1 00:00:04,848 --> 00:00:07,283 It's very true to life, 2 00:00:07,368 --> 00:00:09,678 the story that they're taking Andy Millman through. 3 00:00:09,768 --> 00:00:12,601 We always knew we wanted to make Andy 4 00:00:12,688 --> 00:00:16,363 a bit famous eventually, for a couple of reasons. 5 00:00:16,448 --> 00:00:20,442 One, it injects the sitcom with a new dimension. 6 00:00:20,528 --> 00:00:25,477 And two, it gives you a chance to really parallel your own experiences. 7 00:00:25,608 --> 00:00:28,361 The two guys have experienced it for themselves now, 8 00:00:28,448 --> 00:00:30,041 obviously since the success of The Office, 9 00:00:30,128 --> 00:00:33,484 what people have to go through in the street if they've got a well-known face. 10 00:00:33,808 --> 00:00:37,597 I've been recognised by homeless people, and I did think, "Oh, God..." 11 00:00:37,688 --> 00:00:39,520 Well, you know, you're surprised. 12 00:00:39,928 --> 00:00:41,077 - Spare any change? - Sorry, mate. 13 00:00:41,168 --> 00:00:42,567 - Okay. Have a nice day. - Cheers. 14 00:00:42,648 --> 00:00:46,243 - And good luck with the show, Andy! - Cheers. How does he know who I am? 15 00:00:46,328 --> 00:00:48,126 Where does he watch the show, through Dixons' window? 16 00:00:48,328 --> 00:00:52,208 I was walking along once, and it was about 10:30 at night, 17 00:00:52,288 --> 00:00:55,167 and this... I don't know what the PC term is. 18 00:00:55,488 --> 00:00:57,001 - It's tramp, isn't it? - Tramp. Hobo. 19 00:00:57,088 --> 00:00:58,726 - Hobo. - Bum. 20 00:00:59,088 --> 00:01:00,806 Bum! 21 00:01:02,568 --> 00:01:04,798 Recognised me and went, "Oh!" 22 00:01:04,888 --> 00:01:07,482 He said, "I've just been nicking your DVDs from HMV." 23 00:01:07,568 --> 00:01:10,082 He said, "I just swing it over the barrier as I walk out." 24 00:01:10,168 --> 00:01:11,522 I went, "Oh, well done." 25 00:01:11,608 --> 00:01:14,487 - Don't give people clues as to how to do it. - Oh, no. 26 00:01:19,968 --> 00:01:24,280 When Andy gets asked for an autograph and he can't remember the person's name, 27 00:01:24,368 --> 00:01:25,802 that's happened to me a couple of times. 28 00:01:25,928 --> 00:01:27,282 I don't want to spell your name wrong. 29 00:01:27,368 --> 00:01:30,679 - How are you spelling it? - Oh, it's just the usual. 30 00:01:31,208 --> 00:01:32,926 Okay, let's go for it. 31 00:01:33,008 --> 00:01:35,761 I'd been working with someone for a couple of days, 32 00:01:35,848 --> 00:01:37,919 and they said, "Oh, can I have your autograph?" 33 00:01:38,008 --> 00:01:40,602 And I went, "Who is it to?" And they went, "Me." 34 00:01:40,688 --> 00:01:43,726 And I went, "How are you spelling your name?" 35 00:01:43,808 --> 00:01:45,606 And they went, "R-O-B." 36 00:01:45,688 --> 00:01:47,361 (CHUCKLING) 37 00:01:47,448 --> 00:01:51,328 And I went, "Oh, you're Rob. Oh, right." 38 00:01:51,408 --> 00:01:53,081 (MUTTERING) 39 00:01:53,168 --> 00:01:54,203 Rubbish. 40 00:01:54,648 --> 00:01:56,127 Barry, don't look round, right, 41 00:01:56,208 --> 00:01:58,165 there's a couple of birds over there without drinks. 42 00:01:58,248 --> 00:02:02,003 - I think you know what to do. - Oh, yes. Excuse me. 43 00:02:02,408 --> 00:02:04,285 There's a couple of girls over there not drinking. 44 00:02:04,368 --> 00:02:07,042 So I think you should probably tell them to either buy something or get out. 45 00:02:07,128 --> 00:02:09,438 No, sorry. That's a mistake. No, I didn't mean that. Sorry. 