Ricky Gervais Shares More Details About David Brent

Tuesday night, Ricky Gervais was on Late Night with Seth Meyers to promote his new Netflix movie that’s out this Friday, Special Correspondents.  But conversation quickly turned to Gervais’ next project, David Brent, Life on the Road, which looks in on David Brent, the lead character from Gervais’ brilliant series, The Office, years later.  Gervais has leaked a photo earlier this year exciting fans everywhere about the possibility of an Office reunion.  Shortly after, Gervais briefly explained that the film would focus on Brent only, and that he would be working for a new company that sells toilet products while trying to get a music career going.

Last night, Gervais gave some more detail about the new film, which is due out this summer.  Brent is now a sales rep selling cleaning products for a toilet products company, he said, you know like anal lozenges and tampon machines.  “He’s not in charge anymore, he’s just a guy in the office. And he’s sort of bullied cause the world’s different its full of alpha males,” Gervais explained.  “We’re in that place now where people get on The Apprentice by going I will destroy everyone. He’s out of time, he’s sort of 55 now.”  Brent has spent all his retirement money to pursue the dream of being a rock star, even cashing in a few pensions.   “So he’s put together a band of mercenary session players who thinks he’s an idiot but, you know,  pay to play. And its just tragic. But its funny.”

Gervais is kind to his alter ego, he describes Brent as a “real person” who’s been sold a lie. The Office has now been shown in over 100 countries, and has been re-made locally in eight countries, with each of them casting their own David Brent-esque character.  Gervais talked about what its like to see the Brent recasts for the first time. He says “I always go, ‘great, it’s a fat middle aged bloke, perfect, well done.”

Later, Gervais explained the benefits of twitter, and revealed the perfect plan for Donald Trump– a Truman Show-like program, where Trump believes he’s won, and is filmed in a world populated with extras.  “What if we just told him he got in,” Gervais said. “So he gets up every day and does a little address, and they’re all extras. And he just never knows he was never president. It would be amazing, wouldn’t it?”

Special Correspondents premieres on Netflix April 29.