If anybody had an exciting welcome into 2022, it’s comedian Ricky Gervais. The 60-year-old English comedian shared his excitement for the New Year with his followers on Twitter.
Gervais is best known for his role in the British series The Office and his work as a touring comedian. In 2019, his dark comedy-drama After Life premiered on Netflix. The comedian created the series, serving as a lead actor, producer, writer, and director. The show currently has two seasons on the platform.
Gervais expressed that one of the great things happening this year is the premiere of the show’s final season, season three.
Gervais feels “hopeful” for 2022
Gervais hit his 14.5 million Twitter followers with a fun dog selfie to ring in the New Year. Above his photo, he optimistically wrote, “There’s already something nicer about this year. The sun is out and the woodpeckers are making an early start in the trees. It feels like hope. Oh, and #AfterLife3 is out in 2 weeks. Happy 2022.”
The following day, Netflix dropped the two-minute trailer for After Life Season 3. The streaming platform wrote, “The final season of Ricky Gervais’ brilliant After Life premieres January 14 (and the dog does not die — promise!)” The emotional series follows small-town journalist Tony Johnson and his painful journey through grief after losing his wife to cancer.
Following his loss, the character abandons all hope for humankind and begins to treat his close peers and family members poorly. However, he slowly learns that investing in other people and making them feel good is what makes his life bearable.
Fans are already anticipating being brought to ugly tears while streaming the new season. One fan wrote on Twitter, “If the trailer has me sobbing, I’m gonna be a mess watching this season.”
Gervais opens up about kindness
Gervais tends to avoid interviews and other planned press due to his hatred of being misunderstood. He is active on social media and occasionally finds himself offending others with his dark sense of humor. But he insists that “kindness” is at the heart of what he does. He specifically related this notion to his work in the comedy-dramas Derek and After Life.
Speaking to The Guardian in December 2021, the actor shared, “Kindness, compassion has definitely been in my work of the last 10 years.” He continued, “My stuff has always been quite existential – are we wasting our life? – through to Derek, which is about people at the end of their life, through to After Life, which is about people losing their life.”
As Season 2 showed Gervais’s After Life character, Tony, dedicating his life to being kinder to the people around him, fans are excited to see this theme continue.
After Life Season 3 premieres Friday, January 14th on Netflix.