Ricky Gervais bids farewell to Brandy from After Life with a heartfelt post

On January 22, 2025, comedian, writer, actor, producer, director, and musician Ricky Gervais, best known for his roles in shows like The Office (UK version) and After Life, took to Instagram to share some sad news. He announced that Vislor Antilly, who portrayed Tony Johnson's (Gervais' character from After Life) four-legged companion, Brandy, in the series, had sadly passed away.

He posted a picture of himself with Antilly and expressed his feelings in a heartfelt message:

"Sad News. ‘Anti’, who played ‘Brandy’ in AfterLife, has died. She was 13 and a very good girl."

His post received an outpouring of love from his followers, who filled the comments section with support and words of affirmation. Fans of the show agreed that Anti/Brandy was a wonderful dog who played a crucial role in keeping Tony alive and thriving throughout the series.

One user wrote:

"She saved Tonys life, more than once."

Another follower also echoed a similar sentiment and said:

"She was the biggest reason Tony Johnson was still alive... goodbye Brandy."

Disclaimer: This article includes discussions around sensitive topics that may be triggering to some. Kindly read with caution.

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Brandy from After Life has passed away

Vislor Antilly, the talented German Shepherd who portrayed Brandy in Netflix's black comedy-drama series After Life, has sadly passed away. She was 13 years old when she died at her home in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

The news was initially announced on Antilly's official Instagram account, which included a touching video tribute showcasing a collection of her photos. This tribute highlighted her contributions and the affection she garnered from fans and colleagues.

The caretakers of the Antilly shared a message alongside the video that read:

"Vislor Antilly, After Life's Brandy, has sadly passed away. We already miss her terribly. Sleep well."

The announcement of her passing quickly spread across the internet, and soon after, Ricky Gervais paid a touching tribute to her in a previously mentioned post.

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Brandy's relationship with Tony in the show

Tony and Brandy shared a beautiful bond in After Life (Image via Instagram/Netflix)

After Life, created, written, directed, and starring Ricky Gervais as Tony Johnson, told the story of a man grappling with the loss of his wife, Lisa. They were what many would consider true soulmates.

Hence, when Lisa passed away from cancer, Tony found himself drowning in despair, feeling hopeless and suicidal.

To cope with his grief, he often displayed a brutally honest and crass demeanor, which could be off-putting to those around him.

In the early episodes of the show and some later ones, Tony struggled to perform everyday tasks or engage in meaningful conversations with his family and friends who genuinely cared about him.

However, he shared a deep bond with Brandy, his German Shepherd dog, who remained by his side throughout his journey with grief. Each day, despite his overwhelming sadness, he chose to get out of bed and live despite his unwillingness, honoring his promise to Lisa to take care of her.

This commitment to his wife’s memory kept him going in the hardest of days, as he knew he must be there to look after Brandy.

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About the show

The official synopsis for After Life from Netflix closely resembles the previously mentioned details, but it's presented more concisely. It states:

"Struggling to come to terms with his wife's death, a writer for a newspaper adopts a gruff new persona in an effort to push away those trying to help."

The show stars Ricky Gervais as Tony Johnson, the head of feature stories at the Tambury Gazette (a local newspaper). It also features Tom Basden, Tony Way, Kerry Godliman, Diane Morgan, and Ashley Jensen in the roles of Matt, Lenny, Lisa, Kath, and Emma, respectively.

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All episodes of After Life are currently streaming on Netflix.