Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English writer, director, radio presenter, comedian and actor. He is best known for his collaborations with Ricky Gervais, as the co-writer and co-director of the popular British sitcom The Office, as the co-writer, co-director and a co-star of Extras, and as the co-host of The Ricky Gervais Show in its radio, podcast, audiobook and television-show forms. The Ricky Gervais Show in radio form won a bronze Sony Award, though at the time Gervais and Merchant were quick to dismiss the award on air as unbecoming of a rising star of Gervais’s stature. Merchant appeared in the BBC TV series Life’s Too Short in which he co-wrote and co-directed. He also voiced the character Wheatley in the popular 2011 video game Portal 2, co-developed the Sky1 travel series An Idiot Abroad, and performs as a stand-up comedian. He has won three BAFTA Awards, four British Comedy Awards and an Emmy Award.