Brow Beat

David Bowie’s Best TV Appearance Ever Was This Bit From Ricky Gervais’ Extras    

On Sunday, two days after his 69th birthday—and the release of his new album BlackstarDavid Bowie died after an 18-month battle with cancer. In addition to his contributions to the music and fashion worlds, Bowie was captivating on camera. He appeared in a wide range of movies including The Prestige, Zoolander, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With MeThe Man Who Fell to Earthand of course the unforgettably bizarre Labyrinth. He also made a couple of TV appearances, the most memorable of which was in Ricky Gervais’ Extras.

In his Extras segment, Bowie gleefully sings an ode to Gervais’ downtrodden actor character titled “Little Fat Man.” As Bowie sings “He’s got no style, he’s got no grace/ He’s banal and facile, he’s a fat waste of space,” it’s hard to decide whether to laugh or sing along.  

Read more in Slate about David Bowie.