He became something of a national treasure and was not afraid to make fun of it – memorably appearing in Ricky Gervais's sitcom Extras, in which he was caught sniffing cocaine in the gents' toilet.
Indeed, Gervais and Merchant first collaborated with Davis on an episode of Extras in which Merchant's character calls Davis a "midget" – a term Martin says "is in line with the word nigger for me".
Bowie's last notable appearance was a walk-on part in an episode of Ricky Gervais's comedy-of-cruelty sitcom, Extras, in which he played a heartless manipulator unaware of his own monumentally self-centred personality.
Ricky Gervais is 50, so he will definitely know that – besides, he tackles the issue in an episode of Extras in which a boy with Down's syndrome is referred to as a "mongoloid".
(Be sure to watch the extras, in which the articulate and insightful comic-book artist Stephen R. Bissette explains why "Danger: Diabolik" is the greatest comics adaptation of the 1960's).
It was also a nod to Winslet's cameo turn in Gervais's TV sitcom Extras, in which she played an Oscar-hungry version of herself, taking a role as a nun in a Nazi drama specifically with the intention of appealing to Academy voters.
It's a bit unfair since, unlike Kingsley, he can send himself up, calling himself "Serena" as a camp play on "Sir Ian" and appearing recently in an episode of Extras in which he pondered, "How do I act so well?
The comedian continued his successful run by beating co-star and co-writer Stephen Merchant to the best comedy performance award for his portrayal of Andy Millman in Extras, in which the former bit-part actor hit the big time but sold his soul.
And then we watched the DVD extras, in which we found an illuminating little depth charge hidden among the nostalgia and the bloopers: It was probably may have been my idea that she should be a bit less posh than him, because we couldn't see otherwise what would have attracted them to each other.
And then we watched the DVD extras, in which we found an illuminating little depth charge hidden among the nostalgia and the bloopers: It was probably — may have been — my idea that she should be a bit less posh than him, because we couldn't see otherwise what would have attracted them to each other.
