LIANE HANSEN, Host:
Here's Ricky Gervais in an interview in 2004 after he received those first Golden Globe nominations. And I wanted to know how he would handle the red carpet.
M: Oh, I don't like that sort of thing. I feel so self-conscious. And even the word celebrity is mildly embarrassing to me. The good thing is that no one knows who I am. They probably think I'm a waiter.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: So I'm going to wear a red jacket, and then I think the people will leave me alone, definitely. That's it. In fact, I'm looking forward to some anonymity again, because I can't even go shopping for pants now without people looking in my basket.
HANSEN: And Ricky Gervais joins us. Welcome back to the program.
M: Hello. It's like I'm head waiter now.
HANSEN: Yeah. (Laughing) Rather than just waiter.
M: I've come a long way.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
HANSEN: Yeah, exactly.
M: Yeah.
HANSEN: So is stardom everything you thought it would be?
M: And the plus side of fame is you get a table at a restaurant. You know, there's no queue. You know -
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: You go through a special door at the airport. I've met my heroes. You know, there are obviously plus sides to being recognized but I think that - I hope to think that the reasons I get to work with my heroes is 'cause they respect my work, as opposed to they've just seen my face on the telly for something.
HANSEN: Yeah. Of the heroes you have met, which one left you speechless?
M: Well, I don't think I've ever been speechless.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: Well, Elmo.
HANSEN: Elmo?
M: David Bowie was always a hero, which was just incredible to - I mean, I wrote a song with David Bowie.
HANSEN: Right, in your show "Extras," right?
M: Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, it's strange. You know, it's like, just did a cameo in the Muppet movie. I'm worried I'm dying and the doctors got together with everyone in Hollywood and said, just let him do what he wants.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: He's not going to...
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: Just let him do anything. Let him be in all his favorite TV shows. I've been in the, you know, "The Simpsons," "Family Guy." I've just done a thing for "Curb Your Enthusiasm." "The Office" was a hit in America...
HANSEN: Oh, yeah.
M: If any directors are out there, I'm not an action hero.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: Okay, that is my pitch to Scorsese or Spielberg.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
HANSEN: I was a big fan of your series "Extras," simply because I think you just told it like it is on a movie set in a very, very funny way. But I've read you're working on a new comedy called "Life's Too Short."
M: Yeah.
HANSEN: Can you tell us something about that?
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: So yeah, we're working on that now and we're filming that in May, June. And I'll certainly be recruiting at the Golden Globes for a few A-listers to pop up like they did in "Extras."
HANSEN: No doubt. You know, you're in a perfect position to take us backstage at the Golden Globes 'cause, of course, we only see what we see on TV. First of all, as the host, do you get better perks than the nominees or the presenters?
M: I can do anything.
HANSEN: Yeah?
M: I can have people ejected from the building if they look at me the wrong way.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: It doesn't matter who they are. I could...
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: No. It's, you know, I'd be lying if I still didn't, sort of like a smile come across my face when I see a little icon walk up to me and say hello. It's crazy. You know, it is strange. You know, I had a normal job until I was about 36, 37, and now, Harrison Ford coming up to me and saying, good job and just making a joke. George Clooney coming up and saying, hi, I'm George. And I go, yeah, I recognize your face from all those films. You know?
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: It's crazy. I'm walking down the corridor and Al Pacino walks up to me. He goes, I just saw you in a terrific film about lying - terrific. And I go, yeah, you've been in a few good films as well yourself.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: It's mad. It's crazy. I should...
HANSEN: Your voice just went up about an octave.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: You know, I shouldn't - I shouldn't be there. They shouldn't have allowed me a career.
HANSEN: How do you prepare for hosting the show? I mean, you did it last year and it was - I mean, you got great ratings and you were so good you were asked back. Can you improvise or do you have to stick to a script?
M: There's no script.
HANSEN: No script.
M: I told them when they invited me last year, I said I don't want to be scripted. I want to say anything I want. They didn't even look at the script. So I go up there with a few ideas and I wouldn't be any good if it wasn't like that. You know, if they wanted someone to read an Autocue, there's lots of better people than me at that and they look better. So whenever I'm hired, I'm hired for my particular cocktail of skills or lack of them. And as Sinatra said, I've got to do it my way, really.
HANSEN: And will you do it with a cocktail again?
M: I don't see what the fuss was. Look, I'm drinking now. Look, listen to that.
(SOUNDBITE OF SLURPING)
M: It's a lovely French beer called Lef(ph).
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: You can't advertise, can you? Any way, it's lovely. Yeah, I love a drink. That's no - don't forget, in England, you got to remember, right, that a beer - that's like a soft drink in England. If you're hungover or something and you go, I'm not drinking tonight, I'll just have a beer. It's really no big deal.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
M: And, you know, it's great to do "Sesame Street" and "The Simpsons" and The Muppets and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and all those things. They're fantastic. They're an absolute honor. But they're not part of my body of work.
HANSEN: Winston Churchill said, if you find a job you really love, you'll never work again. And that's what it feels like, you know. I went from the laziest, least ambitious man in the world to a workaholic, 'cause I can't believe my luck. I cannot believe my luck. And some people listening to this are agreeing with me.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
HANSEN: Comedian and actor Ricky Gervais is the host of tonight's 68th Annual Golden Globe Award ceremonies. His animated series, "The Ricky Gervais Show," just began its second season on HBO. Thanks a lot for talking with us and have a great time.
M: Cheers. Thanks. See you later.
HANSEN: To see a video of Ricky Gervais hanging out with "Sesame Street's" Elmo, visit NPR.org.