Ricky Gervais’ After Life has been met with a phenomenal critical response across the board. It tackles an incredibly difficult subject matter with poise and precision while delivering on humor. Of course, it’s nowhere near as funny as his masterpiece (The Office) but he has managed to retain his gift for writing great characters. Season one of the show introduced us to a group of characters who mostly remained situated in one place as we learned about their personality before season two allowed them to roam a lot more freely and occasionally cross over.
Here's how the Myers-Briggs® test would judge the personality type of each of the show’s most important characters.
Tony (INTJ)
The central character in After Life is Ricky Gervais’ own Tony. He is the centerpiece of the show and the point through which each character communicates. He may have the classic God-complex issue that many Gervais characters have, but in general, he falls under the INTJ type.
This type is strategic and independent (both of those things are very much felt towards the start of the show) but it is their intention to achieve improvement that really defines Tony after he decides to get better.
Matt (ESTJ)
Matt is the editor of the Tambury Gazette and Tony’s brother-in-law. He has taken the death of Lisa a lot better than Tony but still shows himself to be rather emotionally vulnerable at times.
The ESTJ type reflects his realism and dependability, while the very fact that he is in charge of the paper reflects his efficiency.
Kath (INFP)
The northern advertising specialist Kath is a bouncy lady fond of various controversial conspiracies and cons.
Her INFP type is built on her sensitivities and desire for inner harmony, even if much of her inner harmony comes from things like healing crystals.
Sandy (ISFJ)
One of the most caring and kind characters in all of After Life is Mandeep Dhillon’s Sandy.
She is brand new at the paper when the show starts, but still manages to quietly take care of and look out for her co-workers, something we see her maintaining in her home life in season two. Her ISFJ type is clearly centered on her considerate, caring nature.
Ray (ESFP)
Tony’s father, Ray, is nearing the end of his life throughout After Life and isn’t in full control of his mental capacities. A brief flashback to Tony and Lisa’s wedding is the only time we get to see him in his prime, and it shows a smiling, happy man.
As such, an ESFP personality type links him to his kind heart and playfulness. Even when speaking nonsensically in his care home, his playfulness still comes through.
Lisa (ENFP)
After Life begins a little while after Lisa’s tragic death from cancer. As such, we never get to see how she would interact with the depressed Tony. Thanks to the videos he kept, we still get a clear window into her ENFP personality.
Despite having a terminal illness, she remains optimistic and supportive of Tony, while believing that he can carry on without her.
Lenny (ESFJ)
One of the strangest characters in the show is Lenny, Tony’s close friend and photographer. While Lenny doesn’t actively show love for his job, he does always seem to be on top of things with his camera and seems genuinely interested in the lives of the strange people he and Tony talk to.
The ESFJ type also seeks to please others, something Lenny does by making everyone around him laugh.
Emma (ISFJ)
Despite being overcome with grief at the loss of Lisa, Tony meets Emma while visiting his dad and the two start up a complex romantic relationship that neither is able to find consistency in until the very end of season two.
Her ISFJ type is nicknamed ‘The Protector’, which suits her occupation perfectly.
The Psychiatrist (ESTP)
The only truly bad character in After Life is the unnamed psychiatrist. He is hired to help a few of the central characters but consistently gives terrible and downright offensive advice.
Many of the MBT’s are centered on positive attributes, so the ESTP and its focus on outgoingness, spontaneity, and negotiation manages to avoid any connection to goodness.
Anne (ESFP)
Tony’s mother-figure Anne, played by Penelope Wilton, is one of the most likable characters in the entire show.
The two meet almost exclusively by Lisa’s grave and she demonstrates her ability to give genuine, realistic help to Tony in dealing with grief. As such, her personality is a clear ESFP.
Pat (INTJ)
Pat’s incredible gift for humor was underused in season one, so by season two, he had become a much more relevant and important character.
His INTJ personality is actually the same as Tony’s, as while he is often outwardly cynical, he seems to simultaneously demonstrate a real desire to better himself.
Daphne (ISTJ)
Gervais does particularly well in his representation of sex workers in After Life. Daphne is a sex worker, but this doesn’t take control of her personality, meaning we are provided a well-rounded and kind-hearted character separate from her occupation.
Her ISTJ type reflects her ability to judge character and find the genuine kindness buried within Tony.
Brian (ENFP)
While he is basically playing the same character he played on Derek, David Earl’s Brian is arguably the funniest thing about the show.
He may be a hoarder with a vulgar mind, but he is centered on enthusiasm and creativity underneath his strange exterior.