Ricky Gervais's irony conundrum

By Stone Martindale Jan 17, 2007, 16:15 GMT

Americans also don\'t snipe at their own who do well-like their Brit cousins seem to relish, shadenfreude is an English pastime... REUTERS/Handout

Talented actor, writer and producer Ricky Gervais is no Simon Cowell when it comes to openly sussing a person's talent, and wishes he could cut to the chase with people easier according to the Irish Examiner online.

He says, "You can see hundreds of people who shouldn't really call themselves actors. As soon as they open their mouths, they give themselves away. I just want to shout 'next' but I can't. I feel sorry for them.

"I should be more like Simon Cowell. I believe him when he says he's doing people a favour when he's honest, but I'm not a brave man."

The funny, nice guy has rankled some British viewers who don't get the irony of his hit show, "Extras," reports contactmusic.com.

A British newspaper quoted the comedian defending American TV audiences' grasp of British irony and attacking Brits who disliked Extras, the follow-up to "The Office."

Allegedly he said, "That's idiots not getting it in England. "The Simpsons", "Curb Your Enthusiasm" - Americans get irony." But his publicist claims Gervais has been misquoted. She says, "Ricky would never say British viewers are idiots."

Contactmusic.com reports that Gervais has already decided who he'd like to play the lead if Extras was made stateside. He says, "I want Steve Carell to star in that one too."