That Mr. Merchant is not the traditional leading man comes as little surprise to his fans, not least Mr. Lombardo. “He’s not a man who does a lot of push-ups and biceps curls,” Mr. Lombardo said. “He’s not a leading man in terms of his physique.”

His appeal, Mr. Lombardo said, lies in his intellect and heart. He is not a predictable or a loud comic actor, but a cerebral and understated one. “He can perfectly undercut a moment, and you never know what he’s thinking or what he’s going to do, so he keeps you on the edge of your seat,” said Leigh Kilton-Smith, who directed one of the 24 Hour Plays. “Steve Carell also has that power.”

Mr. Merchant is certainly aware of his differences from Mr. Gervais, who was always center stage.

“When I first met Ricky, he was always the funniest guy in the pub,” Mr. Merchant said. “He was the guy that if you were sat with five people, he was naturally funny, and he just has a sort of charm and charisma that you are drawn to. He is someone you want to listen to. Whereas I am happier to listen in a social group. I’ll only become the storyteller and the joker if I feel like everyone else is letting the team down.”

Mr. Gervais, for his part, said that his former partner’s seriousness was an important part of his comedy.

In the 1990s, the two worked at a London radio station, where they once received a promotional balloon filled with Rice Krispies. Mr. Merchant was quietly sitting and writing, Mr. Gervais said, “and I couldn’t resist popping the balloon over his head. These Rice Krispies went everywhere. And Steve looked around and just went, ‘Oh, now you’ve got to tidy it up.’ He became the teacher. Someone not finding something funny. Which was very funny.”