Interview: Oscar Nuñez Chats About ‘The Paper’

The hilarious Oscar Nuñez is back in the mockumentary universe, and he is bringing his trademark deadpan wit with him. In our phone chat, The Office alumnus trades Scranton and Dunder Mifflin for the bustling metropolis of Toledo and the newsroom of the Paper. Nuñez playfully details the stark contrast between his early days on television, when he arrived at the pilot in a “junk car,” and his current status as a returning legacy character, joking that he now arrives via helicopter to be carried onto the set Cleopatra-style. From dodging words of wisdom for co-star Domhnall Gleeson to teasing an even funnier second season, Nuñez proves he hasn’t lost a single step in his comedic timing. Read ahead for our full conversation.

Oscar Nuñez: Hi, Ayla.

Ayla Ruby: Hi, it’s nice to meet you.

Oscar Nuñez: Nice to hear from you.

Ayla Ruby: Yeah, so I’m really excited to chat. This show so far has been such a moment of joy in a time when I need it, so thank you.

Oscar Nuñez: So you’re enjoying the show?

Ayla Ruby: Yes. I’ve read somewhere, I think, that you agreed to come back and-

Oscar Nuñez: It’s not true, Ayla. I should let you finish, go ahead. What did you read?

Ayla Ruby: No, no, no. No, go ahead.

Oscar Nuñez: No, I don’t know, I don’t know what you were going to say. I’m just assuming it was horrible gossip about me.

Ayla Ruby: Totally. All gossip, all the worst things. No, but really, so I read that you agreed without hesitation to come back into this world. Does the energy of being a local newsroom shift the comedy dynamic compared to Dunder Mifflin? Because there’s comedy, but also there’s this whole deeper level with the truth teller that is really cool.

Oscar Nuñez: Yeah, it’s a whole other … Their journal is so, instead of everything being insular, inside The Office like Dunder Mifflin, but we did go crazy there anyway. But instead of just being about the office stuff, it’s about the community, like what stories can we cover, whether it’s sport or entertainment or politics or whatever. So it’s more of an outward eye towards Toledo than Dunder Mifflin was an outward look at Scranton.

Ayla Ruby: I think Greg Daniels mentioned that your character had so much dignity and didn’t really need to change by the end of The Office. Coming into The Paper, for you, what was the biggest opportunity to stretch and play with the character that audiences knew and loved?

Oscar Nuñez: I don’t know if the character needs to stretch. He’ll pull a muscle. He’s not a young person. He’s kind of set in his ways. He goes in there, and he just wanted a job and he wants to be left alone. It’s a very simple template for comedy, because then it’s annoying the guy who’s a little bit full of himself. That’s basically it. But eventually he’s going to make friends, because we’re all humans. So he’s there being a curmudgeon, and then he meets all these new people, and despite himself, relationships are going to happen.

Ayla Ruby: I love the way that they introduced him and brought … It’s also really weird to keep talking about him even though it’s the same first name. So yes.

Oscar Nuñez: Oh, my God Ayla. When my daughter was little and we’d be walking down the street and someone was like, “Oscar.” And she’s like, “Daddy, do they know you?” And I’m like, “I don’t think so. It’s a fan, or they either know me, but it’s probably just, they know me from TV.”

Ayla Ruby: Okay.

Oscar Nuñez: And she didn’t understand what that meant, but now she does.

Ayla Ruby: Oh, that’s very cool. I read a bunch of your stuff for interviews you’ve done. When you shot the pilot for The Office, I think you told recently the LA Times or something, maybe it wasn’t recently, that you were still waiting tables and a teacher’s aide. Coming back as this returning headlining legacy character for The Paper, what was going through your mind the first day walking into the Toledo set?

Oscar Nuñez: Well, I’m glad you mentioned that, because it’s a whole different vibe, Ayla. When I first got The Office, I was waiting tables and babysitting.

Ayla Ruby: Okay.

Oscar Nuñez: And I showed up in my junk car to work to do the pilot. Now, when I went to this one, I got dropped off by my helicopter on top of the NBC building, and then I go downstairs and then there’s a leader waiting for me with four fellows. They’re union, they get paid well, but they carry me, not unlike Cleopatra. They carry me on the set. So it’s a whole different thing.

Ayla Ruby: Were they waving leaves? Did you have the gold chariot thingy?

Oscar Nuñez: Yes, ostrich feathers.

Ayla Ruby: Excellent.

Oscar Nuñez: Yeah.

Ayla Ruby: Cool. So was there anything … You’re obviously amazing at comedy, you’re hilarious just in general. And was there anything that you got to flex uniquely, comedy wise, on The Paper that you haven’t been able to do in any other projects?

