Ricky Gervais has said that finding fame later in life enabled him to stay grounded, despite his success.
The comedian received recognition for co creating and starring in popular sitcom, The Office, which premiered in 2001, which is widely celebrated as being one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Running for two series, The Office was broadcast in more than 80 countries.
The sitcom won numerous awards, including two Golden Globes, along with several BAFTA Awards, British Comedy Awards and a Peabody Award.
Prior to finding success with The Office , Gervais had a brief career in music in the 1980s as part of the synth pop duo, Seona Dancing, but were dropped by their record label due to a lack of success.
He also worked as an entertainments manager for the University of London Union, with alternative radio station, Xfm, which saw him hire his future The Office co creator, Stephen Merchant as his assistant. Having worked as a stand up comedian since the 1990s, Gervais also created and starred in shows, Extras, Life's Too Short, and After Life.
Speaking on This Morning last Friday with Josie Gibson, Ricky Gervais was asked how he keeps his feet on the ground despite his success and being "absolutely loaded".
"Am I grounded? I don't know. I think it’s because I made it when I was 40", Gibson told the show, before joking: "If you make it when you’re 18, it changes you. I was already fat and I hated the world".
"And you’ve got the same friends and family as well, I don’t think I could be anything other than this".
Gervais appeared on the show as he was promoting his Netflix adult animated series, Alley Cats, which features the voices of Diane Morgan, Tom Basden, and Natalie Cassidy. It is based around a group of feral British cats.
On the series, he said: "Usually with animation you're alone in a booth, this, we were all in the same room at the same time. That’s why it feels like mates talking and swearing".
Gervais explained that he got the idea for the series while filming After Life, but that it took "years" before finally getting commissioned.
Alley Cats is available to watch on Netflix now.
Back in July, Ricky Gervais insisted that he was not bothered by people who continued to be offended by his comedy, stating that it only makes them "funnier" to him.
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