...and he stars as the world's first liar

Ricky Gervais is to direct his first Hollywood movie.

The Office creator will also star in the comedy This Side of the Truth, which he also co-wrote.

This time he is collaborating not with his usual writing partner Stephen Merchant, but with co-director and co-writer Matt Robinson.

This Side Of The Truth is set in a fantasy modern world in which nobody has ever lied. But Gervais’s character suddenly discovers the power of not telling the truth, and uses it for personal gain.

‘My character works in the film industry, where actors are really readers who tell completely factual stories,’ Gervais told trade magazine Variety.

‘He’s about to lose his job – all he's got to work with is [stories about] the Black Death. But once he lies and pretends he's found lost stories, he becomes the greatest storyteller in the world.’

Last month, the Hollywood trade press reported that Gervais was to take lead in the comedy film Early Retirement, playing a workaholic who quits his demanding job to be with his family – but his publicist immediately denied the story.

Published: 13 Sep 2007