46 00:02:09,528 --> 00:02:15,046 The relationship of Shaun and the agent is really quite disturbing. 47 00:02:16,888 --> 00:02:21,962 You just wonder what they get up to in their time away from the office, as it were. 48 00:02:22,248 --> 00:02:23,921 - How's it going? - Not so good, actually. 49 00:02:24,008 --> 00:02:25,203 Things aren't quite panning out as I'd hoped. 50 00:02:25,288 --> 00:02:27,404 Let's not talk about that now. Let's not bring the mood down now. 51 00:02:27,488 --> 00:02:30,321 - A couple of sorts like this are up for it. - What do you mean, up for it? 52 00:02:30,408 --> 00:02:33,844 It's quite a sweet relationship, really. The agent has got a heart. 53 00:02:33,928 --> 00:02:37,398 No matter how strange the character comes across, he has got a heart. 54 00:02:37,488 --> 00:02:40,844 And he's quite attached to Barry, I think, and feels quite sorry for him. 55 00:02:40,928 --> 00:02:43,204 So... And he's always trying to put Barry, 56 00:02:43,288 --> 00:02:46,360 or Shaun, in front of Andy Millman to get him work. 57 00:02:46,808 --> 00:02:48,765 - Are you definitely gonna do this? Yeah? - Yeah. 58 00:02:48,848 --> 00:02:51,317 - You're definitely gonna go on and... - Yes. 59 00:02:51,768 --> 00:02:52,963 Yeah. 60 00:02:53,048 --> 00:02:55,005 - Forget it, Barry, he's gonna do it, mate. - Fuck. 61 00:02:55,088 --> 00:02:56,886 I know. I'm as annoyed as you are, man. 62 00:02:56,968 --> 00:03:00,563 With me, he's the idiot. With Barry, he's sort of in charge. 63 00:03:00,648 --> 00:03:04,528 So it's swapping dynamics that's fun. And that happens with Andy. 64 00:03:04,608 --> 00:03:08,602 When I'm with the agent or Maggie or Barry, I'm king. They're all idiots. 65 00:03:09,048 --> 00:03:11,437 58,008. Boobs! 66 00:03:11,528 --> 00:03:13,519 - Let me have a wee look. - Yeah, have a look. 67 00:03:13,608 --> 00:03:15,007 58,008... 68 00:03:15,088 --> 00:03:16,203 BOTH: Boobs. 69 00:03:16,288 --> 00:03:18,484 But when I get confronted with something and there's some jeopardy, 70 00:03:18,568 --> 00:03:20,002 a director or a producer or... 71 00:03:20,088 --> 00:03:22,682 Or someone, as it were, superior to you, Stephen Fry for instance. 72 00:03:22,768 --> 00:03:27,524 Yeah, I'm on the back foot because there's always someone better than you. 73 00:03:27,608 --> 00:03:31,044 And it's just fun to... We do that in our life all the time. 74 00:03:31,128 --> 00:03:33,119 Sometimes we're in control, sometimes we're not. 75 00:03:33,328 --> 00:03:35,319 You're trying to bribe me to sit next to David Bowie now? 76 00:03:35,408 --> 00:03:37,365 I'm giving you 20 quid to sit there in those spare seats. 77 00:03:37,448 --> 00:03:38,483 No. 78 00:03:40,648 --> 00:03:41,683 50? 79 00:03:42,128 --> 00:03:43,641 - 50 quid? - Yeah. 80 00:03:46,168 --> 00:03:47,602 Let's see it. 81 00:03:51,648 --> 00:03:53,400 - You got a 10? I've only got 20s. - No. 82 00:03:53,488 --> 00:03:55,001 Well, it's either 40 or 60, then. 83 00:03:55,088 --> 00:03:56,920 - 60, then. - 60, then. 84 00:03:57,128 --> 00:03:59,483 One of the most exciting things for us is casting, 85 00:03:59,568 --> 00:04:02,401 and it's casting new people, it's finding new talent. 86 00:04:02,488 --> 00:04:04,798 We don't want to just use someone else's little black book. 87 00:04:04,888 --> 00:04:07,767 We don't want to borrow people from loads of other sitcoms. 