TRANSCRIPT
Office Ladies | Episode 309 - All About Oscar with Oscar Nuñez
Jenna [00:00:04] I'm Jenna Fischer,
Angela [00:00:05] and I'm Angela Kinsey.
Jenna [00:00:06] We were on "The Office" together,
Angela [00:00:08] and we're best friends.
Jenna [00:00:09] And now we're doing the ultimate Office lover's podcast, just for you.
Angela [00:00:13] Each week we will dive deeper into the world of The Office with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes details, and lots of BFF stories.
Jenna [00:00:21] We're the Office Ladies 6.0.
audio cue [00:00:03] [musical sting]
Jenna [00:00:04] Hello!
Angela [00:00:04] Hi!
Jenna [00:00:05] Everyone, today we are going to be talking all about Oscar Martinez. We are really excited because we have Oscar Nunez in the studio today answering all of your questions about his character.
Angela [00:00:20] I've been looking forward to this one.
Jenna [00:00:21] Well it turned out great. Spoiler alert, we had the best time with Oscar.
Angela [00:00:26] We had the best time. So here's what we're going to chat about. He's going to answer questions about The Office and The Paper, which has its season two debut on Peacock today, September 9th. But first, we're gonna share all about Oscar. Jenna, you're gonna discuss the show bible. We're going to talk about Oscar favorite moments. I'm going to share three Oscar personality traits that fans say they love about them. It's good stuff, lady. Why don't you go first?
Jenna [00:00:53] Sure. So I haven't been in the show bible in a little while because we haven't done one of these all abouts.
Angela [00:00:59] Was it dusty?
Jenna [00:01:00] You know what? Can I tell you? I have been using my digital version of the show bible. I found it in my digital clutter.
Angela [00:01:12] Look at you go, girl.
Jenna [00:01:13] I know. I thought you would be proud of me.
Angela [00:01:15] I'm proud. I said that because that's something my mom would say. Like, if you go into someone's house and their bible's dusty.
Jenna [00:01:21] Oh, that is so funny!
Angela [00:01:23] They haven't been to church in a bit
Jenna [00:01:25] I like that. Okay, well, so first of all, every time you have a character name, it will also tell you their address. Now, if their address has been written or scripted as part of the show, they just have the address. But if their address has been made up by the art department, it says "per the art department." So Oscar has a per the arts department address.
Angela [00:01:49] Which means it was never used in the universe of the show on camera, but he did have one.
Jenna [00:01:54] He did and also what they would do, I had this and we all had this, they would make us wallets, credit cards.
Angela [00:02:02] Mm-hmm, driver's license.
Jenna [00:02:03] Fakey driver's licenses, and they would put this address on those documents until they were told otherwise.
Angela [00:02:10] I'm so curious, if when Dwight is sneaking around spying on Oscar and Gill, if there was the address on the house.
Jenna [00:02:20] Oh, that's a good question. I bet the number on the house does not match this address per the art department.
Angela [00:02:26] Let's see, what was it?
Jenna [00:02:28] It lists his address as 1327 Pear Street.
Angela [00:02:33] Oh, Pear Street, mm-hmm.
Jenna [00:02:36] Alright, I am looking up Oscar and Gil's house and the numbers on the house say "5232."
Angela [00:02:45] Mm-hmm
Jenna [00:02:45] So that is a deep cut fan catch right there.
Angela [00:02:51] And you know, that house was in Van Nuys. It's on a lot of people's Drive and Find Office spots. So it was not 1327 Pear Street.
Jenna [00:02:59] Was not.
Angela [00:03:01] But.
Jenna [00:03:02] If Oscar opened his wallet, that's what you'd see.
Angela [00:03:05] Mm-hmm.
Jenna [00:03:06] Oh, hey, everyone. By the way, Sam just found us the Google Maps for 1327 Paris Street in Scranton, and it looks like an abandoned something called "Rush Hours."
Angela [00:03:21] Sam, did you say it looks a bar?
Sam [00:03:23] Yeah, it looks like a bar.
Jenna [00:03:24] Yeah, a former bar.
Sam [00:03:26] Yeah, it has "no trespassing" signs.
Jenna [00:03:29] From a long time ago.
Angela [00:03:30] Well, there you go. Did we just Mom Detective that?
Jenna [00:03:33] I think we did. Well, we Sam Detectived it.
Angela [00:03:36] We did.
Jenna [00:03:36] Thank you, Sam.
Angela [00:03:37] But in true Mom Detective form, there's no real answer, no real solution.
Jenna [00:03:42] It is what it is.
Angela [00:03:43] It is what it is.
Jenna [00:03:46] Alright, well, digging into what the show bible says about Oscar, there is not a lot about his family of origin, but we do know a few things. We know that his parents were both born in Mexico. They moved to the U.S. a year before Oscar was born. So we know that Oscar was born and grew up in the United States. We know he has a nephew. He also has an aunt that lives in Carbondale, and we know his mother is now in a wheelchair. We know that Oscar speaks Spanish. But he is not good at doing accents. You know, when we're doing the murder mystery, he tries to do the accent and he's very, very bad.
Angela [00:04:23] Very bad.
Jenna [00:04:24] We know that Oscar has a timeshare in Key West, and he drives an SUV. We also know that Oscar likes yoga, long lunches, and is one of the founding members of the Finer Things Club. He's pretty physically fit since he can pull himself up into the ceiling during the fire drill, and he likes doing ab work.
Angela [00:04:42] Mm-hmm.
Jenna [00:04:42] He is also a very good ice skater, and he hates posters of babies playing jazz. That's one of the things he very much disliked.
Angela [00:04:50] [laughing] Very, very much not a fan.
Jenna [00:04:52] When Oscar was younger, he wanted to be an actor in commercials. But as you know, he ends up in the accounting department at Dunder Mifflin. We don't really know how he got from aspirations of being an actor to becoming an accountant, and we do have a very fun conversation with him later about who exactly is the head accountant.
Angela [00:05:11] Or who he thought it was, going into it.
Jenna [00:05:15] And in season four, he says he's been at Dunder Mifflin for nine years, but in season five, he's says he has been at Dunder-Mifflins for eight years.
Angela [00:05:21] Oscar, do the math, buddy.
Jenna [00:05:25] Mm-hmm. He also owns a little Dunder Mifflin stock, we come to find out, and his nickname in the office is Actually. We know that Oscar is gay, he has a longtime boyfriend, Gil, and when they break up he becomes interested in Matt from the warehouse and then he eventually begins an affair with the senator who was married to Angela at the time.
Angela [00:05:44] [laughing] State senator.
Jenna [00:05:44] State senator. Then Oscar announces he has plans to run for state senator but we find out that instead he ends up in the accounting department of a small Toledo newspaper.
Angela [00:05:58] Nicely done, lady! I love a good show bible.
Jenna [00:06:03] Yeah. A nice overview of the character. Well, Ange, I'm curious to hear what these Oscar personality traits are that fans love.
Angela [00:06:11] Okay, well this all started with a letter from Alexandra A. in San Antonio, Texas. Alexandra said, "Hi Office Ladies, I have watched The Office all the way through three times and each time I find new things to love about Oscar. In my opinion, he is the best at throwing shade. My BFF thinks it's Phyllis or Angela, but I say no, it's Oscar. And I have a favorite, or at least a favorite for right now. I'm sure it will change, but it's when Ryan is getting arrested in 'Goodbye Toby.'" And then Alexandra typed out her favorite quote, but I think Alexandra, let's hear Oscar do it rather than me read it, because he's gonna do it better.
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:06:54] Well, this is what happened. Ryan's big project was the website, which wasn't doing so well. So Ryan, to give the impression of sales, recorded them twice. Once as office sales and once as website sales, which is what we refer to in the business as misleading the shareholders. Another good term is fraud. The real crime, I think, was the beard.
Jenna [00:07:19] [laughing] I love that.
Angela [00:07:21] Alexandra goes on to say, "That gets me every time. Love you ladies, and I'm so excited for this episode."
Jenna [00:07:29] I mean, that's a pretty classic Oscar throwing shade moment. The beard.
Angela [00:07:31] The beard. Yeah, that's pretty great. So Alexandra, you weren't alone in loving the Oscar shade and this led me to dig into the other personality traits that people chat about online about the character of Oscar. There are two more that get a lot of chatter.
Jenna [00:07:45] Okay.
Angela [00:07:46] Okay, there is an overwhelming consensus online that he is also the voice of reason on the show.
