Daily Show comic lands Office role

EXCLUSIVE: A relatively unknown comic has been chosen for the role of David Brent in the American version of The Office.

According to well-placed comedy sources, Steve Carell from Comedy Central's The Daily Show has been selected for the role, which could propel him to the same stardom in the States as Ricky Gervais has achieved over here.

Originally from Boston, Carell cut his comedy teeth with the famed Second City improv group of Chicago.

He landed the role of correspondent on Jon Stewart's topical satire show, screened on CNN in Europe, after appearing in a host of short-lived series - and he'll be hoping The Office doesn't join that list.

King Of The Kill creator Greg Daniels is masterminding the translation of the show from Slough's Wernham Hogg paper merchants to a similarly nondescript American location for the NBC remake.

Gervais is currently in the States working on the show - and attending tonight's Golden Globe awards, in which he has been nominated.

Last week, he said: "There is an actor who we are all very excited about but we don't want to say his name yet."

But he added the person chosen would not be well-known. "It was the same here four years ago - no-one had heard of any of us," he said.

Published: 25 Jan 2004