‘After Life’: Ricky Gervais on Playing a Bitter, ‘Mean’ Widower in Netflix Dark Comedy

Watch out, world: Newspaper writer Tony has a lot to say, and you may not like it.

Bereft when his wife, Lisa (Kerry Godliman), unexpectedly dies, the bitter Tony (Ricky Gervais) begins voicing all of his darkest thoughts in After Life, the black comedy that Gervais also wrote and directed.

“Tony gets pretty mean, but only because he is in pain and his life has fallen apart,” Gervais says. “His wife was his reason to live, and he wants to punish the world to make himself feel a tiny bit better for a split second.”

Gervais gets help stirring things up in Life from fellow British talents like his Extras costar Ashley Jensen and Games of Thrones’ Tony Way. The results are hilariously jarring — and possibly a chance for Tony to heal.

“Through the kindness of friends, family and even strangers, Tony can be saved,” Gervais says. “But he has to want to be saved. That’s the tricky bit.”

After Life, Series Premiere, Friday, March 8, Netflix