Jenna [00:07:54] Oh, we talk with him about that.
Angela [00:07:56] Yeah, right? Listen, Oscar Martinez, the character, he knows it. He even calls it out in this talking head. Let's hear it.
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:08:06] All right, who else is here? Pam and Jim are on their honeymoon, so there's not the usual balance between the sane and others. Toby has mentally checked out since June. It's a very dangerous time. The coalition for reason is extremely weak.
Angela [00:08:24] "Sane versus others" really made me laugh.
Jenna [00:08:27] That's a combo. That's being the voice of reason and shade.
Angela [00:08:31] Oh, you're right! You're right.
Jenna [00:08:33] That's a combo platter.
Angela [00:08:34] Combo platter. Okay, the third personality trait that everyone online talks about for the character Oscar is he is the office know-it-all.
Jenna [00:08:43] Mmmm, actually.
Angela [00:08:44] Actually. And here's a fan favorite moment where he corrects Meredith.
clip from The Office - Meredith [00:08:51] Always with the friends, Oscar. Can't we just enjoy the new espresso machine?
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:08:55] Actually, it's pronounced espresso. Wait, that's what you said. I apologize, I just assumed you would mispronounce it.
Angela [00:09:02] So I guess that's also know it all/shade.
Jenna [00:09:07] Yes, exactly. I think everything is /shade when it comes to Oscar. Well, listen, now it's time for us to share our favorite Oscar moments. Sam, do you want to go first?
Sam [00:09:19] Sure, so I think Oscar plays drunk so well. It's my favorite thing he does on the show.
Jenna [00:09:26] We got so much mail about that, we talk with him about that.
Sam [00:09:29] So, all time in the ranking goes when him and Andy call Angela, but that's more of a visual gag, so this is a solid second for me. It's his laugh before it, it's completely unhinged.
Jenna [00:09:49] Is that at the pool party?
Sam [00:09:50] Yes, it is, yeah.
Angela [00:09:53] So good. Okay, Jenna, what about you?
Jenna [00:09:57] I have a lot of favorite Oscar moments. I love, for personal reasons as well, the Oscar/Pam/Angela dynamic in the cold open for season eight, "After Hours." Here is the clip.
clip from The Office - Pam [00:10:10] Hey Angela, you want to see a picture of Philip wearing those little booties you got us?
clip from The Office - Angela [00:10:15] So cute!
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:10:17] Hey, you guys wanna see a picture of Gerald wearing galoshes? He refused to go out in the rain until I bought these. Now going out in rain is all he wants to do.
clip from The Office - Pam [00:10:27] Oscar thinks having a dog is just like having a baby.
clip from The Office - Angela [00:10:29] Newsflash, if you didn't carry it around in your belly for nine months, it isn't your kid.
clip from The Office - Pam [00:10:33] Exactly.
clip from The Office - Pam [00:10:35] Unless you adopt it, of course.
clip from The Office - Angela [00:10:37] That is where we disagree.
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:10:39] Hey, are your little dudes crawling yet?
clip from The Office - Pam [00:10:41] No. Three month old humans don't do that.
Angela [00:10:45] My Philip is crawling.
clip from The Office - Pam [00:10:48] Angela is such a liar!
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:10:50] It's maddening. Exactly, that's just like crate training. All night long, all night long.
clip from The Office - Pam [00:10:57] Well, count yourself lucky. Wait until you have two. That's two sleep schedules, two naps that don't coincide. I mean, you'll never sleep again.
clip from The Office - Angela [00:11:05] No one said you must have two.
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:11:07] Like her genes are so important. The world just needs more Pam/Jim DNA. Thank you, no.
clip from The Office - Angela [00:11:11] No, thank you.
clip from The Office - co-worker [00:11:16] Check this out. My brother just got a new sailboat. He has no idea what he just got himself into. There's nothing harder than taking care of a boat. Am I right?
clip from The Office - Pam [00:11:27] [in unison with Angela] Unbelievable!
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:11:29] Unbelievable!
Jenna [00:11:31] So there it is. I just love how we were all teamed up.
Angela [00:11:35] Oh, yeah, and then being so catty!
Jenna [00:11:37] I know! So it's like we're having this three-way conversation, but then we're pairing off to bitch about the other one.
Angela [00:11:44] So much sidebar.
Jenna [00:11:47] Yes. Matt, it's your turn.
Matt [00:11:50] I had to go with "Gay Witch Hunt." It's just the first thing that comes to mind and it's just these seven words that Oscar says. I'll let the clip speak for itself.
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:11:59] I was going to quit, but Jan offered me a three month paid vacation and a company car. All I had to do was sign something saying I won't sue. Gil and I are going to Europe. Kids, sometimes it pays to be gay.
Jenna [00:12:16] [laughing] That's so great.
Matt [00:12:17] I also just wanted to say that episode, you both are so amazing. Angela, you're so mean to Oscar.
Angela [00:12:24] I know!
Matt [00:12:26] And Jenna, your face when Michael is trying to kiss Oscar is just amazing. You're both so great in that episode.
Angela [00:12:33] I rewatched that scene in the conference room earlier today, and I fully saw Phyllis break.
Jenna [00:12:41] Oh, yeah, in the background.
Angela [00:12:43] There's no hiding it. She fully breaks.
Jenna [00:12:47] Yeah. Alright, Angela, what about you?
Angela [00:12:49] Okay. Well, I do love how many times Oscar gives people shade. So much. I didn't pick any of them. I just have to go on record saying I love it. Anyway, just putting that out there. So the other thing I love is when people go to Oscar for advice, and we talked about that a little bit with him, or when Oscar gives unsolicited advice.
Jenna [00:13:10] Amazing.
Angela [00:13:11] So I went with this moment from "Garage Sale" in season seven. It's just the perfect little Oscar moment to me. To jog your memory, Pam, Ryan and Jim and Oscar are all in the conference room with Michael and they're gonna help him figure out how to propose to Holly, okay? And here's what Oscar says.
clip from The Office - Pam [00:13:30] So we just we want to help you plan the proposal so that it's safe and responsible and realistic and doable.
clip from The Office - Michael [00:13:38] I had a great idea until you ruined it.
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:13:40] You wanna know how to do it? Here's how you do it. Take her out to dinner, go down on one knee. If you are in costume, you did something wrong. If at any point you find yourself tying the ring to a dog's collar, stop and look at yourself.
Angela [00:13:55] That made me laugh. I love Pam's set up and then Oscar just jumping in, and he knew he would try to be a character in costume.
Jenna [00:14:07] Well, listen, I don't want to wait any longer. I want you guys to hear this great conversation that we had with Oscar Nunez. So why don't we take a break and we will be back with Oscar in the studio.
Angela [00:14:17] Yeah!
audio cue [00:14:17] [musical sting]
Jenna [00:14:22] Oscar, thank you so much for joining us on the Office Ladies podcast, here in the studio.
Oscar [00:14:28] My pleasure, here I am. I don't know, listeners, we're not being filmed. These ladies are in an old timey, traditional, beautiful building on the corner, high up. I was in the elevator with Angela coming up and she goes, "You know what? Clark Gable played poker in the basement." What? That's where we are, carry on.
Angela [00:14:47] That's what this man told me.
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:14:49] Yeah, I believe it.
Angela [00:14:50] There's an older gentleman on the fifth floor who was telling me some history.
Oscar [00:14:53] This is very apropos. So surreal.
Jenna [00:14:56] And we're here and we are going to talk to you all about your character, Oscar Martinez. You know the name of this episode is "All About Oscar."
Oscar [00:15:05] No, I think I knew that.
Angela [00:15:07] You did, because we talked on the phone.
Oscar [00:15:08] You told me.
Jenna [00:15:08] I told you. But first, we wanted to congratulate you on the success of "The Paper" and on season two, which is coming out today.
Oscar [00:15:17] Okay, yes, thank you.
Jenna [00:15:19] The day this airs is the day season two is premiering on Peacock.
Oscar [00:15:22] That's exciting.
Angela [00:15:22] Very exciting. And then for season one, you were nominated for a Critics' Choice Award.
Jenna [00:15:27] You personally.
Oscar [00:15:29] Thank you. I appreciate that.
Jenna [00:15:31] Yes, what has it been like to take this character from one series to another?
Oscar [00:15:37] You know what, Jenna? It's been seamless.
Jenna [00:15:40] Mm-hmm.
