Ricky Gervais has cleared up a lingering rumour about himself and his show The Office.
Monday marks 20 years since the US remake of The Office began airing on NBC.
The reimagined version of the hit British sitcom saw Steve Carell as its new lead, occupying a role that Ricky held in the original show.
While The Office US essentially began as a word-for-word remake of the British show, it eventually took on a life of its own, with Steve stepping down from the role of Michael Scott after eight seasons.
Around this time, the Dunder Mifflin paper company within the show began looking for a new office manager, with Ricky making a cameo around this time as his comedy character, David Brent.
During a new interview with The Independent, Ricky was asked if there had ever been talk of him replacing Steve, to which he confirmed that this was “more just press and the show’s fan base”.
And on whether it was true that he’d auditioned to join the show but was turned down, he insisted: “That’s fiction.”
He also told The Independent he’d ruled out playing Michael Scott before Steve Carell was cast in the role, claiming this would make “no sense at all”.
“Why would I do it? The reason The Office resonated was because it was made in England for English people. It’s got to be made by Americans for Americans,” he claimed.
In fact, a host of very different Hollywood A-listers were also in the running play Michael Scott, before the role eventually went to Steve, who was nominated for seven Emmys for his performance.
The Office US eventually came to an end in 2013, with Steve returning for a cameo in the final episode.
Last year, it was confirmed that a reboot was in the works, albeit with a very different premise.