Outrageous comic actor and creator of “The Office”, Ricky Gervais, is well-known for what I call “Shock and Ha Ha Has”. He’s brilliant, sharp as a Ginsu knife and totally sexy! Okay, maybe he’s not a babe (unless you love guys that make you laugh), but he is newly committed to fitness and with a touch of rationale … he explains why. After devouring 11 sausages at home in one sitting, something just clicked. Since then, he’s gone from 200 pounds to 168 and flashes signs of cheekbones he hasn’t seen since his 20s. Since he never exercised until he was 48, he’s comfy pointing out that it’s never too late to get started. Ricky chatted up Men’s Health and we were given a sneak peek of the highlights. Check out the March issue for the full interview. For the record, I find funny men extremely sexy. Print me up a calendar featuring Ricky and Jerry Seinfeld anytime!
Ricky on his motivation to workout:“A lot of the time it’s me thinking, Right – I’d better get a sweat on because I want to open a bottle of wine at 6.”
On his healthy new lifestyle: “It’s about living longer. That’s all it was about from the start; it was never about vanity. I read sometimes that I’m doing this so I can play a Hollywood leading man. Yeah, right. I play fat putzes. If anything, this could ruin my career!”
His advice on running and thoughts on why he didn’t do it sooner: “It’s so easy,” he says. “Get out there, do it, enjoy the results. Why does it always take me so long to work things out?”
On hosting the Golden Globes again after his controversial 2010 turn: “Funny, isn’t it? All those people who I said I wouldn’t work again?
His upbringing was humble and his mother stretched the budget to support four kids: “It’s not till you’re 16 that you realize she’s buying everything out of catalogs and paying for them the rest of the year. She borrowed tights from my sister. Heartbreaking.”
His mother’s reaction to his college band, Seona Dancing, getting signed with London Records: “I told my mum I was going to be a pop star, and she said, ‘Pop star’s another name for junkie.’ Then I told her the advance, and she said, ‘Mick Jagger bought his mum a house in Wales.’”
Why his band breaking up after two failed singles: “Here’s what I did wrong. I wanted to be a pop star, but I should’ve wanted to be a musician. I forgot about the work, the craft. And I listened to people I shouldn’t have. A&R people, the record company.”
What he learned from creating The Office: “Since The Office, I’ve realized that the hard work is the reward. Just that in itself. Win, lose, or draw. Finishing something, doing it. It’s invigorating.”
