Ricky Gervais On David Brent Comeback, And How 'Derek' Is Different

Ricky Gervais is not only currently gearing up for the return of his lovable retirement home worker in sitcom Derek, but is also looking forward to bringing back his legendary character, David Brent, from The Office for more television comedy in the near future.

Ricky Gervais Plans To Bring Back David Brent For More Mockumentary Madness.

The highly divisive 52 year-old actor has done an awful lot to further his career since his first appearance onscreen as the inimitable Wernham Hogg general manager but the BBC mockumentary sitcom has become one of Britain's biggest comedy exports and a repetitive focal point for those extolling the work of the Berkshire-born comedian.

Despite reprising his role as Dr McPhee in Night at the Museum 3 this year, Gervais will also find time to tour with Brent's band, Foregone Conclusion, in a series of sold out UK shows. "I didn't want to keep Brent going because I wanted to do other things," Gervais said. "But now I've done other things, it feels safe to revisit it. It's a joy - I got hooked again. I love it, particularly the songs. I'm a failed pop-star and I always sneak a song in," he added.

The Actor Explained How Critics Often Confuse Him With His Characters Or Stand-Up Persona.

Gervais told The Sunday Times that the Foregone Conclusion tour was a "Trojan horse" for a new behind-the-scenes documentary spoof, which is set to be broadcast on either Netflix or the BBC. "It's that safety net. Everyone knows that they're spoof songs, but it's still fun to do - it's still great to be a pretend rock star for a day," he revealed.

See more photos of Ricky Gervais filming the 'Derek' new season in our gallery.

Importantly, Gervais says he needs to mentally distance himself and his own goals from those of Brent: "There's Ricky Gervais in there going, 'I'm a bloody popstar!' I have to keep remembering to do the stupid grin and the overbite to remind people that it's David Brent and that I'm not getting off on selling out these venues. This is not Ricky Gervais reliving his failed pop career," he explained to The Independent.

Gervais Filming 'Derek': The Channel 4 Sitcom Has Proved A Hit For Gervais.

What's more, the actor says he experiences difficulty with those who can't differentiate him from his characters. He points to his fairly new character, Derek, as evidence that his characters are not just projected versions of himself. "Society is so cynical these days, but I see Derek as a really good antidote to that. I have been labelled cynical and a shock comedian, but people confuse lots of things," he said, adding "First of all, they confuse me with David Brent, and they also confuse me with my stand-up persona, which has always been as an arrogant, bigoted fool."

Ricky Gervais & Partner Jane Fallon Arrive At Novak Djokovic's Charity Dinner:

Does he really care what his 'haters' think though? Partly, but mostly not: he admits to being "a complete fascist" in ignoring other people's opinions, sharing "I'd rather be a bad artist than a good critic. You should never change anything because of what a critic says. You can't believe the five-star reviews and then not believe the one-star reviews."

He continued "But now with blogs and Twitter, everyone's opinion is out there en masse, and people give it too much credence. Who cares? If you're worried about what someone says about you in a blog or a Tweet, you may as well go around every public toilet wall and see if you've got a mention."

The second series of Derek starts on 23 April at 10pm on Channel 4.

More: Ricky Gervais forced to pose for urinal photo with fan - read full story.

More: Ricky Gervais could make a Glastonbury Festival debut - find out more.  

David Brent's Band, Foregone Conclusion, Will Be Touring Ahead Of A New TV Appearance.