Andy Millman

Andy Millman (left) and Darren Lamb

Andy Millman is a fictional actor and a fictional character from the BBC/HBO co-production Extras, played by Ricky Gervais. Millmanleft his steady day job at a bank in order to pursue his dream of acting, a dream endlessly frustrated by his incompetent agent Darren Lamb (played by Stephen Merchant) and circumstances which seem to conspire against him. For a time, the only work he can get is as an extra. His best friend is Maggie Jacobs (played by Ashley Jensen), but her desire to help coupled with a non-existent internal censor means she often causes more harm than anything.

At the end of Series 1, Millman successfully managed to sell a sitcom he wrote called When The Whistle Blows, which was a commercial but not a critical success. Andy plays the main character named Ray Stokes, a ridiculous and pathetic factory supervisor. Series 2 shows the production of the sitcom as well as Andy's mixed feelings throughout. Was he indeed a "little fat man who sold his soul"?

Ricky as Andy as Ray

Unlike David Brent, Millman makes little or no attempt to be liked and is often downright rude, but still comes across as being a much more likable character than Brent. This may be due to his greater sense of self-awareness and intelligence when compared to Brent. Millman is all too aware of when he has stepped over the line and become genuinely offensive (although this doesn't stop him). Also unlike Brent, who was largely in denial about the world around him, Millman is a more bitter and cynical character with a more realistic appraisal of the world and how it works.

External links

• HBO Character Profile
• BBC Character Profile