Oscar [00:15:41] Because as all the characters, it's a solid character. We're all so well-developed. The characters, every one of them! So it's been seamless, and I love playing the straight man. I mean, he's a gay guy, but he plays the straight guy, right? And I love that. I love reacting to things. I mean don't get me wrong, if they're like, "Oscar, you can play anyone on The Office," I'm like, "Alright, either Dwight or Steve." Of course. But to play a straight person off these people is so fun.
Angela [00:16:10] Mm-hmm.
Oscar [00:16:11] And I get to keep doing it now. And it's a whole crop of new people. I have friends and they're new, you know? Like Domhnall, who is so talented.
Angela [00:16:20] So talented.
Oscar [00:16:21] Who worked with Steve, and Domhnall's in everything.
Angela [00:16:25] Everything.
Oscar [00:16:25] He's like Emily Blunt. He's in everything, this kid. And Alex Edelman, my new favorite stand-up.
Jenna [00:16:33] He's so funny.
Oscar [00:16:35] Jenna, I mean...
Angela [00:16:36] Have you seen him live? I've never seen him live.
Jenna [00:16:37] Is he cracking you up on set? Is he the funny one on set?
Oscar [00:16:41] He's very funny on set, but he's very smart and he's a writer, so he's not joking around all the time. But he's super smart, I mean, crazy. I'm so in love with him. They were like, "He's like your nephew." I'm like, "You're right, I can't say enough about Alex." And we've gone to see him after, just for us, he did a show at the Ford, and he went and he did it with Ben Harper because he's a fan. So they did a short together. He's more comfortable on stage than he is in Alex, in real life. He's so good on stage. And so funny, I can't say enough about him. Anyway, Alex. Chelsea is a new friend.
Angela [00:17:17] Chelsea is so delightful. She's been in the studio here and chatted with us and we just love her.
Jenna [00:17:24] Adore her.
Oscar [00:17:24] Yeah, she's very cool. So you know, look, they all went through the Greg Daniels filter, they're all nice people. There's no bad, you know?
Jenna [00:17:32] That's right.
Oscar [00:17:32] So those are my new friends and more, but those are the ones that come to mind the most. And yeah, they were all, I mean, yeah...
Angela [00:17:40] I realize Jenna and I are now becoming the people that, when people would interview us were like, "Who's the prankster? Who's the jokester?"
Jenna [00:17:47] Oh my gosh, we're asking all the questions now, that people used to ask us.
Oscar [00:17:51] That's crazy.
Jenna [00:17:51] It's kind of crazy.
Angela [00:17:52] I know, I know.
Jenna [00:17:53] Okay we want to ask you questions about Oscar.
Angela [00:17:55] Yeah, we have some, and fans wrote in really fun ones.
Oscar [00:17:56] But you know the answers!
Angela [00:17:58] No, no, no!
Jenna [00:17:58] I don't know the answer to some of these.
Angela [00:18:00] We don't know all of these answers, and also the fans wrote in Oscar, and they're so thoughtful and they love your character, so we're excited to dive in. Ready?
Jenna [00:18:07] This first question, I did not know the answer to.
Oscar [00:18:10] Okay.
Jenna [00:18:10] Okay, so we know that aspects of Oscar's character, like all of our characters, got revealed over time. That the writers would write to us over time and like you said, fully flesh us out.
Oscar [00:18:22] Yes ma'am.
Jenna [00:18:24] But early on, in those early days when we didn't have all of that to work with, did you create any backstory for the character of Oscar?
Angela [00:18:33] Like where he was from, his family, anything like that?
Jenna [00:18:36] How he ended up at Dunder Mifflin?
Oscar [00:18:38] No, what happened, the way I approached it or whatever - I got the job because of improv, because it was a good day for auditions for me. On that day I had four auditions. So by the time I got to The Office, I just didn't care. And that's the best way to go in.
Jenna [00:18:52] You were super loose.
Oscar [00:18:53] Super loose.
Angela [00:18:53] It was your fourth audition in one day? For pilot season?
Oscar [00:18:56] So it was a good actor's day. I felt like an actor that day. Cause you could go a week and not have one, you're like, "What am I doing?" So it's a good day and then you go back more and it's improv and that's what we do. And I don't know why, but in my mind, I was the boss of our clump of Kevin, Angela, myself. Because of where I was seated. But then as we started improvising and going, Angela kind of became the boss and I'm like, "Oh,." And so I was thinking about that. And I was like, "Okay, now I'm going to adjust a little bit, you know?"
Jenna [00:19:28] Yeah.
Oscar [00:19:29] Because now she's the head. I'm like, "Okay, so now we're, like, the parents of Kevin."
Angela [00:19:34] But that happened pretty organically because we started improvising over there in the clump and I just sort of took a high status because I was so prim and proper and then you were just instantly annoyed with me. It was perfect.
Oscar [00:19:46] It was organic and you did it and you snapped at me because you demanded, because you're like, "You're talking to him. What happened? What did he say?" And I'm like, "You saw me!" And then that was it.
Angela [00:19:56] That was it.
Oscar [00:19:56] And the writers were like, "What? They're really good improvisers." We're like, "Yeah, that's what we do." Then they started writing a little bit more for us. Kevin said, "What are you guys talking about?" You're like, "Nothing," or "Shut up." You just shut him down like he was a child.
Angela [00:20:09] I said "Nothing" and you said almost the same thing at the same time.
Oscar [00:20:14] Yeah, like, "Don't worry about it, it doesn't concern you." And he came in with that sweet and the slow speed, he's like, "[slowly] What are you guys talking about?" And you're like, "Shh, shhh, shhhh, shhhhh. No."
Jenna [00:20:24] Well, I'm curious, right now, who was the head accountant of that clump?
Oscar [00:20:29] I don't think they had one, we figured it out ourselves.
Jenna [00:20:33] But I mean... Who would you say? Do you think it was you? Do you think It was you, Angela?
Angela [00:20:38] I think I had to schedule everything and I had to make sure everything got done and I feel like some of the invisible labor came down to Angela Martin.
Jenna [00:20:48] Oh my God, I love this. I love it. So Oscar had the job and you're like, "But I'm doing all the work."
Angela [00:20:54] But I get everything done. But who does Michael go to? Oscar. But who turned in the paperwork? Me.
Oscar [00:21:00] It works perfectly.
Jenna [00:21:01] Delicious.
Oscar [00:21:02] Because he's a misogynist and he feels good that he's going to a Latino. That makes him feel good. "Look what I'm doing."
Angela [00:21:09] [laughing] Michael?
Oscar [00:21:09] Yes! As a character. He's like that.
Angela [00:21:14] Which would make Angela be resentful of Oscar, right? That she's doing the work and he gets more credit.
Oscar [00:21:21] Yeah, just another thing to be resilient, but another thing of like, "Welcome to my world."
Angela [00:21:25] Yes.
Oscar [00:21:26] Hello, ladies, we all, this is what women know.
Angela [00:21:28] Yeah, "I guess this is what I have to do."
Oscar [00:21:31] This is the workplace.
Angela [00:21:32] Well, I have a question for you and a few fans wrote in with a similar question, they wanna know -
Oscar [00:21:37] I don't know if I answered the last one.
Jenna [00:21:39] You did!
Angela [00:21:39] I think you did. I think said that in your mind, Oscar was in charge.
Oscar [00:21:44] Yeah, but in other words, I was in the moment. I wasn't like "backstory, parents," none of that. I'm like, "We're here." We did the pilot and then that second script came in (and I've said this before) and I'm like, "Who wrote this?"
Angela [00:21:56] "Diversity Day?"
Oscar [00:21:57] Yeah, and they're like, "That kid," and I'm, like, "The kid riding the skateboard?" That teenager? The sullen kid from Harvard? I'm, like, "Oh, we are in good hands." Cause this script wasn't good. It was really, really good. That was a killer script. I'm like, "Oh my God, this show, this is good." We don't want to jinx it, but I'm like, "Oh, this is gonna be good." Anyway.
Angela [00:22:18] No, I think we all felt that way. It felt like lightning in a bottle when we were filming that episode.
Oscar [00:22:21] It was really good one. And then the script was good, but then we were having fun because Mindy couldn't get through the scene when she's yelling and she slaps him. She didn't act as much as we did, so she's just laughing. And we're like, "What's happening? Take 27!" And she's, like, "I can't!" And how could she not, when he's in her face?
Angela [00:22:42] I know, I know. Okay, wait, so a bunch of people wrote in with the same question, which is, "Did you have a favorite Oscar storyline?" Like, if they're...
