Oscar Nuñez Spills on The Paper: Why He’s Back in The Office Universe
I’m Riley Carter, and I’m here to give you the lowdown on the latest celebrity scoop. So, Oscar Nuñez is back as Oscar Martinez in Peacock’s new comedy, The Paper, and he’s spilling all the tea on what it’s like to return to The Office universe.
Oscar Nuñez, the lovable and quirky Oscar Martinez from The Office, is reprising his role in the new Peacock comedy, The Paper. In an exclusive interview with E! News, Nuñez revealed that he jumped at the chance to continue his character’s storyline over a decade after leaving Dunder Mifflin. “Creator Greg Daniels asked me about it, and I said, ‘Yeah, of course, if you have an idea for this, I know we’re in good hands,'” Nuñez said alongside costars Alex Edelman and Gbemisola Ikumelo. “Let’s go for it.”
The Paper follows the same documentary crew filming inside the offices of The Truth Teller, a historic Toledo, Ohio-based newspaper that a new publisher, played by Domhnall Gleeson, is working tirelessly to revive. While fans might expect a similar vibe to The Office, Nuñez assured that the new work environment is very different. “The character is in a new city, so for him, it’s all different people,” he noted. “For me, it is too because I’m not going to be the same person looking around, saying, ‘Where’s Kate [Flannery], where’s Creed [Bratton]?’ It’s a whole other thing.”
Alex Edelman, who also stars in The Paper, echoed Nuñez’s sentiments, emphasizing the differences between the two shows. “Obviously, everybody’s gonna ask about it because we’re in the same universe, but we have very different problems on the show,” Edelman told E!. “We have very different creative challenges, the set is different, the characters are different with one exception. But even the way Oscar fits into this cast, it’s so different than how he fit into The Office. Oscar’s like a mentor figure in this show. He’s sort of the dad.”
Nuñez also revealed that the crossover was initially supposed to be under wraps, with his character’s name changed in early scripts. “We kept it a secret as much as we could,” he recalled. The Paper premieres on September 4 on Peacock, and fans are eagerly awaiting the new series.
But what about the rest of The Office cast? Steve Carell, who played the iconic Michael Scott, has been keeping busy with various projects. He made his big return to TV in Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, starring opposite Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, with his work earning him an Emmy nomination. He also starred in Netflix’s Space Force and The Patient, pulling double duty as executive producer for both. In movies, Carell has favored dramas, starring in films such as Beautiful Boy, The Big Short, and Vice.
John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert, has also been busy with various projects. He directed and starred in A Quiet Place, which was a huge hit in 2018, followed by a sequel in 2020. He also debuted his movie IF, which he wrote and directed. On the TV side of things, Krasinski played the titular character Jack Ryan in the popular Amazon Prime series.
As for the rest of The Office cast, they’re all doing their own thing. Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute, has been focusing on his art and writing. He’s even written a book, titled The World According to Dwight, which was published in 2019. Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly, has been working on various TV projects, including a drama series called The Con.
The Paper is set to premiere on September 4 on Peacock, and fans are excited to see Oscar Martinez back in action. With its unique take on the documentary-style comedy and a fresh cast of characters, The Paper is shaping up to be a hit. And who knows, maybe we’ll see more of The Office cast members making appearances in the new series.
Anyway, that’s the deal. Do with it what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, Peacock
Attribution: USA Network (Creative Commons)
