Ricky Gervais Continues to Challenge Audiences with "Mortality" Tour and New Hollywood Star

Ricky Gervais seems to be living his best life right now. Even when he is talking about death. His new tour, "Mortality," is coming to the Hollywood Bowl. Thousands of people will hear him talk about life and its end. He does this with his special mix of dark humor and clear opinions. His last show at the Bowl in 2023 for "Armageddon" earned him a Guinness World Record. It was for the highest-grossing single stand-up performance. So, no pressure for this new one.

Gervais is also known for turning quiet moments and brutal honesty into funny bits. It is fitting that after a long career full of awards he will finally get a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This happens on Friday. Hollywood is honoring the man who has made fun of its biggest stars with such accuracy. It sounds right that he will be roasted forever by the Hollywood sun.

It is not just about getting awards. Giving back also matters to Gervais. He is doing this by helping new comedians. He is part of the Spirit of Comedy, a stand-up contest in the U.K. It is presented by Dutch Barn Vodka, a company he partly owns. With a star on the Walk of Fame, a huge show at the Bowl, and a platform for up-and-coming comedians, Gervais is truly having his Hollywood moment. But he still needs to be home by 6 p.m.

Ricky Gervais Explains His Approach to Challenging Comedy and Dealing with Audience Reactions

How The Comedian Sees His Work And Why He Believes Free Speech Is Important For Jokes

Gervais has spent his career pushing comedy to new places. He often faces questions about whether his jokes go too far. He feels this back-and-forth about humor is nothing new. It is just part of the comedy cycle. People sometimes get nervous about his material. He then explains why it is okay. Sometimes, TV executives or broadcasters just want ways to defend his jokes. They might not know if something is truly offensive. They just want to avoid complaints. If Gervais can show them "listen, this is why it’s OK," they often trust him. He is not trying to say the most offensive things just to get a reaction. He always has a point to what he says. He believes offense often comes when people confuse the subject of a joke with its true target. They are usually not the same thing.

It can feel like comedians, whose job is to make people laugh, are held to a very high standard about what is "offensive." Gervais thinks we are all human and react to certain words and sensitive topics. That is why they are still sensitive. He uses these topics on purpose in his stand-up. He wants to take the audience to a place they have not been before. He wants them to think and maybe worry about something. Then, he leads them to a funny conclusion. He says it is like taking them through a scary forest but it is fine because they always laugh. If he was saying awful things and no one laughed that would be strange. He compares this to politicians who say bad things and mean them and no one laughs. Comedians say things they do not mean everyone laughs and they still get the same kind of criticism.

Gervais feels free speech is very important. He also thinks it is impossible to say anything that will not offend someone somewhere. So he believes you should not even try to avoid all offense. He does not go on stage to ruin anyone’s evening. He makes a joke. He works hard on it. He thinks comedy is best when you approach it with your mind. We are human and we take things personally. But he suggests we should not. He believes comedy works like a magic trick. He says "You can’t argue with chemistry." If people laugh then the joke worked. He does not plan to change his jokes or their meanings. He believes the only way an audience can "censor" him is by choosing not to listen. You do not have to watch. You can leave the show or not buy his tickets. That is totally fine.

Ricky Gervais On His Critics And The Ever-Present Nature of Online Complaints

Why The Comedian Thinks Some People Are "Addicted To Being Offended"

Gervais also talks about the idea of people being "addicted to being offended." He says you can turn off your own TV. But you cannot make other people turn theirs off. He points out that some people will complain about what you are doing even if they had to go to great lengths to find it. They might even look for things to be offended by. He believes some people like being offended. It makes them feel alive. He points out that news outlets even pick up on social media posts. They might say "Oh fans weren’t happy!" when it was really just a few people complaining. He thinks this focus on small complaints is why we cannot have nice things.

The comedian has faced a lot of criticism for his Netflix specials like "SuperNature" and "Armageddon." These specials included jokes about sensitive topics. Groups like GLAAD spoke out against "SuperNature." A petition with nearly 14,000 signatures even asked Netflix to remove a part of "Armageddon." Gervais has defended his material saying there is always a point to it. He argues that the offense comes from people misunderstanding the target of his jokes. He maintains that his comedy is a "magic trick" and if people laugh it works. Critics argue that not everyone is laughing and that his jokes are sometimes lazy or intentionally hurtful. They suggest he might be addicted to being offensive himself. They also think he punches down on vulnerable groups. He does this while trying to appear edgy or outside the norm. However, Gervais's perspective is that if his jokes make people laugh, they are successful regardless of outside complaints.

A Look At Ricky Gervais's Other Ventures And His Reflections On Life And Aging

From His Vodka Business To His Thoughts On Getting Older And Valuing Personal Time

Gervais got involved with Dutch Barn Vodka. This led to the Spirit of Comedy contest. He says he had turned down many similar opportunities before. But this co-ownership was different. He connected with the company because it was ethical. It was sustainable, recyclable, used British apples, and paid workers well. He liked that they were trying to be good. They wanted him to make the brand famous worldwide. He was excited about doing the advertising himself. He writes all his own trailers and material. It was a fun creative challenge for him. The business side came later. But it all made sense. The most important thing for him was that he felt he could still sleep at night and have fun. The contest was Dutch Barn’s idea. He joked that maybe they are looking for his replacement. He thought that would be ironic.

Gervais also talked about playing the Hollywood Bowl again. He said he did it once before it was frightening. He broke a world record and it was great. He wondered why he would do it again. He admits he is 63 years old now. Jet lag lasts about a week for him. Everything is harder as you get older. He gets offered many cool things every day. These include flying around the world. But he often thinks "is it better than me sitting on the couch with my cat and my girlfriend watching Netflix?" For him, it is about how valuable your time is and how you want to spend it. He values his comfortable life and time at home. He joked that 6 p.m. is the new midnight for him.

He started his comedy career later in life. He was about 37 when he began. He had been good at school and went to college. But he was a failed pop star and never had much money. He felt he got a lucky second chance. He worked hard not to mess it up. He sometimes jokes about working hard while drinking cappuccino. He compares it to people hiding behind a wall getting shot at. His dad was a laborer for 60 years. He is glad he was born poor. He does not talk about it much. But he is proud of himself for making his own way. He feels he beat the system. This shows a side of Gervais that values his journey and hard work.