Oscar [00:22:53] Storyline?
Angela [00:22:53] Yeah, if you look back on those nine seasons of... I know it's a really tough question.
Oscar [00:22:57] No, no, it's not a tough question because the other day (or six months ago, I don't even know anymore) I was watching the episode where I have the draw open and I'm leaning on it. You're like, "I think the senator is having an affair."
Angela [00:23:13] And you drop the drawer and catch it.
Oscar [00:23:15] And then that scene is so good, Angela.
Angela [00:23:18] It's so fun.
Oscar [00:23:19] Because at the beginning, I don't know. I'm like, "What?"
Angela [00:23:21] "Blake, who's Blake? Yeah, who is Blake?"
Oscar [00:23:23] Yeah, I'm like, "And what's with the yoga?"
Angela [00:23:24] I know, the yoga. And then you're like, "We need to go." And I'm like, "No, I don't want to go, no."
Oscar [00:23:32] First she was worried, and then I'm the one that's worried and she's like, "Okay, whatever."
Jenna [00:23:36] It's brilliant, I love that.
Oscar [00:23:37] Oh, it's so messed up. And then we go to the thing, and we're spying on them, and the stupid telephone.
Angela [00:23:41] And your phone rings, ugh.
Oscar [00:23:42] It's the stupidest joke in the world. Ugh. Terrible.
Jenna [00:23:46] Well, we got a lot of mail about that storyline.
Oscar [00:23:48] That's the writers, man. Those are the writers. If we can't make that funny, there's something wrong with us, because it's all there.
Jenna [00:23:54] People were really curious how you felt. I mean, we know that it was very funny, but they were like, "Were you surprised to see that Oscar Martinez would go behind Angela Martin's back like that?"
Oscar [00:24:05] It's horrible, no one would do that! But it's a TV show, it's not real. So we stretch and we pull and we push the boundaries. It was horrible, who would do it? And then he's fine with it. "I like Angela, but she can't keep her man," you know? But then I come back and I'm like, "Hey, stay with me." You know? So it's a lot going on.
Angela [00:24:26] I was watching the scenes this morning where
Jenna [00:24:29] Wait, were they the ones at the
Angela [00:24:31] At the fundraiser?
Jenna [00:24:32] Yes!
Angela [00:24:32] The fundraiser, Oscar, when you're just like, "He's hitting on me," and then...
Jenna [00:24:36] The journey that you go on. "He gave me his card." Jim's like, "I think he gives everyone their card."
Angela [00:24:43] Yeah, and at the end when he slides his hand down Oscar's sleeve, my favorite is you look to camera and you go, "Why does this keep happening to me?" And then you're like, "Oh, I feel so bad for Angela."
Oscar [00:24:56] I could not be happier. I could not be happier. And remember, here comes the wise one who we think doesn't know what's going on, Kevin on the porch. He goes, "These are two good people and you suck," basically, right? The scene where we're leaving and you and I are there like, [makes silly noise]. We're just like hand towels that you can use and he's like,"Yeah, you kind of suck." It was really cool.
Angela [00:25:21] "Great party. You suck."
Jenna [00:25:24] We have a follow-up fan question from Stephanie C. in Powder Springs, Georgia, who would like to know: "After all of this has happened in the Angela and Oscar storyline, do you think Oscar still keeps in touch with her?"
Oscar [00:25:41] In the show?
Jenna [00:25:43] In a post-Dunder Mifflin world.
Angela [00:25:44] Stephanie gives an example. She said, "For example, would Oscar, even if it's just a Christmas card every year, do you think Angela and him exchange?"
Oscar [00:25:53] Oh no, they do stay in touch because remember, who's the godfather of the kid?
Angela [00:25:58] Oscar. Of Philip, yes.
Oscar [00:26:00] Rainn reminded me that on his podcast. Someone asked the same question and then Rainn's like "Oh wait, aren't you?" I'm like, "Oh snap, sorry" and I had apologized to the person who asked the question. It wasn't a ridiculous question, I am the godfather of their kid.
Angela [00:26:14] Yeah.
Oscar [00:26:16] He'd have to show up sometime for something. Some birthday, or something.
Angela [00:26:19] And also Philip meant a lot to Oscar. If you look back on the finale, Oscar's holding Philip at the wedding, and then one of my favorite things is -
Oscar [00:26:27] And so did Angela. I think they do stay in touch a little bit.
Angela [00:26:31] Absolutely. I loved it when Angela's laying out Philip's outfit for the day and Oscar comes in and goes -
Oscar [00:26:36] "Not the best."
Angela [00:26:37] "Those shoes, are you kidding me? No, not over my dead body." Like, little baby shoes and trades them out.
Oscar [00:26:44] "Angela, I will call Child Protective Services." It's the best line.
Angela [00:26:48] Yeah.
Oscar [00:26:49] It was a talking head. "Denim and saddle shoes, I will call Child Protective Services."
Angela [00:26:52] That's right. That's a good line. Yeah. Okay. We have some more fan questions for you.
Oscar [00:26:57] These are good questions.
Angela [00:26:58] Alright, so folks are very aware that you almost never broke on the show. There are actually a few Instagram accounts that feature the very few times that you did laugh. They're super funny. But we were curious, do you have a moment that you remember that was the hardest you ever laughed on set? Like, something that really got you.
Jenna [00:27:19] Even if you didn't break in the scene.
Oscar [00:27:21] Oh, even if I didn't break in the scene?
Jenna [00:27:24] Just like, what do you look back on?
Angela [00:27:26] Like, the minute they yelled cut, and you were just like, "Ugh."
Oscar [00:27:29] Well, the Santa Claus.
Angela [00:27:38] Oh, yes.
Angela [00:27:38] The one where Ed had to dive behind the wall because he was laughing?
Oscar [00:27:40] We couldn't get through it. He just dove behind it. And the things they would say. He's like, "Little boy, what do you want?" And he's like, "I don't know."
Angela [00:27:48] He's like "Speed it up."
Oscar [00:27:48] "You didn't think of it?" "Didn't you think of him before you sat down?" And "No one's ever asked me to sit on their lap before." He's just thinking about it. What's he's gonna get? But he asked for it. "Little boy, sit on my lap." Then one of the scenes that they couldn't use is when he gets up and his leg's asleep and he starts banging it. That's when Krasinski's just like, at his mercy, sitting there.
Angela [00:28:13] Yeah.
Oscar [00:28:14] But as far as cracking up, I think Steve cracked me a few times. But Ed Helms would, I think, crack me up most consistently.
Angela [00:28:21] Oh yeah?
Oscar [00:28:21] With his mugs, his faces, he would do. I thought they were so good and so funny. I said this before, the Andy Griffith Show is an old TV show in black and white. In the town of Mayberry, there's a barbershop, it's Floyd's Barbershop. And that character, you guys are too young, you're looking at me like, "What?" There's Floyd the Barber and that character reminds me of Andy. I don't know why.
Angela [00:28:43] I want to go back and find, I mean, you know those episodes are out there. My grandparents watch that show. [laughing] You're not as old as my grandparents.
Jenna [00:28:50] Her grandparents watched it, Oscar. Did you watch it with her grandparents?
Angela [00:28:56] No, no, no. Come on.
Oscar [00:28:57] I have to, I'm looking at my watch, I have to leave.
Angela [00:28:59] Oh no.
Oscar [00:29:00] "My grandparents," she says.
Angela [00:29:01] No, no! I'm not saying that-
Jenna [00:29:02] My great grandparents watched it.
Angela [00:29:04] [embarrassed] Oh Jenna.
Oscar [00:29:05] I believe it.
Jenna [00:29:06] Most people who watched that I think have died. Because they're so, so old.
Oscar [00:29:11] I was really young, my only defense is I was young when I watched it.
Angela [00:29:14] You were three years old.
Oscar [00:29:16] Not really, I wasn't that young.
Angela [00:29:17] Well, I do remember it. When I would go visit them in the summer, they would have it on. I remember the beginning, cause he whistled, right?
Jenna [00:29:25] Ron Howard is the little boy with the fishing pole.
[00:29:34] [they whistle the theme song from "The Andy Griffith Show"]
Angela [00:29:34] We know it! Okay, but I can't remember Floyd, but I want to go find him. But yeah, Ed gave really good face, right?
Oscar [00:29:39] Really good face, and he was well written. It was a very extreme, funny, funny funny character.
Angela [00:29:46] But see, I didn't know that till today, that the character that consistently made you break was Andy.
