He wrote and directed the films Cemetery Junction in 2010 and Fighting with My Family in 2019, and starred in, co-wrote, co-produced, and co-directed the comedy crime series The Outlaws (2021–present).

"[10] He also appeared as a contestant on a 1997 episode of the TV game show Blockbusters[11] and worked for a short time as a DJ for Radio Caroline.

As part of his coursework, he enlisted Gervais to perform in a 30-minute short film, "Seedy Boss", which became the earliest inspiration for their mock documentary The Office.

Merchant also directed a sitcom pilot called The Last Chancers, which aired on Comedy Lab in November 2002 and became a five-part series broadcast in December on E4.

During 2004, Merchant appeared in a recurring role as a chef on Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and in a cameo on Green Wing, and served as a script associate on the Chris Morris and Charlie Brooker sitcom Nathan Barley.

[20] In July 2005, following a brief return of the XFM radio show (filling in for Adam and Joe), Gervais and Merchant's new sitcom Extras premiered on BBC Two.

It features Merchant in a supporting role as Darren Lamb, the incompetent agent to struggling actor Andy Millman, played by Gervais.

[23] In January 2007, Merchant began hosting his own radio show on BBC 6 Music, airing weekly on Sunday afternoons.

He appeared in a revue, called Rubbernecker, at the Café Royal, as part of the 2001 Edinburgh Fringe,[26] alongside Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr and Robin Ince.

[29] In an interview with Marc Maron, Merchant listed Eddie Izzard, Stewart Lee, Ross Noble and Jimmy Carr as stand-up comedians he admired and John Cleese as his main comedic influence.

Merchant's sitcom Hello Ladies premiered on 29 September 2013 on HBO, in which he played Stuart Pritchard, a website designer in Los Angeles who unsuccessfully chases beautiful women.

On television, Merchant made a cameo appearance in a non-speaking role on the sixth-season premiere of 24; he also starred as a sports commentator in the unaired pilot No Skillz.

In 2009, Merchant and Gervais collaborated on the film Cemetery Junction, set in working-class England in the 1970s, which received mixed reviews on release in 2010.

Later in 2010, Gervais and Merchant wrote, and had cameo roles in, Life's Too Short, a television show starring Warwick Davis.

In 2011, Merchant lent his voice to the CGI film Gnomeo & Juliet and had a role in the Farrelly brothers' comedy Hall Pass.

[37] Merchant is the voice of Wheatley in Valve's 2011 video game Portal 2,[38] a role which earned him widespread acclaim among reviewers.

[43] He is an executive producer for the Spike show Lip Sync Battle and, in July 2015, Merchant opened his first play, The Mentalists by Richard Bean, alongside Steffan Rhodri in London's West End.

[45] Merchant, along with John Krasinski and Allyson Seeger, are executive producers of Dream Corp, LLC, an animated series created by Daniel Stessen on Adult Swim that ran for three seasons starting in 2016.

[47] Merchant also appeared as Nazi Gestapo leader Captain Deertz in director Taika Waititi's Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit.

The film depicts the career of English professional wrestler Saraya Bevis as she makes her way up WWE, and starred Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden, as well as Dwayne Johnson (who also served as a co-producer).

[50] In 2021, Merchant appeared in The Outlaws, a crime thriller comedy drama set in Bristol, which he also co-created, co-wrote, co-produced, and co-directed.

[58] Standing 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) tall with a lanky frame,[59] Merchant once had his dance moves likened by Ricky Gervais to an "upright lizard being given electroshock treatment.

[61] Karl Pilkington described Merchant's dancing as a "bit of weird art"[62] but has since "got used to him", while Russell Brand likened him to a "graceful grasshopper".

[65] Before the 2010 UK general election, Merchant was one of 48 celebrities who signed a letter opposing the Conservative Party's policy on the BBC.