Ricky Gervais insists he wasn't being "typecast" when he chose to play God in his latest TV project.

The 50-year-old British funnyman created and starred in the hit comedy The Office and is now in the US working on a new show.

Gervais likes to take a lead role in the pieces he writes, although teased that he doesn't want to be typecast as a Godly figure.

"In New York, I'm working on creating a new show. It's called Afterlife, and it's about a confused atheist in heaven who's even more confused when he meets God. This God is, naturally, played by me. Which, naturally, is again typecasting," he laughed to New York Post.

Gervais' incarnation of the Holy one will be a little less conventional. As could be expected, his divinity will be arrogant and quick-witted.

"Well, I'm not Hollywood's usual God. I play a wisecracking son of a b**ch who thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread, which actually he is because he actually invented sliced bread," he smiled.

Meanwhile, Ricky has insisted he has no plans to go for a Golden Globe Awards hosting hat trick. The actor made his début presenting the prestigious film and TV ceremony in 2010, and presented again earlier this year. Both times Ricky pushed boundaries with some of his jokes on stage, poking fun at some of the biggest names in Hollywood including the stars of Sex and the City 2. After the debacle, Ricky isn't keen to rise to the challenge for a third time.

"I just don't think I should do it. I did it twice. I wanted to improve on the first time and I think I did that. I'll probably leave it there," he told Matt Lauer on NBC's Today.