Oscar [00:29:53] And he would get away with doing things that Michael would, or he was a very extreme character, but anchored. And you're like, "What is happening?" And he did something he's like thinking of something he went like this [does a thinking gesture] to think and I'm like -
Jenna [00:30:06] Oh, I remember this.
Angela [00:30:08] He put his fingers to his mouth, like -
Oscar [00:30:10] Yeah, like a steeple and I'm like, "No, I can't" and I started laughing. Then I remember he got dressed up as a cat and he went prowling around John Krasinski and he's like, "[purring] "Who am I?" And John's like, "Oh my God."
Angela [00:30:22] I was watching the scene too where... A lot of people go to Oscar for advice. It's kind of interesting.
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:30:28] I guess, yeah.
Angela [00:30:29] If you re-watch The Office, Oscar's who a lot people go to.
Oscar [00:30:32] There's no one else. Who else is normal?
Angela [00:30:34] I know, I know. Cuz he's the voice of reason, right?
Oscar [00:30:37] Jenna was smarter but Jenna was in love, and she was in love and she-
Jenna [00:30:41] I didn't have time to give people advice.
Oscar [00:30:44] Or the inclination. You're a nice person. I would tell it to them like it is.
Jenna [00:30:48] You know what, I think that Pam... I'm not sure people wanted her advice because she seemed a little bit... She was a grounded person, but I don't think she had her sh*t together, right? She was engaged and then she's with this other guy, is she going to art school? Is she not going?
Angela [00:31:05] A little messy.
Oscar [00:31:05] A little bit of a blade of grass blowing in the wind a little, a little. But Oscar was pretty anchored.
Jenna [00:31:10] Much more stable of a person.
Angela [00:31:13] No, I was watching the scene where Andy goes to Oscar and is like, "Let's say Brad Pitt hits on me..."
Oscar [00:31:23] And then my talking head is, "It can't be my place, surely this can't be part of my work description or something that I have to do."
Angela [00:31:30] [laughing] Like, you have to like, secure him, like -
Oscar [00:31:33] Make him secure in his sexuality, yeah. That was a funny episode. And that's again, Ed Helms.
Jenna [00:31:41] Is there a character you wish Oscar had more scenes with? Is it Andy?
Oscar [00:31:46] Oh, that's a good one, probably. I always say Steve because he was so good and it was so fun and I had some scenes with him.
Angela [00:31:52] Oscar and Michael had a lot of great moments.
Oscar [00:31:54] We had a lot of great moments.
Jenna [00:31:55] A highlight is from "The Surplus," when you have to explain what a surplus is to him.
Angela [00:32:00] Oh my goodness.
Jenna [00:32:01] The lemonade stand.
Angela [00:32:02] I don't know how you kept a straight face, Oscar, because as your character you're laying it out (like, the math of it) and then you're like, "And then next year..." And Steve, as my Michael, goes, "I'll be six." Like, he's missing the point together.
Oscar [00:32:20] But he's on it. He answered quickly, he's on it. It just struck me, too, that Oscar gets advice and all that, but when push comes to shove he's such a know-it-all. But sometimes he gets put in a position where he fumbles the ball, which is very human.
Angela [00:32:34] Mm-hmm
Oscar [00:32:36] I was in a room with men or something, CEOs, we might have gone on a trip, the three of us. I got a chance to like speak my mind and I fumbled it.
Jenna [00:32:46] Yeah, at the shareholder meeting.
Oscar [00:32:50] Which is very funny.
Jenna [00:32:52] Well, speaking of The Surplus, that is one of my personal favorite Pam/Oscar storylines.
Oscar [00:32:58] Right.
Jenna [00:32:59] And I love it because often we were allies because we were the reasonable people in the office. But now here we were adversarial.
Oscar [00:33:09] Because you wanted the chairs?
Jenna [00:33:11] And you wanted a copier. So I'm asking you now, Jenna to Oscar Nunez in real life, would you choose new chairs or a new copier?
Oscar [00:33:22] Oh, Martinez says copier. Nunez, I think, says chairs.
Jenna [00:33:26] Thank you! Chairs, chairs. We all know it's chairs. I feel as passionate about chairs as Jenna as I did as Pam.
Oscar [00:33:33] Okay.
Jenna [00:33:34] I think it's chairs!
Oscar [00:33:36] Let me say, I've had real jobs and I wasn't a good worker because I would pick chairs over copier. Martinez, the pragmatic thing would have been copiers. But here, I'm with you, chairs.
Angela [00:33:45] But have you guys ever had to make a lot of copies?
Jenna [00:33:48] Yes!
Angela [00:33:49] I did. I worked in a mail room. Having a sh*tty copier is a huge time suck on your day and extra work.
Jenna [00:33:57] Yes, I had to collate giant things using a copier. Yes. I'd still pick chairs.
Angela [00:34:04] There'd be paper jams. You'd have to open the hole thing up.
Oscar [00:34:06] But in Jenna's defense, am I imagining things? Jenna spent a lot of time in her chair because she's a receptionist. She can't get up and mess around like the rest of us.
Jenna [00:34:16] As Pam.
Oscar [00:34:17] As Pam, that's right.
Jenna [00:34:18] As Jenna, I worked in offices and I had to use copiers all the time. And I still would pick chair.
Oscar [00:34:25] Wow.
Angela [00:34:25] Do you remember the one super sh***y chair that was on set? Sometimes you would come to your desk and it would be at your chair. You'd be like, "Who the hell swapped the chairs?"
Jenna [00:34:34] It didn't have arms.
Angela [00:34:37] I would often get to set before Creed.
Oscar [00:34:41] And give it to Creed, who wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Angela [00:34:44] [laughing] I would scoot it over to Creed.
Oscar [00:34:46] Of course you did.
Angela [00:34:47] [laughing] Sometimes I'd watch him sit down and kind of look around like, "Huh?"
Oscar [00:34:50] Poor Creed.
Angela [00:34:51] And then it would come back. It would come to accounting. Someone would move it around.
Oscar [00:34:54] But there should be a sh*tty chair on the set. There should be, yes.
Angela [00:34:58] Yes, and no one tells you. You just all figure it out over the years.
Oscar [00:35:01] Yeah, just like an office.
Jenna [00:35:03] That's right.
Angela [00:35:04] Well, I have this fun question from Ramona K. in Ohio.
Oscar [00:35:07] I'll be the judge of that, Ramona.
Angela [00:35:09] Ramona says, "Dear Office Ladies, my favorite Oscar scene is when he is waiting for Matt to come to the bar and he gets a little tipsy. He then plays basketball very poorly and it always makes me laugh so hard. Whenever Oscar plays drunk, it is hilarious. Thank you for making the best show and podcast ever." Oscar, did you love that scene? A follow-up is did you have any tricks on playing drunk? It's not easy to play drunk.
Oscar [00:35:33] It's not easy, Ramona. Thank you for that. I appreciate that because it's not easy to play drunk.
Jenna [00:35:39] You also had to play drunk when you went on the business trip, where you guys call Angela.
Angela [00:35:45] Also, you had to play drunk when you went to Robert California's house, when you got super drunk on wine.
Jenna [00:35:51] Wait, what are we learning about the character of Oscar right now? You're drunk quite a bit. Have you done drunk on The Paper yet?
Oscar [00:35:58] No, not yet. Not yet. We did nine seasons. That's a lot. I like the drunk that I was when I called you. At Robert's house, I was really drunk. That was a crazy episode.
Jenna [00:36:08] Yeah. So what's your trick? How do you do it?
Angela [00:36:11] When Oscar and Andy call Angela, I thought that was the perfect kind of drunk.
Oscar [00:36:17] I did too, I agree.
Angela [00:36:18] You still had some hills and valleys.
Jenna [00:36:21] Wait, are you saying that's the drunk you would want to be?
Angela [00:36:24] No, no, no. Acting.
Oscar [00:36:24] No, it's good to play. Acting-wise, it's fun to play.
Angela [00:36:27] I think it's harder.
Jenna [00:36:28] I thought it was like, "That's the perfect drunk. When you're still a little happy or a little buzzy."
Angela [00:36:33] "But you're a little spicy and you make really bad decisions."
Jenna [00:36:35] Yeah, like, "Oh, I love this ranking of the drunk stages."
Oscar [00:36:38] You know what? It is good.
Jenna [00:36:39] The drunk you don't want to be is the Robert California House drunk. You're not feeling good the next day.
Oscar [00:36:43] No, because anything could happen. That's not good.
