Ricky Gervais, writer and star of the hit BBC comedy series 'The Office', is set to make a guest appearance in an American spy thriller.  In a departure from the kind of role that fans might expect, Gervais is to play an evil villain in the series 'Alias'.

He got the part because the creator of the drama, JJ Abrams, is a big fan of The Office and thought that Gervais ' low-key David Brent persona fitted well with his idea of this new baddie.

"A good bad guy doesn't have to be arch, over-the-top, moustache-twirly," Abrams told America's TV Guide magazine. "A good bad guy needs to be smart. And certainly, Ricky is smart."

Gervais has been scheduled to record his guest role sometime early next year.