Gervais: 'Everything's from 'The Office'

Ricky Gervais has insisted that he believes acclaimed actors and celebrities only appear in his films because they're fans of The Office.

The Invention Of Lying star has said that the only reason why actors such as Edward Norton and Philip Seymour Hoffman are interested in working with him is because of the success of the mockumentary television series.

Gervais said: "That's the best thing about fame - the access. I'd like to think that I'd be their friend if I'd just written and directed The Office and had not been in it, but I probably wouldn't have been on their radar. Everything has come from The Office.

"When The Office came out, if there was an article about office chairs there'd be a picture of David Brent. Once, right, on the front cover of the paper, there was a story about a boss who'd groped a woman and was guilty of misconduct, and because she had said, 'He was sliming up to me like David Brent', they had put a picture of me in there! Surely a picture of the bloke would have been better?"

The Invention Of Lying is currently in UK and US cinemas.