Warwick Davis says ‘Life’s Too Short’ was "ahead of its time" as he defends Ricky Gervais.
The 49-year-old actor collaborated with the 58-year-old comedian and Stephen Merchant, 44, on the 2011 mockumentary, in which he played an arrogant version of himself at the helm of a talent agency of dwarves.
Although the series came under heavy criticism at the time, he told the MailOnline: "As with much of Ricky’s work it was ahead of it’s time. It was misunderstood as a sitcom and what we were trying to achieve… In time it settled in nicely. Some people really enjoyed it.
"There was no malice, I created it with [Ricky and Stephen]… It’s not like there’s a manipulation, which some people thought, "We were holding a mirror to society and saying this is what it can be like and this is what you can be like. Some of these things are a mis-reaction to what I’m saying."
Warwick – who was born with a rare condition called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED) – never grew taller than 3’6", and while he admitted Ricky pushes "boundaries" but every joke is carefully planned out.
He added: "Ricky does push the boundaries but he’ll never make a joke and not be able to explain it or have an answer it. Whereas other comedy can be not so well thought through and cause real offence…
"He is a much more intelligent comedian than to fall into that trap. He’s a really nice guy. I worked with him on various projects. I re-watched ‘Extras’ recently and some of the issues he tackles are just oh so clever…"
Warwick Davis defends Ricky Gervais over criticism
