(Credits: Far Out / Universal Pictures)
Thu 2 October 2025 1:30, UK
Kristen Wiig is one funny lady. In an era of Hollywood where comedies have been on the back foot for quite some time, her name is one that continues to get people through the doors.
Alongside her stellar acumen for nailing punchlines and performing bizarre characters, she’s also an accomplished writer. Not many people have earned an Oscar nomination for penning a comedic screenplay, but that’s just how good she is. She was also named one of PETA’s ‘Sexiest Vegans’ in 2011. That has nothing to do with her work, it’s just a fun fact.
As well as being incredibly funny herself, the ‘Despicable Me’ star has also worked with pretty much every major name in modern American comedy. On the set of Bridesmaids, the instant classic that Wiig oddly refuses to watch back, she mixed it up with Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, and Melissa McCarthy. During her seven years on Saturday Night Live, she was part of a revolving cast that included Tina Fey, Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, Amy Poehler, and many more.
When you’ve had the pick of the comedic litter for so many years, it’s almost easier to name the people you haven’t worked with enough. Wiig was asked this very question by Stylist, and the answer she gave might have taken a few people by surprise.
“The person I’d most like to work with again is Ricky Gervais,” she said. “People always ask me how to describe my humour and this is the closest thing… I just gravitate to silliness. You can tell he’s the sort of person who doesn’t rehearse in front of the mirror every day, and The Office is just so captivating, the way he observes life”.
Wiig had previously collaborated with the English comedian on the 2008 film Ghost Town. Gervais, in his first leading film role, plays a dentist living in America with the power to communicate with the deceased. Instead of going down a horror route, the narrative makes it very clear that Gervais’ character is merely annoyed by the ethereal presence. Wiig plays one of the dentist’s colleagues, which explains why they spent so much time together.
This interview was conducted back in 2010. Since then, Gervais’ public persona has undergone several radical swings. Though nostalgia is still strong for his work on The Office and his podcast with Karl Pilkington, many people have turned against his ‘edgelord’ brand of comedy in increasingly polarising times. His acting career has also dropped off significantly from its heyday.
It would be very interesting to know whether or not Wiig is still so keen to collaborate with Gervais again after so many years. Has his increasingly unsavoury style alienated her like it has with so many others? Or does she still enjoy the idea of hanging out with David Brent?
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