9. He Surrounds Himself with Genius
The true geniuses of history were able to be such because they surrounded themselves with other geniuses, people who brought out the best in them, forced them to rise to ever greater heights. And without those surrounding geniuses, would people like Ricky Gervais ever attain such astronomical altitudes? Maybe. Maybe not. In the case of Gervais, he keeps close company with some of the funniest people in the world. His frequent co-writer and co-director (The Office, Extras, Life's Too Short, Cemetery Junction) Stephen Merchant is a brilliant mind matched with a gawky physique that lends itself perfectly to absurd comedy and provides a wonderful visual foil to Gervais' stout frame. Together, these two comedians/writers/actors/directors/producers are so much more than they would ever be alone. Other folks Gervais surrounds himself with to increase his genius? Karl Pilkington, Martin Freeman, Ashley Jensen, Kate Winslet, Ben Stiller, Patrick Stewart, David Bowie, and so many more.