88 00:04:08,048 --> 00:04:11,803 In this one, David Earl, who plays the obsessive fan... 89 00:04:12,048 --> 00:04:13,402 - God, it's you. - Hi. 90 00:04:13,488 --> 00:04:15,718 We absolutely love. We just saw a little tape of him 91 00:04:15,808 --> 00:04:20,120 doing a couple of little characters and we were mesmerised. 92 00:04:20,248 --> 00:04:21,318 Can you do the catchphrase? 93 00:04:21,408 --> 00:04:23,046 - I'd rather not. - Do the catchphrase. 94 00:04:23,128 --> 00:04:25,563 - No. It's just a bit... - Do the catchphrase. 95 00:04:25,648 --> 00:04:26,683 Just do the catchphrase! 96 00:04:26,768 --> 00:04:30,284 - Okay, okay. Are you having a laugh? - Do it properly. 97 00:04:30,568 --> 00:04:32,684 Are you having a laugh? Is he having laugh? 98 00:04:32,768 --> 00:04:34,042 I love everything about it. 99 00:04:34,128 --> 00:04:35,926 He had no agent, he wasn't a professional actor or whatever, 100 00:04:36,008 --> 00:04:38,807 he'd just sent in this tape to us, and that's so thrilling. 101 00:04:38,888 --> 00:04:42,324 And when you watch that performance, I just think it's genuinely brilliant. 102 00:04:42,408 --> 00:04:45,082 I mean, there's so many little nuances to it, little bits of detail. 103 00:04:45,168 --> 00:04:46,886 - Do you live near here? - Yeah. 104 00:04:46,968 --> 00:04:48,959 - Where? - Just quite near here... 105 00:04:49,048 --> 00:04:50,243 No, what street? 106 00:04:50,328 --> 00:04:51,682 (CHUCKLING) 107 00:04:52,048 --> 00:04:53,163 Fucking maniac. 108 00:04:53,528 --> 00:04:55,439 It's quite nice at the end when I go back there 109 00:04:55,528 --> 00:04:57,883 and I need to be with someone that recognises me, 110 00:04:57,968 --> 00:05:00,721 and he's got all his mates, who are just equally nerdy, 111 00:05:00,808 --> 00:05:02,401 but they're enjoying their life. 112 00:05:02,488 --> 00:05:04,399 - This is Ralph. - Hello, mate. You all right? 113 00:05:04,488 --> 00:05:05,922 - Walnut. - Hiya. 114 00:05:06,008 --> 00:05:07,999 - And this is Count Fuckula. - All right. 115 00:05:08,088 --> 00:05:09,999 - Why do they call you that? - Because if I see something, 116 00:05:10,088 --> 00:05:12,602 I've got to fuck it. I never stop. 117 00:05:12,688 --> 00:05:14,838 GERVAIS: They're having a good time, they're not hurting anyone. 118 00:05:14,928 --> 00:05:19,638 They're just a little bit different. A little bit weird, a little bit strange. 119 00:05:20,888 --> 00:05:25,359 - Reminded me a lot of when I first met Steve. - In what way? Sorry, in what way? 120 00:05:25,448 --> 00:05:29,282 I'm saying, sort of nerds and freaks and weirdoes... 121 00:05:29,368 --> 00:05:32,247 But how does that remind you of me? I don't understand how that... 122 00:05:32,328 --> 00:05:33,841 I don't understand why the two would... 123 00:05:33,928 --> 00:05:37,205 Well, no, you're forgetting something. You weren't always this cool. 124 00:05:37,288 --> 00:05:38,767 That's true. 125 00:05:38,848 --> 00:05:43,160 When I first met you, you were a bit of a loser. 126 00:05:43,248 --> 00:05:45,398 - Well, not as cool. - No! 127 00:05:46,528 --> 00:05:49,327 Yeah, who got the Comedy Award this year? 128 00:05:52,128 --> 00:05:54,597 Oh, God. Look, David Bowie. 129 00:05:56,088 --> 00:06:00,559 I think one of the highlights of the whole two series was working with David Bowie. 130 00:06:00,648 --> 00:06:03,640 I mean, he's been a hero of mine for 25 years. 