Sabrina Impacciatore is leading the way in “papers.”
After the successful September launch at Peacock, Greg Daniels’ “office” spinoff series “The Paper,” created by Greg Daniels, is preparing to launch a campaign for the Fall Awards at the Golden Globes, SAG and Critics Choice Awards, before seeking consideration for next year’s Primetime Emmy.
Emmy-nominated Sabrina Impacciatore, who plays Esmeralda Grand, editor of Toledo Truth Terror, is competing for the upcoming Autumn Ritual Awards, with the 2026 Emmys exclusively revealing the awards in the lead actress comedy category.
The “Paper,” created by Greg Daniels and Michael Coman, focuses on the historic, yet Midwest newspapers attempting to revive with volunteer replies, following the crew of the same documentary that followed the Scranton workers of Dunder Mifflin in Pennsylvania 20 years ago.
In addition to Impacciatore, the series also stars Domhnall Gleeson, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Tim Key and Original “Office” Cast Member Oscar Nunez. It was featured in preparation for the second season, one day before every episode of the comedy series was dropped on Peacock.
Impacciatore provided some of the most hilarious moments in the first season of the spinoff. Initially positioned as the show’s “villain,” she ultimately gains audience sympathy through moments of vulnerability and absurdity, especially when Esmeralda subtly cancels the newspaper’s telegraph service. In the episode “Scam Alert”, she gets caught up in a catfishing scheme that includes internet boyfriend “Jarson.” And who could have forgotten the outrageous season finale at the Ohio Journalism Awards? There are many options for possible Emmy submissions.
If Impacciatore won Emmy for the lead actress in comedy, she would be the first to do so from the NBCuniversal family since Tina Fey, who won “30 Rock” in 2008. For Peacock, an NBC-owned streaming service launched in July 2020, this category has only seen one nomination so far. This is Nata Charyon, a poker face, in 2023.
Very early predictions for the television race show “The Paper” could secure multiple nominations for this award season. The Golden Globes have traditionally embraced freshman comedy – “Brooklyn Nine Nine” won the best TV comedy series, especially in 2014 – with “paper” as the nominee. The show is also considered a leading nomination for the comedian Samble nomination at the SAG Awards, and could win the first Emmy Award nomination for next year’s outstanding comedy series.
Born in Rome, Impatchator has built a remarkable resume, including Mel Gibson’s 2004 biblical epic, “Passion of Christ,” and his role as a seraphia in numerous Italian films and television projects. Her big breakout came in the second season of Mike White’s anthology series The White Lotus, with her acclaimed performance as Valentina, a stern yet loving hotel manager. This role was nominated for an Emmy Award for her to support a drama actress.
Next up on Impacciatore’s Hollywood Docket is the role of Julian Schnabel’s “The Hand of Dante,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August. She will also star in the yet-notty R-rate comedy of “Wet Hot American Summer” director David Wayne, along with John Ham, Zoe Deichi and John Slattery.
All episodes of “Paper” are currently streamed on Peacock.
