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Daily Record
Entertainment
Magdalene Dalziel & Zoe Delaney

Ricky Gervais' high profile spat with 'privileged' Tom Hanks after 'high horse' comments

Ricky Gervais has been known to wind up some of the biggest names in showbiz.

During his multiple stints at hosting the Golden Globes, the creator of The Office has never shied away from a joke at the world's most famous celebrities.

He's taken swipes at the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Mel Gibson and many more over the years.

Some took it well - with Titanic star Leo laughing off the comedian's jibe about his penchant for younger women.

But sometimes the comic, 60, comes up against an industry giant who isn't too impressed with his words.

(Internet Unknown)

Tom Hanks became a reaction meme back in 2020, when a photographer caught the Oscar winner looked not-best-pleased with Ricky's stream of controversial gags whilst sitting in the audience at the Golden Globes.

When the Afterlife star then reflected on the reaction later that same year, he accused the legendary actor of being on his "high-horse", after he failed to crack a smile following his jokes about "woke" culture.

Speaking on Christian O'Connell's Stuff Of Legends podcast in November 2020, Ricky said: "The big meme was Tom Hanks going: 'Why is he saying that?'

"And people are going, 'Oh look he's on his high horse'. But when Leonardo DiCaprio laughed, people loved him for it.

"I could say a lot worse things about them, but I don't want it to get really nasty and for no reason."

He added: "I think people who laugh at a joke, they get a round of applause because people go, 'Oh that's good, they can take it,' we don't want people to be above it.

"We even let people be privileged as long as they say, 'I know I'm privileged but I'm nothing really,' we don't like people to go 'Oh I deserve it, how dare you talk to me like that'.

"And we sense that, if we really think these people start believing their own hype, we want to bring them down a peg or two."

The two had another encounter on stage in 2011 involving Home Improvement star Tim Allen.

Introducing Tom and Tim on stage at the Golden Globes that year, Ricky told the audience: "What can I say about our next two presenters?"

The first is an actor, producer and director whose movies have grossed over $3.5bn at thebox office. He’s won two Academy Awards and three Golden Globes for his powerful and varied performances, starring in such films as Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Castaway, Apollo 13 and Saving Private Ryan. The other... is Tim Allen."

Despite not being a professional comedian, Tom hit back with a perfect response.

"We remember when Ricky Gervais was a slightly chubby but very kind comedian – neither of which he is now," the Castaway star quipped when he and Tim arrived on stage.

(NETFLIX)

In 2020, ahead of hosting the Golden Globes for a fifth time, Ricky admitted it was the one joke he regrets making.

"It’s a fine joke. I’m teasing Tim Allen," the After Life creator told the Hollywood Reporter.

"But anyone standing next to Tom Hanks, unless it’s Dustin Hoffman or Robert Redford or Robert De Niro, that could be me. But it happened to be Tim Allen. And I have nothing against Tim Allen. He’s a good actor. He’s probably a nice bloke."

The comic went on the add that there was no "malice" intending when he cracked the joke, and admitted he didn't want Santa Clause actor Tim to feel targeted by it.

Ricky's comments came just before Tom's infamous reaction to his jokes at the 2020 Golden Globes, and prior to the comedian criticising the actor for not laughing along with his gags.

So it appears the two stars may not have patched things up just yet.

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