Angela [00:36:45] But I was just saying that I feel like you still had different choices you made at different times.
Oscar [00:36:50] That's right, and that's when it's fun. You think about being drunk, you think about when you've been drunk, and then pull it way back. Because if not, it gets weird and you might not be able to pull it off. I've seen people who can't do good drunks and you're like, "Oh no," and then I've see people who play really good drunks. I can't think of any off the top of my head. Who else had to play drunk on our, just me? Surely there was someone else.
Jenna [00:37:15] I had to do drunk at the Dundee's. I had to fall off a stool and all that.
Oscar [00:37:18] Yeah, but you were a happy drunk. That drunk was the same drunk that called you.
Angela [00:37:23] Yes, and also John, as Jim had to play drunk. He drinks with Karen, he does shots.
Jenna [00:37:28] Yeah, and then he falls off his bike.
Oscar [00:37:30] That's right.
Jenna [00:37:31] When he's trying to bike home.
Oscar [00:37:33] Yeah, John does that well. Well, he's from Boston.
Jenna [00:37:35] And of course, I think we had a lot of drunk Meredith.
Angela [00:37:40] Oh, gosh. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Kate's scene with Michael when he's trying to get her to rehab and he's tackling her in the parking lot. She's like, "Wait a minute, wait, a minute." Amazing.
Oscar [00:37:52] And the whole thing of taking a dog to the vet. He's like "We'll go into a bar." She's like, "You just passed it" and finally she gets it through her head. Oh, that's the best.
Jenna [00:38:05] Guys, I think we should take a quick break and we're gonna come back. We have even more questions to ask her. Will you stay with us? Will you stay with us?
Oscar [00:38:10] Oh my Lord, yes. Okay, great.
audio cue [00:38:11] [musical sting]
Jenna [00:38:13] Alright, Oscar, we are back.
Oscar [00:38:17] Oh my god. Wait a second, we didn't take a break! What a fake out, you guys.
Angela [00:38:20] Do you want a break, do you want to real break?
clip from The Office - Oscar [00:38:23] That break was 2 seconds. I'm pulling the chair back, I'm like, "Time to stretch."
Angela [00:38:26] We can!
Oscar [00:38:27] No, it's okay.
Angela [00:38:28] You can shake it out.
Jenna [00:38:29] You're revealing all our production secrets.
Oscar [00:38:29] Go ahead, keep going.
Jenna [00:38:32] This has nothing to do with your character, but what do you do for fitness? You look fit.
Angela [00:38:38] I mean you did hang upside down on The Office. Like, people have asked if you really did that and you really did that.
Oscar [00:38:44] I did. I'm taking a little bit of martial arts, just a little, which I like. I've always done it off and on my whole life. That's what I like.
Jenna [00:38:51] What kind? What kind of martial arts?
Oscar [00:38:53] Right now it happens to be Hapkido. I love it, I loved it. It's a little strange because this particular thing is two hours classes, which I've never done before. It's usually one hour, but this guy does two hours. So that's what we do. And I did it yesterday, and I'll go tomorrow.
Angela [00:39:09] Are you so wiped after? I mean, sometimes I play tennis for three hours. That's a lot.
Oscar [00:39:13] I'm a little wiped, yeah. And also, I have a daughter (Jenna and Angela know this) and she's in the school and they were doing "The Importance of Being Earnest" and it was so cute and adorable. There was an intermission or whatever, it was over. And a dad walks in, this guy walks in. His daughter's in the thing too. He walks in and he comes up to me. He might be in his 40's and he's sweating and he has got like a backpack on. He takes it off and I can see it's heavy and I'm like, "What are you doing? Are you hiking?" He's like, "No, it's a rucksack." And it's this camouflage backpack. He says, "It has weights in it. You put weights in and you walk with it. You're like hiking with the backpack on."
Angela [00:39:58] It's like the women with the weighted vests, I see everywhere. Okay.
Oscar [00:40:04] He proceeds to pitch this thing to me. He's very excited about it. By the way, it was 50 pounds. I can barely lift it. I'm like, "What is going on?" I put my hand on the shoulder and he felt like a rock, and he proceeded to speak for 30 minutes straight about this thing he's doing. So we get home and I'm like, "Ursula, order me a rucksack, 20 pounds to start." I don't know why, but now I'm doing it.
Jenna [00:40:30] You are?!
Oscar [00:40:30] I'm walking with this backpack. So people who are listening, they know it. And it's all, you know, bros do it, and men who are taking too much testosterone in their 60's. And they put this thing on, and it's all camouflage and black and flags.
Angela [00:40:42] Oscar, we buy everything. I have the weighted vest. Jenna, this morning,
Jenna [00:40:47] No, lady, this made me laugh so hard this morning.
Angela [00:40:51] This is so funny.
Jenna [00:40:52] I was on the gram today, and I got fed this thing. It is a neck massager that is supposedly going to tighten my jaw and jowls.
Angela [00:41:03] So I want to read our text exchange this morning, OK?
Jenna [00:41:06] I just, this is my first text to Angela this morning.
Oscar [00:41:08] If you speak about it for ten more minutes, I will buy it.
Angela [00:41:11] This is at 9:47 a.m. "I just bought a neck massager off Instagram that is supposed to make your jawline look tighter without surgery." I, in my pajamas, pick it up because I've bought it, but she doesn't know. I take a selfie and I say, "You mean this one that I bought last month."
Oscar [00:41:28] Fish in a barrel, ladies and gentlemen.
Angela [00:41:30] Same exact box, same exact name.
Oscar [00:41:34] Send the Office Ladies whatever crap. They'll buy it. They'll buy it and put it on their bodies and me too. I shouldn't judge.
Angela [00:41:38] She goes, "Oh my god, did it work?" I said "No, but you do get a very deep sort of shoulder massage. It's kind of painful for me." She goes. "Have you been doing it every day?" I said, "No. Also, it doesn't really fit my neck. Josh is able to get a great neck rub out of it, but my neck is too small. So instead it just squeezes the shit out of my shoulder."
Oscar [00:41:57] But where, so how did you hear about this?
Jenna [00:41:59] It got sent to me on Instagram.
Angela [00:42:02] Same with me. I didn't tell you, but I had already bought it.
Jenna [00:42:06] I wish I texted you first. But I thought, "Surely, I'll be the first one."
Oscar [00:42:11] You took a chance.
Angela [00:42:13] Let's get back to some fan questions here.
Jenna [00:42:16] Oscar, you are a famous member of the Finer Things Club.
Oscar [00:42:19] So fun.
Jenna [00:42:20] At the paper, you start making puzzles for the newspaper. I mean, you win a whole award in the last episode for your puzzles. Are you into either of these things in real life, books or puzzles?
Oscar [00:42:32] I'm into books. I'm in to puzzles too, but I'm more into books than puzzles.
Angela [00:42:36] But the Finer Things Club, isn't it also art and the appreciation of art and music?
Oscar [00:42:40] It's a book club too.
Jenna [00:42:41] I feel like it's mainly a bookclub.
Oscar [00:42:43] I think so, too, because we discussed the books.
Jenna [00:42:47] Yeah, what are some books that you are liking right now, or that you've liked recently?
Oscar [00:42:52] Oh, let me see. Because I'm flying hither and thither, I have David Sedaris' new book, which is always good.
Jenna [00:43:00] You're speaking Angela's language with that.
Angela [00:43:01] I love David Sedaris.
Oscar [00:43:02] Yeah, he's very funny and it's easy for flights and stuff because it's short stories. We were in Limerick, Ireland and I picked up an Agatha Christie book just because I was there.
Jenna [00:43:11] I love that!
Oscar [00:43:12] It's a murder mystery and it's very silly and funny, and I'll try to pass it on to August when I'm done with it.
Angela [00:43:19] Well, we thought this was a really good question from Megan B. from Silver Springs, Maryland. That's kind of a thinking question, Oscar.
Oscar [00:43:26] I like Maryland.
Angela [00:43:28] Megan says, "Why is Oscar at Dunder Mifflin for so long? Throughout the series, he seems to gain confidence and outspokenness and is clearly one of the more capable employees at the branch. So did Oscar have a backstory for staying?"
Oscar [00:43:44] Oscar is unique and also the same as everyone else. Why do people stay where they are? They get complacent, they get comfortable. You have a job every year, so you get a raise. Why take a chance? Why go somewhere else? Know the devil you're with, whatever that saying is. He's got friends, he's established. He's not 20, he not 19. He's done.
