Hours after he finished hosting the Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais received word of David Bowie’s death. The 69-year-old British rockstar died Sunday after an 18-month battle with cancer, according to a statement posted on his official social media accounts.
Read More: David Bowie, Legendary Rock Artist, Dead at 69
Gervais tweeted about the death of his “hero” shortly after the news broke.
Gervais, a lifelong Bowie fan, met the singer back in 2006 when he made a cameo in an episode of Gervais’s BBC comedy, Extras. In the scene, Gervais plays Andy Millman, an actor who’s landed a starring role on a sitcom, but isn’t entirely pleased with how his fame is turning out. He begins a conversation with Bowie but soon becomes the subject of the Starman’s latest song, a humiliating ode called “Little Fat Man.”
During an interview with the Telegraph in 2006, the comedian spoke about how much Bowie meant to him.”He’s a hero, and I feel obliged to admit how important he has been to me,” Gervais said. “Apart from Mohammed Ali, there hasn’t been anyone else who has come close as an icon. I’ve been a fan for about 35 years and now a friend for a couple.”
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