Oscar Nuñez: No, but it’s the best … I love it. It’s the best kind of flex for me. I like physical comedy. I like all that. I like slapstick, I like all that. But I like being put in a position where you’re being embarrassed by someone, but you have to be the cool one or the straight one. And that’s always funny. I always find that very, very amusing to watch and to perform.

Ayla Ruby: Okay. That makes sense. So physical comedy, like physically this set, from what I’ve heard and from what you can see, is super different than The Office, right? This is a newsroom. It’s open. There’s less places to hide, not hide, but put the cameras. Was that weird?

Oscar Nuñez: No, Ayla, it’s different a little bit, but it’s not super different. It’s an office, and you’ve seen it, it’s kind of like an office space. It’s bigger, I think. Is it bigger? It seems bigger to me.

Ayla Ruby: It seems big, yeah.

Oscar Nuñez: Yeah, it seems bigger to me. It seems bigger physically, and more spacious. You’re right about that, yeah. But it’s still the … As opposed to like a home with a kitchen and a living room.

Ayla Ruby: Yeah.

Oscar Nuñez: It’s still an office thing.

Ayla Ruby: So I talked to somebody, David Rogers, and he said that there were less places for the spy cams to hide.

Oscar Nuñez: This is true. That’s right.

Ayla Ruby: And it was kind of interesting from that perspective.

Oscar Nuñez: That’s right. There’s less pillars and there’s less walls to hide behind. You’re correct on that one, yeah.

Ayla Ruby: Okay.

Oscar Nuñez: Because it’s more loft-like than The Office.

Ayla Ruby: Okay. So was there anything that was just really interesting or fun or exciting, that was a favorite, or even challenging for you to do this season?

Oscar Nuñez: It was nice meeting new people. I loved the cast. I’ve become such a fan of Alex Edelman. It’s crazy. I feel like I’m his uncle, because I watched Just For Us and I thought, “Oh man, this kid’s so funny.” And then when Greg Daniels said, “Hey,” and we started talking about the show for real, and he’s like, “Oscar, we started casting.” And the first thing he said to me, Ayla, was, “We just cast this kid, Alex Edelman. Do you know who he is?” And I’m like, “Yeah, I know who he is. Alex is going to be on the show?” And he’s like, “Yeah.” And I’m like, “Wow, that’s so cool.” So now I know Alex, and now I know Domhnall Gleason and Chelsea Frei and Ramona and Sabrina and Nancy, who I worked with on People of Earth, and Melvin. So it’s all these new people. They’re all very talented, very passionate. Domhnall Gleason is amazing. You know who that is, the redhead guy who’s in everything?

Ayla Ruby: Yep. Ned!

Oscar Nuñez: He’s a really good actor. He’s a really good actor, Ayla, and he does comedy. You’ve seen him. He does comedy as well as he does drama.

Ayla Ruby: Did you have any advice for him, or any words of wisdom coming into this world for him, or anyone else?

Oscar Nuñez: For who, for Domhnall?

Ayla Ruby: Yeah.

Oscar Nuñez: Why would I do that? To put him on the spot, and he has to make believe that it’s good things that I’m telling him?

Ayla Ruby: Or any pitfalls?

Oscar Nuñez: And hope he doesn’t laugh in my face? What’s wrong with you, Ayla? Words of wisdom.

Ayla Ruby: That’s fair. I guess if you had to give your character, again, it’s weird because Oscar, I don’t know, one piece of advice, again on the advice, saying going into season two..

Oscar Nuñez:Give my character a piece of advice?

Ayla Ruby: Yeah. Would it be anything, or is there one thing you really want to explore with him? And I think I heard your filming or editing is going on already.

Oscar Nuñez: As, as a matter of fact-

Ayla Ruby: So maybe there’s not much you can say.

Oscar Nuñez: No, listen, kiddo. As a matter of fact, I did ADR work today. You know what that is? I don’t want to give you big technical terms.

Ayla Ruby: Yeah. Where you’re basically talking dialogue, right? Where you’re …

Oscar Nuñez: Yes, yes. I had a line I had to do over, and David Rogers was there on Zoom, and so we did that. But to answer your question, what would I tell … I don’t know what. I’d just tell him to loosen up a little bit, I think.

Ayla Ruby: Okay.

Oscar Nuñez: I’d say, “Hey, have some fun, Oscar Martinez.” And he’d say, “Oh, mind your own business.”

Ayla Ruby: That’s awesome. Is there anything else you want, because I know we’re starting to get close on time, but is there anything else you want people to know about this show, this season, or any of your work?

Oscar Nuñez: We love the new season. We’re almost done editing. I think it’s going to be more fun than the first season. I think it’s funnier.

Ayla Ruby: Okay.

Oscar Nuñez: A lot of stuff happening. So do tune in and enjoy, please.

Ayla Ruby: Thank you very much. I appreciate chatting.

Oscar Nuñez: Okay. You’re welcome, you have a great day.