Darkweasel wrote:the one thing I can't stand is when the Americans chuck him into films and get him to play exactly the same character as David Brent (See Night at the Museum for proof) instead of seeing if he can do anything different.

To be honest, I think he's quite a one dimensional character actor, and to that extent he's a much better writer than an actor.

Look at the Extras Xmas Special for example - at times Andy Millman simply WAS Brent. That scene with the reporter from the Guardian was TOTAL Brent - he even had a line about "saving the Ethiopians".

So it hasn't surprised me at all when I've seen clips of his film roles, and it makes me wonder how he'll get away with acting in future projects of his without recreating the same mannerisms yet again.

Who knows, maybe he has more up his sleeve!

Maybe he isn't a character actor its more likely when he writes he makes the main character himself and doesn't have to act.

Indeed. Millman was like Brent because they are both Ricky Gervais. Brent was more of a 'character' though, whereas I think Millman was very much more based on Gervais, at least with his views and annoyances with the world if not quite his entire personality. Gervais always says in interviews (and Millman said it in the last episode of the first series of Extras), 'write about what you know', and that's precisely what he does. This is why both shows have integrity and goodness.

Millman is a gag man, but Brent is more character based... but Ricky Gervais can do gags as well...