Oscar Nuñez Calls Return to ‘The Office’ Spinoff ‘The Paper’ a ‘Dream Come True’ (Exclusive)

Oscar Nuñez is back behind Oscar Martinez’s desk as The Office star returns to the same world as the beloved comedy for Peacock’s upcoming spinoff, The Paper.

“It’s a dream come true,” Nuñez told PopCulture.com ahead of The Paper‘s Sept. 4 debut, calling the experience “wonderful.”

Nuñez, who played Dunder Mifflin’s no-nonsense accountant through The Office‘s 2013 finale, returns as a connection between the original mockumentary and its spinoff, which follows a struggling historic newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, and also stars newcomers Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Melvin Gregg, and Ramona Young.

Ikumelo, who plays Adelola Olofin, admitted to being “really nervous” about working with Nuñez at first, telling PopCulture it was “a little bit like staring into the sun” for the first few minutes.

Playing a bit of a “burnout” who is used to being the smartest person in the room, Ikumelo was a perfect foil for Edelman’s Adam Cooper, whom the actor and writer described as “sort of a doof” and the perfect third member of what eventually became “more of a trio” with Oscar. “That was really, really fun,” he teased.

Young told PopCulture that she was “so excited” to be working with the “smart and iconic and talented” group behind The Paper once she actually learned “the premise” of the show “way down the line” after she had actually gotten the role of Nicole Lee.

“When we were auditioning and testing for it, there’s no character name, there’s no real sides, there’s no breakdowns, so it was really shrouded in mystery,” Young explained. “So I just had to really show up as myself. And that was something that I was really excited about.”

It’s that same openness that Gregg, who plays Detrick Moore, hopes audiences can bring to The Paper.

“Of course it’s from the creators of The Office in the same world, but it’s a different show,” he said. “So don’t really come in with expectations outside of wanting to enjoy the show.”

He continued, “It’s a very charming show. It’s not The Office, but it shares the same tone as The Office and the same creators. So there are similarities, but take it, set it aside, and enjoy it as The Paper, not looking for The Office.”

All 10 episodes of The Paper premiere on Peacock on Sept. 4.