Ricky Gervais recalls Patrick Stewart’s unforgettable Extras cameo that took 45 takes

Ricky Gervais has paid tribute to Sir Patrick Stewart following the legendary British actor’s death at 86.

The X-Men star’s family confirmed that he passed away at his home in Los Angeles on Thursday following a brief ”journey” with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

Following the news, Gervais shared a blooper reel from Sir Patrick’s 2005 appearance on his sitcom, Extras.

The clips showed the comedian frequently bursting out laughing as Sir Patrick tried to deliver lines about a fictional script centred on a character using mind control to take women’s clothes off.

Gervais captioned the post: “RIP Patrick Stewart. What an actor. I still can’t believe he agreed to do this scene. And he didn’t even mind when I ruined every take. Legend.”

RIP Patrick Stewart. What an actor. I still can’t believe he agreed to do this scene. And he didn’t even mind when I ruined every take. Legend. pic.twitter.com/QazyDScCOU

— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) October 29, 2026

Sir Patrick’s appearance in Extras earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, while the scene took around 45 takes.

In his memoir Making It So, Star Trek star recalled: “Ricky burst into peals of laughter that he simply couldn’t bring to a stop.

“‘Knickers’ was the specific word that first set him off. But soon it was anything I said. The more seriously I behaved, the more Ricky laughed.”

Tributes have continued to pour out for the veteran of stage and screen.

In a similar post on social media, actor Riz Ahmed praised Sir Patrick’s appearance in his 2026 Amazon Prime comedy-drama, Bait.

“If you’ve seen Bait, you’ll know there is a very important and very strange voice role at the heart of it,” wrote Ahmed on Facebook alongside a photo of him and Sir Patrick in a voice recording studio.

“Mine and my co-showrunner Ben Karlin dream first choice and truly the only person we thought could pull it off was [Sir Patrick]… and we still can’t believe he said yes! He is the benchmark of artistic greatness, longevity, and a living legend,” he continued.

“... Working with him and witnessing first hand his gigantic talent and huge heart was one of the most humbling, & incredible experiences of my career.

“Thank you Sir Patrick for being the don that you are, and taking our show to another level.”

The actor’s final performance will arrive this Christmas, with Stewart reprising his Professor X role in Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday.

He is survived by his wife, Sunny Ozell, and his two children, Daniel and Sophie Stewart.

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