your first lead movie role then, Ricky?
I did count this as my first lead. I’ve done other films but I did those things for various reasons. I did three little cameos [laughs] – listen to me ‘cameos’, like I’m Roger Moore and I’ve been around for 50 years and I just do ‘cameos’! Anyway, I did the first one (For Your Consideration) cause it was Christopher Guest and he’s my comedy hero, and I did the second one (Night At The Museum) cause I was returning the favour to Ben Stiller, and I did the last one (Stardust) cause someone said ‘Do you wanna spend two days with Robert De Niro?’ and I said yes!
And you’re proud of the movie itself?
I love the film, I absolutely love the film. I would not be doing this (interview) if I thought the film stank – I’d be making excuses. I love it and I’m proud of it. What I like about it most is that it’s like a throwback; it almost feels like an antidote to that factory that’s coming out of America at the moment that’s aimed at 12-year-old boys with erection jokes. This is classy, it’s sweet.
Some critics have said there’s a bit of David Brent in all your characters. Do you want to get away from that?
I’m not trying to go there or steer clear of it, really. Woody Allen only played one character – you can’t remember any of the names of the characters he played in any of those films Same with Bob Hope and Groucho Marks and Bill Murray. I think there’s never been any value in this: ‘Oh he’s so versatile, he wears a different wig every time…’ I mean, who are you trying to impress? I don’t give a f***. Is the film good? That’s what I care about. I’m much more interested in getting the emotional point across than have people applaud my costume wearing!
So how about these rumours that you’re gonna host the Oscars?
[Smiles] Right, well after my appearance at the Emmy Awards, my agency in America did get a few calls but from what I can work out, they’re just approaching people and I think they’re making a long list.
So will you do it if you get asked?
I really don’t know. You see, I don’t want to say no before I’m asked! Hmm, probably not. [Thinks hard] Oh... maybe I would do it! But I’d be scared that it’d be arbitrary. The reason I turn down films is because I feel I won’t have any sway or power in it, and I just don’t think I’d get the freedom I’d want. Jerry Seinfeld turned down the Oscars and he made a very good point, he said: “Nobody’s there to hear jokes, they’re there to see if they’ve won an Oscar.” And he’s right; it could be a thankless task. It’s one I’d certainly think about. What worries me is the reason I’d do it is to up my profile so people would go see This Side Of The Truth (Ricky’s next movie) and I think that’s the wrong reasons. I’ve always resisted that.
Dick Van Dyke called you the funniest man alive. How cool is that?
Well, he’s the nicest man alive! I was speaking to him once and we shared a love of Laurel and Hardy. We both agreed that they’re the best ever. And he told me that he used to visit Stan Laurel long after Ollie died and Stan was still writing sketches for him and Ollie. How sweet is that? Dick Van Dyke is a lovely man. It’s very flattering to hear that. He’s a legend.
