Where You've Seen The Cast Of The Paper Before

"The Paper" is a new sitcom streaming on Peacock that's based in the same fictional universe as "The Office." As we learn in the first episode, the documentary crew that followed the employees of Dunder Mifflin for ten years returned to Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 2025, only to discover that the paper company had been purchased by a company called Ennervate in 2019. The new owners are based in Toledo, Ohio, so the doc crew ends up there and decides to focus on the staff of the Toledo Truthteller, a local newspaper owned and operated by Ennervate.

While the quality of the Toledo Truthteller has dwindled following its heyday in the 1970s, the recent arrival of eager, newly appointed editor-in-chief Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) invigorates most of the paper's staff and brings new life to the city's local journalism scene. From a toilet paper delivery man to a few overtired accountants, the previously uninspired staff of both the Truthteller and their floormate company, Softees toilet paper products, find new passion and opportunity through their work putting the paper together. The show's cast is made up of a rich ensemble of comedic performers, some of whom are very new to TV and others who have been around for quite a while.

The eldest son of lauded actor Brendan Gleeson, Domhnall Gleeson, 42, almost didn't sign on to play General Hux in "Star Wars," which is probably his most recognizable role to many casual filmgoers. He certainly acted well to inhabit the petulant, uptight general, a character who is dramatically different from his role on "The Paper" as Editor-in-Chief Ned Sampson. And while Ned isn't perfect, he's definitely easier to root for than General Hux.

Domhnall Gleeson has had a prolific working career and found early success with a brief role as Bill Weasley in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 & 2." It's easy to forget Gleeson was in the "Harry Potter" movies, but Bill Weasley was a fan favorite character for many book readers. Since filming the "Harry Potter" films, Gleeson has had notable roles in prestige pictures like "Anna Karenina," "About Time," "Unbroken," "Ex Machina," "Brooklyn," and "The Revenant." In 2022, he co-starred in the thriller mini-series "The Patient" with Steve Carell, slowing down his film work somewhat. Most recently, Gleeson played a nefarious billionaire in AppleTV+'s film "Fountain of Youth."

Many fans of American TV and film probably don't recognize Sabrina Impacciatore, and if they do, it's because she was a breakout star on Season 2 of HBO's "The White Lotus." There, Impacciatore stars as Valentina, the hotel manager of Sicily's White Lotus resort. While Valentina's struggle to become more open about and comfortable with her sexuality was no laughing matter, Impacciatore still brought a comedic element to "White Lotus," especially with that one "Peppa Pig" comment. It's no surprise that she's one of the leads in "The Paper," and even less surprising that her character, Esmeralda Grand, is such a hilarious, distinct figure.

Sabrina Impacciatore is a native Italian actor and, as such, has starred in a wide variety of Italian cinema productions. Impacciatore, who turned 57 this year, has co-starred in many Italian dramas, including "The Last Kiss," "Unfair Competition," and "Miss F," for which she received a David di Donatello (often described as Italy's Oscars) nomination for best supporting actress. She's also starred in Italian comedies like "Manual of Love" and "Amiche da morire." Following her role on "The White Lotus," Impacciatore co-starred in the action film "G20" with Viola Davis.

There are actually a lot of things from "The Office" that haven't aged well. Luckily for potential viewers of "The Paper," Oscar Nuñez (who plays a character of the same first name) isn't one of them. Oscar played the fictional Oscar Martinez on "The Office" for ten seasons, often displaying keen insight and intelligence to the documentary crew filming at Dunder Mifflin. The doc crew also captured some of the lowest moments of Oscar's life, including his affair with coworker Angela's closeted husband, State Senator Robert Lipton. Nuñez is reprising his role on "The Paper," as his character was offered a job with Ennervate when they bought Dunder Mifflin. Oscar chose to move to Toledo and work for them there, unknowingly ensuring that he would once again cross paths with the documentary crew.

While Nuñez was on "The Office," he had a supporting role in the 2009 film "The Proposal," but the hit NBC sitcom is definitely Nuñez's most notable role. Other than that, he's had single-episode featured spots on many different series, including "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "New Girl," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," and "iZombie." Some parents might also recognize Nuñez's voice as that of Chef Fernando on the children's TV series "Firebuds."

Chelsea Frei has one of those faces that feels familiar but can be difficult to put a name to, thanks to her wide-ranging portfolio of supporting credits in TV and film since she came onto the acting scene. She's had bit parts in "Shrill," "Dollface," "The Time Traveler's Wife" (the TV version), and "Poker Face." Frei also co-starred as Bridget Moody with Denis Leary and Elizabeth Perkins on the short-lived TV series "The Moodys" and played a fairly significant role as Shred's kleptomaniac girlfriend Isabelle on "Animal Control," which is probably her biggest role before landing her current gig on "The Paper."

Aside from a small role in Netflix's "The Life List," Frei doesn't have many more notable credits to her name, which makes her an even more appropriate choice to play Mare on "The Paper." Mare Pritti — the Toledo Truthteller compositor who quickly becomes a star reporter — is low-maintenance, competent, and introverted, and her composed demeanor can sometimes prevent others from getting to know her well. She puzzles several of her coworkers with her lack of interest in being the center of attention, an enigmatic quality that serves her well in many ways, though not so well in others.

British audiences are more likely to recognize United Kingdom actor Tim Key thanks to his work with Alan Partridge on "Mid-Morning Matters with Alan Partridge" and "This Time with Alan Partridge." Key definitely has a background in comedy; notably, he's played a role in several "Drunk History" retellings and guest-starred on British comedies like "Detectorists" and "Here We Go." Key was also part of the ensemble of actors who starred in the film "Love Wedding Repeat."

