Steve Carell: Ricky Gervais Won't Replace Me on 'The Office'

July 20, 2010 — -- It's the million-dollar question on the mind of every Dunder Mifflin devotee: Who's going to replace Steve Carell as the head honcho of "The Office?"

(Cue the drum roll) -- Paul Rudd.

At least, that's what the "Dinner for Schmucks" co-stars would like you to believe. In an interview with ABC News Now's "Popcorn With Peter Travers," Carell and Rudd riffed on the future of the sitcom, in which Carell plays Michael Scott.

"I know that Paul is jockeying for that role," Carell said.

Rudd: "What tipped you off?"

Carell: "When you said, 'Boy, I'd love to play that part.' You're going to take over and your character will be called Beardy."

Yeah, they were being facetious. Carell took every opportunity to make fun of Rudd's bush of a beard (Carell: "it smells like a bird"), which Rudd is wearing while shooting the indie movie "My Idiot Brother."

But Carell copped a more serious tone when asked if Ricky Gervais, who created the original U.K. version of "The Office" and played Michael Scott's counterpart, David Brent, might replace him on the NBC show.

"Ricky Gervais? There's no way," Carell said. "He doesn't want to do that at all. He sent me a nice e-mail when I announced I was leaving. He's really sweet."

Indeed, Gervais backed up Carell when he announced in late June that the upcoming seventh season of "The Office," beginning this September, will be his last.

"It was expected of me, as executive producer, to persuade him to stay on," Gervais wrote on his official website earlier this month. "With syndication in full swing the more successful the show remains, the more billions we all make. It was tempting, but the truth is, I believe he is doing the right thing."

"I'd be lying if I said he should do more. He shouldn't. He should move on, continue to do great work, and buy a new house every time 'The Office' is repeated somewhere," Gervais quipped. "(That's what I do. Maybe I'll buy one next door to him one day. That'll f**king teach him.)"