It’s a perfect circle moment when Melvin Greg appears in “The Paper.”
He was not only a fan of “The Office,” which loosely inspired “The Paper,” but also familiar with the mockmentary format from his role as Demarcus Tillman on Netflix’s “American Vandal.”
In “The Paper,” Gregg trades high school basketball for a newspaper signature. Updated for Season 2 ahead of the September 4th premiere, the show allows him to revisit Deadpan’s humor, familiar characters and the mockmentary style he admires.
“I did very well at the audition, so when I left I recorded a video and said, ‘I got it,'” Greg told Variety. “A few weeks later I got a call saying they wanted to cast me. At the top of the year, I looked at all the different things I wanted in my next project that would help me move to the next level of my career. This show checked many of those boxes.
Courtesy of Mo McRae
Greg stars as Detrick Moore, an advertising sales representative who volunteers as a reporter to support a struggling local newspaper and avid editor-in-chief who has decided to bring Ohio’s Toledo True Terror back to its glory.
Moore works with a group of colleagues played by “Office” alumni Oscar Nunez, Sabrina Impacciatore, Ramona Young, Tim Kee, Donhol Gleason, Gvemisola Ikmero, Alex Edelman and Chelesi Frey.
The reporter, who has entered the world of journalism and combined with the unrequited workplace crash, has become a salesman, realizes that he might be above his head.
Greg was not entirely different to his character, which he described as “anxious”, “uncertainty of himself”, “it is often overlooked”, and “underestimated”.
Greg reveals he is not a method actor, but he is challenged to lean against the flaws of Moore’s character for a more reliable portrayal.
“I go to the headspace of who the character is and stay there and see how his world and how the world sees him,” he said. “It wasn’t fun to be in his space, but it’s the character. The work environment, the cast and the team were great to work with. But Detrick has a lot of room to grow. I didn’t like being in that headspace.”
Despite pleasing self-conscious people, Greg admits that he found himself rooting for Moore when he explored and understood him more.
“I wanted to coach him,” he explained. “At the middle of the season, I was like, ‘He needs to lift his head.’ I wanted him to be better.
Below, Greg talks about the diversity of what it means to be part of the “office” universe, discussing his first meeting with Steve Carell and John Krasinski, his hopes for a character in season 2 and more.
“The Paper” reflects many of the challenges faced by local newspapers today. How did preparation in this role look to you when trying to understand the internal mechanisms of local publications?
We interviewed some people from a particular newspaper and they gave us a lot of insight into working there. My character worked in sales so he wasn’t a reporter. But they were able to convey the dynamics between the sales department and the reporter. My character is a salesman for only one day and I don’t know what he’s doing. I wanted to jump into the ignorance of not knowing exactly what I was doing and throw away what I had researched.
Your character, Detrick, will become a sales person to a reporter. What was the most enjoyable thing about drawing him?
I didn’t feel good. It all played about who my character is, it’s great. He wasn’t sure of himself. He felt underrated. He felt lost. He had no idea how people perceived him in this field or how people like him would do. Most of that was doing everything he could to try and make him look like a girl or to give him attention. It’s a difficult place for someone to come in when they’re at a time when they’re making people like them and doing everything they can to prevent them from getting the response they want. A lot of it made me feel sad for him.
Detrick has a budding romance with Nicole, played by Ramona Young. How was it like having her as a scene partner?
She was amazing. We have chemistry on so many levels. I don’t want to look like the way comedy sitcom works, but it’s just part of the process. You need to justify the actions of the characters. Sometimes it affects me as an actor, as you have to be opened up to be influenced. She was there when I was going through these things. She spoke to me and asked, “What do you think about this?” Overall, she’s another great person. We have great chemistry and relationships. I couldn’t seek a better scene partner.
I read that Steve Carell and John Krasinski stopped by on the first day of filming. How was that experience?
I watched it while walking to the trailer. I put on my suit and said, “Hey, how are you?” They said, “Nice to meet you.” They then went into makeup trailers. I didn’t tell them that it was part of the show. I was nervous and they probably thought I was working on a lot because I was wearing a suit. I went into the makeup trailer while they were there and tried not to get in the way. I laugh at the jokes, but I try not to become the strange guy jumping in. They didn’t make me feel that way. That was all me. They spread love and spread it as a model for what is potentially possible.
Have you ever told them you’re on a show?
no. They’ll see it comes out.
How do you feel like being part of a legacy show?
You can trust the person in charge. Most importantly, you work with people you can trust to abandon all control, create the best possible product and to be present in a world that you trust.
“Paper” stands in itself, but many viewers may compare it to “office.” What do you think about those comparisons?
Comparing one thing with another is a human nature, but both can coexist. You can still love the “office”. It’s not that they’re removing the “office” from the streaming platform and replacing it with “essays.” You can continue to love “office” and “paper” now. They come from the same creator, but it’s a different show.
What distinguishes “The Paper” from “office”?
Aside from sharing your DNA with Dunder Mifflin, there are totally different characters, workspaces and new tasks. It’s not exactly the same. Just share similar tones, formats and Oscars.
How else would you like to explore your character?
I hope he will come to himself and blossom as a reporter and human with more confidence. He is at that point in the life he has to grow up. It would be fun to see it and explore that side of him.
We have created an impressive acting portfolio that plays a wide range of characters. Are there any characters or genres you would like to explore that you haven’t had a chance yet?
I want to do action and ROM-COM. I’m a huge fan of love and romance. Dating is very subtle and people are trying to find common ground. It’s complicated and complicated. It’s fun to explore. It’s the most relevant thing in history, as everyone is looking for that person. It’s a story that everyone can relate to. They make you feel good. They give you hope.
This interview was compiled and condensed.