131 00:06:03,968 --> 00:06:06,881 Mr Bowie, can I just say that we're both very big fans? 132 00:06:06,968 --> 00:06:09,323 I can't hear you, love. Come over here. 133 00:06:09,408 --> 00:06:12,480 GERVAIS: It surprised me that he's such a normal bloke, you forget. 134 00:06:12,568 --> 00:06:14,400 I was talking to him on the phone back and forth 135 00:06:14,488 --> 00:06:18,322 about the song and the lyrics and what we needed. 136 00:06:18,408 --> 00:06:21,207 It was very casual, you know. He called, left a message, I called him back, 137 00:06:21,288 --> 00:06:22,847 he went, "Hello?" I went, "Is that David?" 138 00:06:22,928 --> 00:06:25,966 He went, "Yeah. Oh, excuse me, I'm just eating a banana." 139 00:06:26,048 --> 00:06:28,483 And just to think of David Bowie eating a banana... 140 00:06:28,568 --> 00:06:31,606 'Cause we always think of him at home, he's still got the stripe, 141 00:06:31,688 --> 00:06:35,761 he's got the Ziggy hair, the platforms. So he's going, "Oh, I'm a little bit peckish. 142 00:06:35,848 --> 00:06:41,082 "I know, what's a little morsel that's got both protein and carbohydrates? 143 00:06:41,368 --> 00:06:42,722 "It's a banana." 144 00:06:42,808 --> 00:06:45,368 - You know, and he's this... - Exactly. 145 00:06:45,448 --> 00:06:47,405 He's not a space alien. 146 00:06:47,488 --> 00:06:51,243 He's a bloke from London who's done brilliantly well. 147 00:06:51,328 --> 00:06:52,363 What do you do? 148 00:06:52,448 --> 00:06:54,519 - I'm in a sitcom. -It's called When The Whistle Blows. 149 00:06:54,608 --> 00:06:57,077 - Have you seen it? - I haven't, no. Is it any good? 150 00:06:57,168 --> 00:07:01,401 - MAN: No. It's shit. - Oh, just riff-raff everywhere. 151 00:07:01,808 --> 00:07:04,243 We actually enjoyed having normal conversations with him 152 00:07:04,328 --> 00:07:06,888 about pasta and the congestion charge. 153 00:07:06,968 --> 00:07:10,324 - You know, he's... - He's got some very strong views. 154 00:07:11,488 --> 00:07:12,558 About pasta. 155 00:07:12,648 --> 00:07:15,800 "They should extend it to Kensington. It's crazy." 156 00:07:15,888 --> 00:07:18,482 - I think I've sold out, to be honest, but... - Yeah. 157 00:07:18,568 --> 00:07:19,888 It's difficult, innit? When they... 158 00:07:19,968 --> 00:07:21,879 To keep your integrity when you're going for that first... 159 00:07:21,968 --> 00:07:24,926 # The little fat man who sold his soul 160 00:07:25,008 --> 00:07:26,043 The little? 161 00:07:26,128 --> 00:07:28,847 # Little fat man who sold his dream # 162 00:07:31,528 --> 00:07:35,601 He's so funny as well. He's so funny and clever and erudite, 163 00:07:35,688 --> 00:07:39,363 and his humour's so dry that he'll just suck you in. 164 00:07:39,448 --> 00:07:42,759 He'll just start telling you these ridiculous things, and you go, "Really?" 165 00:07:42,848 --> 00:07:48,446 And he's lying, he's just making stuff up, and he does it with such a straight face. 166 00:07:48,688 --> 00:07:51,521 He's a really good comic performer. 167 00:07:52,008 --> 00:07:53,999 What made me want to do a British sitcom? 168 00:07:54,088 --> 00:07:58,605 Well, as you probably know, my background's in serious acting 169 00:07:58,688 --> 00:08:01,680 before I started doing the writing-singing thing. 170 00:08:01,768 --> 00:08:06,365 So something like doing the Extras is a piece of cake for me, really. 171 00:08:06,968 --> 00:08:09,437 And it was fun working with Rick, showing him pointers, 172 00:08:09,528 --> 00:08:11,485 maybe new ways of approaching comedy 173 00:08:11,568 --> 00:08:14,481 that he hadn't really thought about before, I think. 