Gervais on Globes: 3rd time is to annoy press

Something to think about when Ricky Gervais picks on some big stars during Sunday's Golden Globes -- he might just be trying to cast his latest show.

Gervais, who met with TV critics Friday morning to introduce HBO's "Life Is Short," a mockumentary series starring little person actor Warwick Davis ("Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," "Willow"), said that a guest star turn by Johhny Depp came about after he texted the actor, "Sorry about the Golden Globes, do you want to get your own back?"

Depp, who plays himself as a boor who hires Davis -- who also plays a Gervais-ified version of himself -- to prepare to play a little person, has a scene in which he gets to respond to Gervais' taunts.

In real life, Gervais indicated, Depp didn't seem bothered.

Asked if he knew whom he'd be targeting this weekend, Gervais said, "I have specific targets, yeah…But targets wouldn't be the word I'd use. Subjects."

What he has planned for his third round as host: "I'm going to do a monologue about the year," he said, and do gags involving "six or seven people in the room."

That said, "I'm not trying ot hurt anyone's feelings…or undermine the moral fiber of America."

Why does he keep hosting the Globes?

"I did it the first time because I thought it was fun," he said. "I did it a second time because I thought I could improve on the first."

And then, after last year's performance, he kept heaing from "the press" that he'd never be asked back for a third time.

"So I did it to annoy them."

Gervais, who said he cherishes "the gasps as much as the laughs" and that he doesn't care what people think, but, as he frequently does, seemed honestly puzzled that some might believe his primary interest was in offending people.

"My conscience never takes a day off," he said. "I stand by … every joke I did last year."

But then, "what did I say that was so outrageous?"