The Apprentice (tv program)

Ricky Gervais doesn't understand why you're so afraid of him.

"People come up to me and say, 'Oh, I was scared to ask for your autograph in case you put me down,'" Gervais says in a hushed tone during a recent interview in New York. "No, no, I would never do that."

It's not difficult to understand this misperception. Ever since "The Office" catapulted him to global fame a dozen years ago, the writer, director, actor and professional provocateur has come to be synonymous with a brand of humor that, although never truly mean-spirited, is fueled by discomfort.

Enjoying Gervais' work, whether he's ridiculing Hollywood's A-listers to their...