174 00:08:14,568 --> 00:08:17,765 # He's so depressed at being hated 175 00:08:17,848 --> 00:08:19,839 # Fatty takes his own life 176 00:08:19,928 --> 00:08:21,999 - Fatty? Fatso? - Fatso, I like fatso. 177 00:08:22,088 --> 00:08:23,123 Yeah, let's go with fatso. 178 00:08:23,208 --> 00:08:25,484 When we came up with the idea of doing a song, 179 00:08:25,568 --> 00:08:28,447 he said he would do the lyrics with Stephen, 180 00:08:28,528 --> 00:08:33,045 and I said, "That would be great. I'd love that to happen," and I'd do the melody. 181 00:08:33,128 --> 00:08:37,679 But then I'd give him some jokes for future episodes of Extras. 182 00:08:37,768 --> 00:08:41,762 So I gave him a couple of my better things. There's one 183 00:08:42,888 --> 00:08:46,483 that I think he's doing in the Sir Ian McKellen show. 184 00:08:46,568 --> 00:08:49,720 It's, "Yeah, you and whose army?" 185 00:08:49,808 --> 00:08:55,486 (CHUCKLING) Which, it's like... That's an example of the kind of thing that I've got. 186 00:08:55,568 --> 00:08:57,844 And there were a couple more. 187 00:08:57,928 --> 00:09:01,444 "If you keep looking like that, your face will stay like it." 188 00:09:01,528 --> 00:09:05,567 That's... That's really quite a zinger, isn't it? 189 00:09:05,648 --> 00:09:09,278 And that's the kind of thing, you see? So I've been writing jokes for him. 190 00:09:09,368 --> 00:09:12,724 And he assures me they'll be in the future episodes. 191 00:09:13,208 --> 00:09:16,564 So it's been very fulfilling, this whole experience. 192 00:09:18,328 --> 00:09:22,925 ALL: # He's banal and facile He's a fat waste of space 193 00:09:23,008 --> 00:09:27,002 # See his pug-nosed face 194 00:09:27,088 --> 00:09:30,160 # Pug, pug, pug, pug 195 00:09:30,248 --> 00:09:31,283 Again! 196 00:09:31,368 --> 00:09:33,644 ALL: # See his pug-nosed face 197 00:09:33,728 --> 00:09:34,798 # Yeah 198 00:09:34,888 --> 00:09:37,960 # Pug, pug, pug, pug # 199 00:09:38,048 --> 00:09:42,485 The only frustration with working with someone who you consider a living genius 200 00:09:42,568 --> 00:09:46,846 is you feel like somehow you want to be able to crawl inside their head and figure out 201 00:09:46,928 --> 00:09:49,647 what makes them tick, and how they write those songs and things. 202 00:09:49,728 --> 00:09:51,639 And, of course, there's no way you can, so... 203 00:09:51,728 --> 00:09:53,765 Are you talking about me? Or are you talking about David Bowie? 204 00:09:53,848 --> 00:09:54,997 - David Bowie. - Oh, sorry. 205 00:09:55,088 --> 00:09:58,922 -"Living genius", those are the keywords. - I could tell you how I work. I could tell you. 206 00:09:59,008 --> 00:10:00,840 No, I was talking about David Bowie, "living genius". 207 00:10:00,928 --> 00:10:04,284 Yeah, I know, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. He is, too. 208 00:10:04,368 --> 00:10:08,202 What you've got to bear in mind is, it's not for you to presume that you're a genius, 209 00:10:08,288 --> 00:10:10,723 that's always for other people to say, Rick. You can't... 210 00:10:10,808 --> 00:10:12,606 Oh, shut up. 211 00:10:13,008 --> 00:10:16,683 No, I'm saying you may not be a living genius. 212 00:10:17,208 --> 00:10:18,687 I may not be? 213 00:10:19,488 --> 00:10:24,722 It's not for us to say, is it? If other people want to say it, that's fine. 214 00:10:24,808 --> 00:10:27,243 - No, I'm saying they're not saying it. - Oh, shut up.