Stephen Merchant

Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, actor, director, and writer. Alongside Ricky Gervais, Merchant co-wrote and co-directed the British TV comedy series The Office (2001–2003), and co-wrote, co-directed, and co-starred in Extras (2005–2007) and Life's Too Short (2011–2013). He hosted The Ricky Gervais Show in various formats and provided the voice of Wheatley in the video game Portal 2 (2011). Merchant co-developed An Idiot Abroad (2010–2012) and co-created Lip Sync Battle (2015–present). He also performed as a stand-up comedian and starred in the HBO series Hello Ladies (2013–2014), based on his stand-up material.