Ricky Gervais has paid a heartbreaking tribute to his former co-star, who died in January, on what would have been their 14th birthday. The comedian shared the sad news earlier this year that his fellow After Life companion, Anti, who played a massive role in the Netflix series, had passed away. Anti, a German Shepherd canine, played the role of 'Brandy' for three seasons. In a statement four months ago, Ricky said, “Sad News. 'Anti’, who played 'Brandy’ in After Life, has died. She was 13 and a very good girl." He has now shared another emotional post marking the canine's birthday.
Sharing a photo of himself sitting on a bench with Anti, Ricky wrote, "She would’ve been 14 today. Good girl" with a heart emoji. Ricky Gervais, who is a significant animal advocate and prolific social media user, also changed the banner on his X account to a photo of him and Anti.
In addition to appearing in the hit Netflix series, Anti was featured in films such as Tom Cruise’s Edge of Tomorrow, George Clooney’s The Midnight Sun, and The Boys in the Boat.
One of Ricky's fans replied in the comments section to his post, "We don’t own animals. We have the privilege of sharing space and time with them. Can’t imagine any moment of life without them. She’s so beautiful." [sic]
A second person also said, "Happy Heavenly Birthday", and a third person also said, "Awww .. such a beautiful picture. Happy birthday to your baby in heaven."
According to the BBC, Anti’s last credited role was in July of 2024 when they appeared in the British crime drama Midsomer Murders, where they played a retired police dog who makes a crime bust.
When Anti died, the dog advocacy organization Betsy, Beagle Ambassador from FLOE, wrote in a post, “Oh no, I’m in floods of tears. That’s so sad. What a brilliant dog, a brilliant inspiration in #AfterLife & an eternal screen icon, for the lifesaving love us dogs have for our humans. I love you Anti, run free over the rainbow bridge.”
All three seasons of After Life, starring Gervais and Anti, are streaming on Netflix.
