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When actor, comedian, writer and director Stephen Merchant was in high school he was cast as a "comedy reverend" in a play written by his drama teacher. His character judged a dance contest and, at the end, would open an envelope to announce the winners. But one performance, he got the idea to open the envelope and say, "The winners are a pint of milk and two loaves of bread… oh, I'm sorry that's my wife's shopping list." The parents in the audience, eager to laugh, did, and Merchant thought, "Well, I'm a comic genius." And you know what? He's right.

Stephen Merchant co-created The Outlaws with filmmaker Elgin James.

Merchant, the co-creator behind shows like The Office, Extras and Life's Too Short, has proved time and time again that he is funny and inventive. That might be one of the reasons why he's won two Golden Globe Awards, kontol bernanah three BAFTA Awards and an Emmy.

His latest project is the second season of the Amazon Prime Video series The Outlaws which he co-created, and for which he wrote and directed many of the episodes. The comedy/drama series follows a bunch of people doing community service for minor crimes and how they get entangled in something much bigger and more dangerous. The show is focused on an ensemble of actors that includes Merchant and Christopher Walken.