Tim Key also had a modest role in the 2022 film "See How They Run," but his most notable film credit is his work on "The Ballad of Wallis Island." Key stars in the film as Charles Heath — a recent lottery winner who is obsessed with reuniting his favorite musicians on his remote home island; Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan co-star as said estranged music partners. Key had a small role in Bong Joon Ho's most recent release, "Mickey 17," as Pigeon Man. Key plays executive business strategist Ken Davies on "The Paper," a man with ambition who "cosigns as much as possible" to ensure he always gets partial credit. 

Viewers will quickly come to love actor Melvin Gregg's "The Paper" character Detrick Moore, a young, capable ad salesman with a wildly obvious crush on coworker Nicole Lee (Ramona Young). The 37-year-old actor, who previously played King in the horror-comedy "The Blackening," brings the same comedic chops to his role on "The Paper," albeit with slightly less urgent stakes. "The Paper" doesn't even mark Gregg's first time performing in a mockumentary setting, as he played DeMarcus Tillman in Netflix's true crime spoof, "American Vandal."

Some fans may recognize Gregg as Crips leader Drew "Manboy" Miller from Seasons 3 and 4 of FX's drama "Snowfall," which follows the early years of the crack cocaine epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles. Others will note that he played sports agent Ray Burke's (André Holland) hotshot basketball client, Erick Scott, in Steven Soderbergh's 2019 sports drama, "High Flying Bird." He also played a basketball player in Ben Affleck's 2020 film, "The Way Back." Finally, Gregg recently played one character out of an ensemble of many in the experimental film, "Share?"

It may surprise fans of "Never Have I Ever" to know that actress Ramona Young, who played Eleanor — one of Devi's (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) best friends and a high school sophomore in the Netflix series — was 22 years old when she landed the part. Young does a good job of looking like a 15-year-old on that show, so it's a little jarring at first to see her dressed up for work as Nicole Lee on "The Paper." That said, "Never Have I Ever" is probably her most recognizable role to date, though she has a good handful of credits to her name as an actress.

Before "Never Have I Ever," Ramona Young had a recurring role on Netflix's "Santa Clarita Diet." She also portrayed a longtime supporting character named Mona Wu on "DC's Legends of Tomorrow." Mona, who is a character that was created for the show and who does not have an origin in any DC comic books, eventually gets scratched by a werewolf-like creature named Konane and becomes one herself. Beyond those parts, Young had small roles in comedies like "Blockers" and "You're Cordially Invited" and co-starred in a thriller called "The Prank" in 2022.

Both Domhnall Gleeson and Gbemisola Ikumelo — the Nigerian-born, United Kingdom-raised actor and writer who plays accountant Adelola on "The Paper" — do a great job of playing characters with American accents. Ikumelo's charisma and confidence as a performer allow her to infuse her character, Truthteller accountant and reporter Adelola Olofin, with a competence that feels earned as soon as audiences are introduced to the character.

Ikumelo is a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Awards) winner for her short-form comedy performance and has quickly made a name for herself in the past few years. She's had guest spots on shows ranging from somber crime thrillers like "Broadchurch" to cheeky comedies like "Mandy" and "Sex Education." She co-starred in a Sundance film called "The Last Tree" in 2019 and Hugh Laurie's 2020 British miniseries, "Roadkill." Before landing her role on "The Paper," Ikumelo played a recurring character named Dom on "Black Ops," but she never forgot her comedic roots thanks to her work on a sketch show called "Famalam." Notably, Ikumelo played Clance Morgan on "A League of Their Own," which, unfortunately, will never get a second season.

Without a doubt, Alex Edelman became a far more recognizable face and name following the premiere of his stand-up special on HBO in 2024. Before it was filmed, the special — which could also be characterized as a one-man show and is about Edelman's experience attending a minimally advertised meeting of white nationalists in Queens — had an extended run on Broadway in New York City. Throughout the show, Edelman, who grew up in a strict, faithful Jewish household, offers interesting insight into this small group of hateful people and also talks about his faith and experiences growing up.

The only really notable acting gig that Edelman did before "The Paper" was a bit part as the apple head from the Apple Jacks cereal logo in Jerry Seinfeld's recent film venture, "Unfrosted," which was — through no fault of Alex's — one of the worst movies of 2024. In "The Paper," Edelman plays an accountant named Adam Cooper, a young man with deep religious ties and four kids he's raising with his controlling wife.

Eric Rahill is the only actor playing a regular staffer of the "Toledo Truthteller" who isn't a main cast member aside from Duane R. Shepard Sr., who plays the Truthteller's very old, longtime reporter, Barry. This might be because Rahill's character, Travis, isn't technically employed by the newspaper; rather, he's a delivery driver for Ennervate's toilet paper products company, Softees, who offers to take photos for the Truthteller. Travis is a relatively active character on the show, occupying a supporting role in several stories throughout the first season. He's obsessed with fishing and pursuing strong friendships, and Rahill brings the character to life in a way that surpasses the script.

Rahill played a featured extra on "The Bear" but is probably most recognizable to people thanks to small parts in films like "Friendship" and "Let's Start a Cult." Rahill is also known by some fans as an L.A.-based comedian and co-host of the podcast "Joy Tactics." That said, "The Paper" will most likely be the first time that many people see Rahill perform onscreen, and he does a great job earning laughs as Travis, a character who is frequently reminiscent of "The Office's" Dwight Schrute in the way he interacts with others and takes himself so seriously.