Ricky Gervais has discussed his dynamic with Stephen Merchant after his longtime co-star revealed they’re rarely in touch these days.
Gervais, 64, and Merchant, 51, shot to global fame when they created The Office in 2001, a BBC mockumentary about the day-to-day lives of office employees.
Gervais played the obnoxious main character of David Brent, while Merchant had a cameo as The Oggmonster in the cult comedy series, which has since been adapted in several countries including the US.
The duo, who became friends when Merchant applied to be Gervais’ assistant, also worked together on The Ricky Gervais Show podcast and other comedy shows Life's Too Short, An Idiot Abroad and Extras.
Gervais described their “chalk and cheese” dynamic when asked about the “Laurel and Hardy” aspect of their relationship in reference to the rotund Oliver Hardy and slim Stan Laurel, who were an iconic comedy duo in the ‘20s and ‘30s.
“Well, only that you fall into your roles and I guess you play a chalk and cheese, obviously - nothing conscious,” he told BBC Radio 4's This Cultural Life.
Gervais went on: “I think Laurel had it very clear why it worked,.
“There was this southern gent who just thought he was erudite and smart and had all the plans and there was this other guy who was an idiot, totally hapless, but it was the pretentious one that ended up in the duck pond.”
His comments came as Merchant revealed he and Gervais don’t speak much any more.
“We're not in touch a great deal these days,” the Click & Collect actor told The Times.
They met in 1997 when he applied to be Gervais’ assistant at XFM radio station.
Merchant revealed that due to their age gap, they lived “quite separate lives” even when they were at their closest.
“Ricky used to joke that he was 13 or 14 years older than me, just as I was discovering my favourite nightclub, he was discovering his favourite comfortable chair,” he quipped.
As for whether an Office remake is on the cards, Merchant previously told The Standard he’d love to go back in time when “there were no expectations” on anything he put his name to and experience making the series all over again.
Speaking in 2023, he said: “The unique thing about The Office was that no one knew who we were so there were no expectations, we just did it in this quiet part of the BBC.
“There’s something about that, you’re not trying to amuse anyone but yourself. You’re not thinking about the newspapers or anything about the audience, you’re just thinking that ‘this is fun, let’s get it made’.
“It’s hard to get back to that moment. Now there’s always that expectation.”
Asked if he would collaborate with Gervais again, he replied: “I think if the right project comes along then absolutely.
“I’m not sure what two ageing white blokes can come up with together but if the right idea came along then definitely.”
