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Millions of viewers responded to the show's depiction of workplace boredom, petty struggles and tentative office romance. The show has been broadcast in 80 countries, and a U.S. version starring Steve Carell is a surprise hit. A French version "Le Bureau" is in the works.
Gervais channels Joss (på ett vis):
"Before I started, I said I'd rather be a million people's favorite show than 20 million people's 19th-favorite show. You want something to resonate, and the more it resonates, the more you've added to the world."
:The notion of a legacy is important to Gervais. The man who maintained a student's frugal lifestyle into his mid-30s is now so hot he finds himself turning down wildly lucrative offers. He said no to a part in "Mission: Impossible III," and recalls with amazement being offered $1 million to film a liquor commercial.
"I said no," he recalled. "They came back with 2 million. They thought I was negotiating. I never regretted saying no. That would hang around, it would be there. I just want to be proud of everything I do."
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The series of loose-limbed chats involving Gervais, "Office" co-writer Stephen Merchant and radio producer-comic foil Karl Pilkington recently entered the Guinness Book of Records for the most-downloaded podcasts of all time.
The Guinness certificate hangs on Gervais' office wall, although he notes that podcasting is "so in its infancy it's rather like Alexander Graham Bell having the biggest phone bill that year."
http://tv.yahoo.com/news/ap/20060310/114201546000.html
