On the third season premiere of NBC’s hit comedy The Office
(an episode titled “Gay Witch Hunt”), Oscar Nunez’s character,
accountant Oscar Martinez, was dragged out of the closet by his
ever-inappropriate boss, Michael Scott (Steve Carell). AfterElton.com
recently talked with Nunez about his character, the show and his
career, and Nunez demonstrated the same dry wit that makes him a
perfect fit for The Office.
AfterElton.com:
One of the burning questions that we must ask is whether your boyfriend
will show up at the next office Christmas party, get drunk with you and
Michael, and have a three-way.
Oscar Nunez: You know what? I haven’t read the script, but I wouldn’t put it past Greg Daniels [executive producer of The Office]. Yeah, I can see that. We get drunk and have a three-way.
AE: Yeah, there you go.
ON: [Laughs.] I’m glad you started with a light question. It’s that kind of show. Have you seen the show?
AE: I like it a lot.
ON: We do that all the time. There are three-ways all the time on the show.
AE:
Michael is the kind of guy who is the king of sticking his foot in his
mouth. He’s saying things he really shouldn’t be saying.
ON: That’s the typical boss.
AE: What would you like to see happen next with your character and his story line?
ON:
I don’t have a personal thing that I would like to have happen next on
the show. What I would like for the show is for it to continue doing
what it is doing, which is to have funny episodes. I don’t really focus
on what should happen or shouldn’t happen to my character. I trust the
writers. They are great writers. If the flow continues and it continues
to be funny, then it’s fine with me whether I have one line or
whatever. I love what they have done with him so far. I’m totally open.
AE:
Can you give us a hint about whether we will see more of your boyfriend
on the show? Or will it be like the "Gay Witch Hunt" episode, and we’ll
just see him through the window.
ON: I
don’t know. Maybe it’s in the guy’s contract that he only gets scenes
shot through window. I don’t know if they’ll show more of him.
AE: Maybe it’s one of those weird little actor contracts where they have to show a shot of his car, too?
ON: Yeah, he’ll only be shot if he is in the car. Only in the car.
AE: So, speaking of actors, what is it like to work with Steve Carell?
ON:
It’s a dream come true. Except for Steve’s drinking problem, it’s
wonderful. He rarely strikes me, but when he does, it’s because I
deserve it. I mouth off. I’ve been an actor for 20 years, and it’s
probably the most fun I’ve had. It comes down to that. You love what
you are doing right now?
AE: Yes, I do.
ON: Are the people working with you nice?
AE: Yeah, they are.
ON:
It comes down to that. Where the boss, the producer I work for, Greg
Daniels, is just a nice, decent fellow. Steve’s the same. That sets the
tone for the whole show. As an actor, I am having the time of my life.
AE: What inspiration do you use to play Oscar on the show?
ON:
You know how I play it? I play it like I am at work, and I am an
accountant, and I just want to do my job, and I really just don’t want
to be bothered with this documentation that’s going on. It sounds easy,
but the more we do it, the more difficult it gets. But that’s how I
play it. It’s like, you know what — I am a pretty conservative gay guy,
I’m an accountant and I want to be left alone.
AE:
That’s the thing about the documentary feel of the show. Everyone has
this look of “please leave me alone” on his or her faces.
ON: Everyone has that look except Michael’s character. Everyone else is “Get away, I just want to work. That’s all I want.”
AE:
That’s why it was perfect when you responded to a co-worker who
compared you to Sir Ian McKellen by saying, “I am an accountant — ”
ON: Working in a failing company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
AE: That was funny. What is it like being a Latino actor working in television?
ON: Playing a lot of security guards and janitors.
AE: So, you are finally playing a professional.
ON:
Yes, it’s all well and good to play those other roles, but it sucks.
You want to do more things. Everyone has a different path. I got lucky.
I can do the comedy thing. I have a show coming out on Comedy Central
in 2007.
AE: What’s the name of the show?
ON: It’s called Halfway Home.
I act on it, and I am executive producing. It’s about these people who
get out of prison who still have do more time in a halfway home.
AE: Any gay characters?
ON:
You will have to watch and see. This is something I did for myself.
Being a minority and feeling underrepresented, I decided to not sit
around to wait for auditions. I created my own work. I sold this.
AE: Is your character a gay Latino on The Office?
ON:
What is a gay Latino? I am Mexican American. I don’t have an accent,
but I am still Mexican on the show. I am gay on the show, but I don’t
play Oscar gay. I know many gay people. Some of them are straighter
than me, and I’m straight. People are people.
AE: Have you received any criticism regarding your character?
ON:
No. I’ve just heard good things. I think it’s a funny show. For me,
that’s the bottom line. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant [the
creators of the original, British version of The Office] created this wonderful, I think, great show. I put it up there with Taxi, Cheers and The Odd Couple. I think it’s that good.
AE: Are you going to give us any hints about what we can expect coming up?
ON:
I wouldn’t. I think a lot of stuff is going on in the show. I don’t
know what’s going to happen, but I know it’s going to be good.
AE: What would you like to see for your character on the show?
ON: It’s an office, and I would like to see him continued to be employed at The Office. It’s a great show.
