Ricky Gervais explains true significance of After Life characters

Ricky Gervais has explained why certain characters in his hit Netflix show After Life were so important to the story, as well as the true message behind each of them.

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After Life has been arguably one of the biggest shows in recent years. Two season in, Gervais’ story of protagonist Tony suffering through the loss of his wife, Lisa, is one that can pull on the strings of the coldest heart, while also integrating the witty humor Ricky has come to be known for throughout his career.

After Life has been well received by fans and critics alike, with Gervais confirming that a third season is underway already thanks to the reception of the first two.

While fans of the show will closely follow the lives of Tony, love interest Emma and colleague Lenny as some of their favorites, Ricky has spoken about the significance of some of the recurring characters that don’t always get their time in the limelight.

In a series of tweets posted on November 6, Ricky posted about several of the recurring characters in the series and his thought process behind creating them, as well as what they represent in the show.

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As an avid animal lover, Gervais first spoke about his on-screen, four-legged companion Brandy, saying that he gave Tony a dog “to represent stability and unconditional love.”

He also added that the relationship between Tony and Brandy was “a codependency that metaphorically and literally saves his life.”

That wasn’t all, though, as Ricky went on to tweet about Brian, the lovable and somewhat quirky local resident who’s just desperate to feature in the paper. Gervais says that he introduced Brian “to show that everyone, however hopeless and insignificant, has a story to tell.”

Finally, Gervais tweeted about Anne, who Tony frequently meets and befriends at the cemetery as they mourn over their lost spouses.

Anne, he says, “represents wisdom & the kindness of strangers.”

While it’s easy to fall in love with the main characters, sometimes you don’t realize the significance of the recurring characters, and why they’re so integral to the stories being told, and you can clearly tell that Ricky himself is as emotionally attached to these characters as anyone.