Ricky Gervais, star of the British TV hit "Office," has been chosen for a role in "Mission Impossible III" with Tom Cruise.

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"I know the director well and he said, 'Do you want a part?'," Gervais told the Daily Mirror. "I just replied, 'Yeah, that will be great.'" He was offered the part after meeting Cruise at the Golden Globe awards.

Gervais has yet to finalize his role in the $160 million blockbuster, which co-stars Scarlett Johansson. "I greatly admire the director Jeffrey Abrams and Tom Cruise is the greatest film star of our generation," he said. "It should be fun."

He hopes Cruise will agree to a cameo role in his new comedy, "Extras," about a struggling actor. Jude Law will also appear in one episode.

Gervais turned down an offer to appear with Al Pacino in "The Merchant of Venice" and George Clooney in "Magnum." He has been invited to appear on CBS's "Late Night With David Letterman" and had a slot on the ABC drama, "Alias."