Angela [00:44:07] He's comfortable.
Oscar [00:44:07] Yeah, if he went hunting - If something horrible happened and he's like, "I got to get out of here," then he'd get a resume and get a headhunter and do all that stuff that you have to do to find a good job somewhere else that's comparable. You don't want to go backwards. Also in this day and age, you're gonna leave and go looking for a job and you're up against 20 year olds and stuff?
Angela [00:44:25] Yeah, at that age, that's very true. You sort of hit a plateau and you're like, "Well, I've got a good thing."
Oscar [00:44:31] Jobs aren't easy to come by.
Jenna [00:44:33] We did have a fun fan catch from Savannah in Ellen, Virginia, who said this, "During 'Suit Warehouse,' Oscar can be seen typing an email to the New York Post. I paused to read the email and it said, 'This would be the perfect job for me.'" So she spotted an instance of you maybe being interested in working at a paper before The Paper.
Oscar [00:44:59] What's her name? Who is it?
Jenna [00:45:00] Savannah.
Angela [00:45:01] Savannah from Virginia.
Oscar [00:45:03] Savannah, you should be a PI. I don't know what is happening. You have proof of me typing for another job?
Jenna [00:45:12] Yes, that this would be the perfect job for you. And what I love about this, is that there are always these moments. In our rewatch of watching The Office, there would be some little thing that is background, that is nothing of significance that the writers wrote or that you see on our desk. And then later, there's a whole storyline, and fans will write in and say, "Was that foreshadowing? Did they know, five years before, that Jim was gonna play guitar?" Or whatever it was? And the answer is no, but I think somewhere the answer yes.
Oscar [00:45:46] We have to get the Savannahs of this country and the world together and throw them a parade, because this is insane.
Jenna [00:45:52] Isn't that amazing?
Oscar [00:45:52] That they take a picture and they're like, "This happened." Savannah, good for you, I don't even remember this.
Angela [00:45:57] I think there is something about this creative group mind, how sometimes you put something in the universe. Or in the Universe of the show, whether it be writers or crew or performers. Without you even realizing it, it starts to inform you. I remember Rainn, as Dwight, opening up his desk drawer and setting up his desk for the day and he's doing "Little Drummer Boy." Remember?
Jenna [00:46:22] Yes.
Angela [00:46:22] Then all those years later, Angela sings that particular song at the Christmas party. So it's just those little moments.
Jenna [00:46:30] Yeah, but that wasn't consciously in the writers' heads at all, but it seeps in, right? Somewhere, someone had this idea that Oscar might like to work at a paper, and they created this prop for you, and now here you are on The Paper. Which brings me to this question. Rachel Y. in Spring Lake, Michigan said, "What do you think happened to Oscar in between the finale of The Office and the pilot of The Paper? If my math is correct, there is an approximately 12-year gap." Rachel would like to believe that you were just an involved Godfather to Philip for most of the intervening years. And then also, Kristen C. from Somerville, South Carolina said, "What is your story for how you ended up at The Paper?" Like, how'd you get to Toledo?
Oscar [00:47:15] Rachel, I think it's 12 years. But I think in The Paper, they made it four? I think? Am I wrong?
Jenna [00:47:20] So you stayed working at Dunder Mifflin after the finale, even though you were going to become a state senator? You think that didn't happen?
Oscar [00:47:27] I think he lost. He must have lost the election and then got scooped up.
Angela [00:47:32] Oh, right. When the company was bought out. He just continued that same desk job and followed it to Toledo.
Oscar [00:47:40] That's what happened. I think they probably got offered more money. He's like, "Toledo Scranton, eh," and he went to Toledo. I mean, he's kind of a workaholic. He plays it pretty safe. He's a pretty conservative guy. There's people like that. I have a cousin like that, very by the book, very smart, a doctorate, but will not bend a rule if you paid her a billion dollars. He's kinda like that.
Angela [00:48:09] He's comfortable with that company.
Oscar [00:48:10] Yeah, he's a little boring too. He thinks of himself as sophisticated and whatever, but kind of a little... Boring. He is, he's very conservative, isn't he?
Angela [00:48:19] He is very conservative. He's not a big risk taker.
Oscar [00:48:22] No, he's not a big risk taker. Finer Things Club, that's the risk. "Look at us, we're in berets."
Jenna [00:48:30] That's his bit of dazzle.
Oscar [00:48:30] Yeah, we're in berets and whatever.
Angela [00:48:31] Okay, we have this question from Caitlin P. in Wakeman, Ohio. Caitlin wants you to know that's an hour east of Toledo.
Oscar [00:48:39] I thought so.
Angela [00:48:39] And she says, "This is not so much a question, but my Office loving heart needs to let Oscar know how much I love his reaction to Michael's sad scarecrow that he gives him before he leaves and how Michael then loses his mind because he knows it's terrible. So it made my heart extremely happy when I saw that Oscar still has it on his desk at The Paper. Why do you think Oscar brought it with him?"
Oscar [00:49:03] Cause that's from his boss. Let's face it, all the people at Dunder Mifflin, they're friends. And Michael drives them crazy or whatever, but they'd be the first to be there. If he gets a broken leg and is at the hospital, guess who's gonna visit him? His co-workers.
Angela [00:49:21] Yeah.
Oscar [00:49:22] Oscar and everyone. Even Toby would show up. "I brought you this thing." "I don't like it, Toby. I'm allergic to daisies!" Or whatever. Then he'd say something weirdly nice about him after he left. They're like family.
Jenna [00:49:34] Yeah, yeah, I think so.
Oscar [00:49:37] That's why he has it there, that's my old boss.
Jenna [00:49:39] Shelby B. from St. Charles, Missouri said, "'Oscar has such a distinctive dance style. He shows it off at Jim and Pam's wedding.also during the dance, the whole office does to 'Boogie Wonderland' in season nine. It's sort of like a robot, but with more flair. I was just wondering, where did the idea for this dance style come from, and how did Oscar think it fit in with his character's backstory?"
Oscar [00:50:04] He's gay and he's that age. And for those fellas, there's only one. And her name is Madonna.
Angela [00:50:12] Oh, he's doing vogue!
Oscar [00:50:15] He's vogueing! Yes, vogue.
Angela [00:50:19] Yes, that's exactly what he's doing.
Oscar [00:50:20] And that video is badass. In black and white with those gay Puerto Ricans, voguing with the wind in their hair and they got the attitude.
Angela [00:50:28] Yeah, and she has that great hair.
Oscar [00:50:29] Yeah, man, it's the best.
Jenna [00:50:31] You are so right.
Oscar [00:50:32] That's his version.
Jenna [00:50:33] He's not great at it.
Oscar [00:50:35] No, he's not 20 years old anymore! But he remembers.
Jenna [00:50:36] He is putting his all into it.
Angela [00:50:45] We've talked about this before on the podcast, but the three of us have been known to close down a dance floor with one particular dance.
Jenna [00:50:53] This is true.
Angela [00:50:55] Beyonce! "All the Single Ladies!" [starts singing All the Single Ladies]
Oscar [00:50:58] That's a long time ago, yeah, that's how long we've been doing this... You guys.
Jenna [00:51:03] And you are a very, very good dancer.
Oscar [00:51:05] I literally was in Studio 54. I went to Studio 54 at 17 years of age.
Jenna [00:51:12] Wait. THE Studio 54?
Oscar [00:51:14] Not a lot, I got in once or twice.
Jenna [00:51:17] That's amazing.
Oscar [00:51:18] I would have to go in with Eddie, my cousin. I couldn't go in by myself. I'd be out there waiting like an idiot all night, I wouldn't get in.
Jenna [00:51:23] And would you dance?
Oscar [00:51:24] Oh yeah, Studio 54? Yeah. But I only went once or twice. We used to go to The Limelight or Infinity. We could get into there, but the only way I got into Studio 54 was if Eddie was with me. My older cousin.
Jenna [00:51:37] Well, when we do Beyonce's All the Single Ladies, we should mention that you do take the lead. You are the center.
Angela [00:51:45] You are the center and we follow you. Now, Jenna's a really good dancer.
Oscar [00:51:47] As it should be. We all are, you guys. Let's not fight.
Angela [00:51:51] You guys are actually good dancers. I have to follow you and kind of count in my head. But I... You know what?
Oscar [00:51:56] Jenna and I are looking at each other and nodding.
Jenna [00:51:59] I'm not saying that we have to do this, but I feel like maybe before we leave, we should video ourselves.
