8 Most Mindbogglingly Meta TV Show Cameos Ever
4. Steve Carell - Life’s Too Short
Another Gervais/Carell crossover that laid on the meta even thicker. The scene plays off the pair's mock-hostility, perceived jealousy and the presumption that Carell owes his career to Gervais.
During an agonising Skype call, Gervais encourages the American actor to make more guest appearance on The US Office in order to boost viewing figures. But Carell doesn't really like the idea of guest appearances (you can see where this is going).
Gervais comes across as a ruthless self-promoter - which can't be the case, can it? Except he's surrounded by posters from his previous films, all conveniently placed in shot.
It's the sort of self-aware comedy that shades all the way into reality. As the meta cherry on top, the scene concludes with Warwick Davies dryly deriding “sitcoms where famous people pop up as themselves”.