Who knows what will happen when irreverent British comedian
Ricky Gervais hosts the 66th Annual Golden Globes Awards on Jan. 17, the first master of ceremonies since 1995? The star and creator of the BBC’s
The Office and
Extras has been the highlight of recent award shows — remember when he hilariously chided Steve Carell for “holding hostage” the Emmy Carell had accepted on Gervais’s behalf the year before? He gives
TV Guide Magazine a preview of what’s to come — watch your back, Carell!
Did you say yes to the Golden Globes because it’s known as the “fun” awards show where audience members drink alcohol?It’s a room full of people at tables getting drunk. That’s my crowd. Obviously three-quarters of them are going to be losers so this will be a room full of drunk losers and I’m the king of drunk losers. That’s why I got it!
How did you get the gig?They called my agent and said, ‘Do you want to host?’ I said, ‘Yeah. But I’m not rehearsing. I’ll turn up an hour before and I might be drunk. Take it or leave it.’ And they went, ‘OK.’
What kind of host will you be?I’m going to let people see me in small doses. I’m not going to stand up there and hog it for two or three hours. I want the people in the room to be the stars of the show. I will probably move things along and link the whole thing together in an amusing, fun way. Or I’ll turn up drunk and keel over. I’m going to have fun, and I think people watching will see we’re having fun.
Some of the things you’ve done at other awards shows have been a bit…controversial. [Editor’s note: While presenting at last year’s Golden Globes, Gervais joked about the Holocaust in a remark to Kate Winslet, who won best supporting actress for playing a Nazi death camp guard in “The Reader.”]If I offend someone, it will be a genuine mistake. I can certainly tell you that all my jokes come from a good place. There might be a bit of ribbing and teasing, but there’ll be no malice there and I want people to know that.
What are you liking on American TV these days?You’ve got the best TV industry in the world. You are always coming out with incredibly brave things.
Damages. Dexter. Just incredibly, brilliant, audacious shows. On the other end of the spectrum, probably not as artistically worthy as those, are
The Real Housewives —anywhere in the world. New Jersey. New York. I can’t get enough of them. It’s a circus, isn’t it? You find five people who want to tell the world how good they are and then they all fight!
For the entire interview with Gervais, pick up
TV Guide Magazine on newsstands November 4!