Ricky Gervais 'has perfect comedy face'
Ricky Gervais has a "big fat girly face"
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Friday, 10, Nov 2006 11:29
Ricky Gervais' success may not just be down to his comic timing and witty one-liners, but also to his face.
According to Dr Anthony Little, a lecturer in psychology from the University of Stirling, Gervais, star of The Office and Extras, has the perfect features for comedy.
Dr Little studied the faces of 20 comedians including Jack Dee, Jimmy Carr, Tommy Cooper and Peter Kay. He then fused their features together to create an image representing the perfect comedy face, with the composite most similar to Gervais.
The winning look is said to consist of a round face, large eyes and soft features.
Gervais said that he was "shocked" by Dr Little's study.
He said: "All these years I assumed my global success as a comedian was down to my acute observations, expert directorial rendering and consummate skills as a performer - turns out it's because I've got a fat girly face."
Dr Little commented: "The features most likely to mark male comedians out for success are predominantly soft and feminine. The face is a strong indication of character and the study appears to explain why comedians of a certain appearance would have been drawn to their career.
"The characteristics of a feminine face imply the person may be agreeable and co-operative, which can be causal in our first impressions of comedians as being friendly and funny.
Dr Little added: "In the same way infants are pre-programmed to respond to the warmth and approachability of a mother's face, soft, feminine features put us at ease and encourage us to relax. This is conducive to laughter and enjoyment."