Oscar Nuñez, who has reprised his “The Office” role as accountant Oscar Martinez in Peacocks “The Paper,” said stepping back into the same universe as the same character with an entirely new cast has been an unreal reality.
“It was a little surreal at the beginning, walking on the set for about a split second. Then when we started doing lines and everything I’m like, ‘OK, this is a whole different thing and with all new, different people,’” Nuñez told TheWrap. “But it was a little surreal, because I’m like, ‘Oh, wait, he just got a job at another place,’ the same character, but I’m in another, completely different place, but I’m the same character.’”
Nuñez is one of the two “The Office” stars that make a comeback (so far) in Greg Daniels’ and Michael Koman’s spinoff “The Paper,” which is set at an Ohio-based newspaper called The Toledo Truth Teller. It’s been 12 years since fans have seen Oscar, and the last time we checked, he was running for a seat in the Pennsylvania State Senate.
Daniels, who credits Nuñez as the secret weapon of “The Paper,” said the fate of his political career is what landed him in Toledo, Ohio working underneath Enervate, same company that bought Dunder Mifflin Paper Co.
“It’s not known that he won that election. In our heads, he did not win that election,” Daniels explained, who said he’d been chatting with Nuñez about joining the show prior to it being greenlit. “He was running for it in the finale. I feel like he didn’t win, he was a little embarrassed, moved to Toledo, and when he got the opportunity [he] has been kind of putting his head down, working in Toledo, and then starts to get inspired to give back to his community little bit by little. Ned coming in and giving him an opportunity to write, although at first he doesn’t want to participate, because he doesn’t want to be on camera again in the doc. After so long, he gets pretty into it by the end of the season.”
Of course, as an “Office” original, Nuñez shared that his new costars have indeed hit him up for insight and guidance on how to nail their roles, particularly when it comes to acting like they’re part of a documentary.
“‘Figure out how you feel about working here, how do you feel about being shot? Don’t think of it as an acting gig. You’re accountant, or whatever you are, you’re a worker, and you’re being shot,’” Nuñez said he advised. “‘And how do you feel about being filmed as you’re trying to do your work?’ Most of the people have their characters pretty fleshed out.”
There’s maybe one cameo Nuñez said he wouldn’t mind seeing, but emphasized that “The Paper” doesn’t need any of “The Office’s” help.
“The only one I can logically see coming back is maybe is maybe Paul Lieberstein’s character (Toby),” Nuñez said. “There’s no need; it’s a whole other place. I know people love ‘The Office,’ and bless them, but it’s a whole other show.”
All 10 episodes of “The Office” are now streaming on Peacock.