Oscar [00:52:08] This could be horrible!
Jenna [00:52:09] It might be bad. Maybe it will never see the light of day, but for old time's sake.
Angela [00:52:14] I mean, who knows when the three of us will get a chance to do Beyonce?
Oscar [00:52:18] No, we will. At a party.
Angela [00:52:20] Oh, let's do it.
Oscar [00:52:20] In private, I don't know if we should put it out there. Go ahead, you want to film it, go ahead and see what it looks like.
Jenna [00:52:26] I don't know, one day.
Angela [00:52:27] One day we're gonna do it again.
Oscar [00:52:28] No, we should go and we should have a party somewhere.
Angela [00:52:30] Let's be glammed up.
Jenna [00:52:31] Well speaking of your dancing, many people also wrote in saying how much they love you in "The Proposal." This is another dance scene.
Oscar [00:52:39] 20 years ago! People would say, "Do that now." I'm like, "No. I'm not gonna do that now."
Angela [00:52:44] Oscar, you're so funny in that movie.
Oscar [00:52:45] It was 20 years ago.
Angela [00:52:46] I want you to know we got a lot of mail for you for this episode. People were very excited that you're coming on the podcast. 50% of it was about The Proposal.
Jenna [00:52:56] She's not kidding.
Oscar [00:52:57] It was a great role. It's a good rom-com.
Angela [00:53:00] People want us to watch it on Office Ladies 6.0 and break it down and then have you back on to tell us the behind the scenes stories.
Oscar [00:53:08] Sure, sure.
Jenna [00:53:09] Okay, that's a date.
Angela [00:53:10] Oh, great!
Jenna [00:53:11] Oh, that's gonna be fun.
Oscar [00:53:11] By the way, for those of you who, probably everyone knows this but I'm not saying anything, but as talented as Sandra Bullock is, that's how nice a person she is. I can't speak enough of her. She's a wonderful, wonderful kid.
Angela [00:53:24] Well, you'll have to come back, because I haven't seen that movie since it came out.
Jenna [00:53:29] I have watched it since because it is one of my favorite rom-coms.
Oscar [00:53:34] Oh, and man, we went to see Steve in "40 Year Old Virgin" and you guys came out to see me in The Proposal. Those were heady times. That was fun. We were still on The Office.
Angela [00:53:44] You didn't tell us. We'll wait until you come back on to break it down with us, because there was a moment when we were all at the premiere that I just remember being like [screams].
Oscar [00:53:54] Melora was really... She kept looking at me like, "Oscar..." I'm like, "That's what I do. I don't know what you thought I was. I was in The Groundlings."
Angela [00:54:03] I knew that side of you.
Oscar [00:54:04] You knew me, you knew that a part of me, but a lot of people didn't.
Jenna [00:54:07] Well, that's the cool thing about you as a performer, Oscar. And I know you were saying that you love doing The Paper because you play the straight man, but you do also play the funny guy.
Oscar [00:54:17] Oh, I love it.
Jenna [00:54:18] Like, you can do both things really well, which is unusual.
Oscar [00:54:23] Thank you, yeah I love comedy, I love it, love it.
Jenna [00:54:25] Well, before we go, can you tell us a little bit about what we can expect on season two of The Paper?
Oscar [00:54:30] Oh, I think it's funnier than season one. But the relationships keep changing and we have some really funny guest guy who comes on and he's in an office somewhere else. I don't know if I'm allowed to say who it is.
Angela [00:54:42] Oh, that's fun.
Jenna [00:54:44] I like that. Yeah.
Oscar [00:54:45] Yeah, you'll find out who he is soon enough and it's really good. I like the first season, I think the second season is funnier. Jenna just informed me it's coming out today.
Jenna [00:54:55] So in the finale, your character, he wins this award at the Ohio Journalism Awards. When you accept your award, you dedicate it to the documentary film crew, who up until this point, you have been annoyed with. You're annoyed that they showed up at this new place. So is your character more open to participating in season two?
Oscar [00:55:14] I think yeah, I mean you can't hit that note forever about "I don't want to be filmed." At some point you're like, "I have to be okay with this." You're gonna give yourself an ulcer. The character
Angela [00:55:27] Yes, but I like that they showed a little passage of time there where he got used to it. Because then, as the audience, now I believe it. I'm on board. I get why he's softening.
Oscar [00:55:36] And it's funny to be like, "Oh no, where do you guys...?" You know, all that stuff.
Jenna [00:55:39] Oh my gosh, if you had been followed for nine years and you finally shook that and then you saw them walk in the door again, what other reaction could you have?
Oscar [00:55:47] You're like, "What is happening? No way."
Jenna [00:55:49] Yes.
Angela [00:55:50] Amazing. Oscar, this is just so fun seeing you because we just love you. I was recently asked a fan question: What was some of my most meaningful scenes to do on The Office? And the most fun I had and my favorite scene partner. I said, obviously I loved working with everyone on The Office. But my favorite seen partner was getting to do all of those scenes with Oscar and us just the journey our two characters went on. I'm so proud of that, that relationship, and you're so good.
Oscar [00:56:26] Thank you.
Angela [00:56:26] I think the only reason that I was able to do that is because of you, what you gave me as a scene partner. You are one of the reasons I think Angela Martin didn't just stay one note. You know, your character's storyline brought so much out of my character and helped me discover new things about my character. You're just so talented.
Oscar [00:56:48] Thank you. Right back at you. Again, the writers gave us that opportunity, making those stories. But I mean, seeing you on the set, people don't know. We've known each other since you were working at a 1-800 thing, and I was a waiter. We were doing it.
Angela [00:57:03] We were in our 20's, yeah.
Oscar [00:57:03] We were doing improv, you guys. We had the theater, like, here in LA, wearing stupid wigs and stuff. And then to be on the same set and not know it? Then, on top of that, Ed and Brian going to the same high school and many people were at the same university. But you and I knew each other here working, and to meet there is pretty magical. And we still know each other.
Angela [00:57:27] And we still know each other.
Jenna [00:57:29] That's one of my favorite storylines. And people ask us a lot, "What was it like when Steve left?" And your storyline is an example of, I think, something that we got maybe because the character of Michael Scott left, and they went to our deep bench of talent. They wrote really great storylines for characters where before we had this very much lead character. Those second two seasons of The Office, there wasn't a single lead of the show anymore like there had been before. I actually thought that was a really smart way to handle it. But instead, we got these really cool storylines. It gives me chills, some of your scenes together. I just absolutely love it. I think it's one of the highlights of those later seasons.
Angela [00:58:23] Aw, thanks, lady.
Oscar [00:58:24] And the thing that was done, for all the hilarity of the show, when you have scenes like us, "Hey, come live with me," and Jenna saying bye to Steve at the airport, and we don't hear what they're saying. Those are really cool moments. That's really, really beautiful, deep stuff.
Jenna [00:58:45] Yeah.
Oscar [00:58:45] You know, and Craig and Amy and Steve driving to wherever Colorado in the truck when he's going with her. Those are really emotional.
Angela [00:58:52] When Michael's helping Holly. Yeah, amazing.
Oscar [00:58:55] These are beautiful things. And you're like, "Wow."
Jenna [00:58:57] Oscar, thank you so much for coming.
Oscar [00:58:59] You're welcome.
Angela [00:59:00] Thank you, Oscar.
Jenna [00:59:01] Going down memory lane with us.
Oscar [00:59:03] It was wonderful. I don't know the specific. What's the fee for, what's the payment? What do I...?
Jenna [00:59:10] We will send it.
Oscar [00:59:11] Seriously, I love you guys. This is so much fun. I'll come back anytime. It was great.
audio cue [00:59:15] [musical sting]
Angela [00:59:20] Well, thank you so much to Oscar for coming in the studio with us and hanging out. You know, we have talked to him before on the podcast, but it was over Zoom. So having him here was just so special.
Jenna [00:59:31] Everyone be sure to check out The Paper Season 2 which is now streaming on Peacock.
Angela [00:59:36] We'll see you next week.
Jenna [00:59:37] See you then.
Jenna [00:00:17] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.
Angela [00:00:19] Office Ladies is a presentation of Audacy and is produced by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.
Jenna [00:00:24] Our senior producer is Matt Beagle. Our audio engineer is Sam Kieffer, and our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico.
Angela [00:00:32] Audacy's executive producer is Leah Reis-Dennis.
Jenna [00:00:35] Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.
Angela [00:00:37] Our theme song is "Rubber Tree" by Creed Bratton.