The Paper Cast Had A Surprising Amount Of Creative Control Over Their Characters [Exclusive]

Dunder Mifflin is no more, but don't let that upset you, as the employees of Enervate — an Ohio-based company that dabbles in everything from selling toilet paper to newspapers — are worthy successors. After years of anticipation (and possibly even worry), we are pleased to announce that "The Paper," Peacock's spin-off of "The Office," is an absolute delight, and we can attribute some of the show's quality to the cast members bringing their own ideas to the table.

In an interview with /Film, Melvin Gregg, who plays the Truth Teller's status quo-loving ad salesman/volunteer reporter Detrick Moore in the series, revealed that creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman encouraged the cast members to shape their characters' personalities — and it paid off. In his own words:

"I specifically wanted to go against type. I felt like I've been cast based off of people's idea of me a lot of times, and that comes off of prior work. So, things kind of blend in together, in a sense. And with this project, I had more freedom over the character. Like, when we got the breakdown in the audition, there was no breakdown — it was just the sides. So, we got to bring to the character what we thought made the most sense, and if they liked it, we got cast, and from there, they wrote around it. So, I didn't pull a lot from personally who I am. I wanted to go against type. But I pulled from personal experiences within the story."

It's rare for a show's supporting players to be given so much input over their characters, but Daniels' workplace comedies are known for allowing their actors to contribute ideas that might not be in the original script. "The Paper" is merely the latest example of this approach in action.

Greg Daniels' workplace comedies function like living, breathing ecosystems. Even when the storyline isn't focused on certain characters, they always have a role to play in the background; whether they are making photocopies, answering calls, or handing out post-its, this gives the impression that they are real people going about their days. These scenes are often improvised, too, and they have led to some of the actors' ideas becoming a huge part of their show's narrative.

For example, while filming one scene on "The Office," the show's creators asked Jenna Fischer to hand out pieces of paper to her co-stars, allowing her to write anything she wanted on them. Her idea? To invite her character Pam's colleagues to a birthday party for Angela's (Angela Kinsey) cat. Everyone found it hilarious, and Angela's love of cats was written into the show afterward. What's more, Leslie David Baker's experience on "The Office" was similar to Melvin Gregg's on "The Paper," with the actor revealing that the cast more or less created their characters. As he once told Backstage:

"We were never really told who our characters were in terms of their hopes, wishes, dreams, ambitions, hobbies. We are able to add those ingredients to our characters as we go along. That makes a big difference."

Daniels and Michael Schur's almost "Office" spin-off series, "Parks and Recreation," fostered a similar creatively free environment, and it was by design. The show's actors were given enough structure to get from A to B, but the series' creators encouraged them to fill in the blanks with their own contributions, whether they were main stars or supporting players. With "The Paper," Daniels has shown that this formula still works, and long may it continue.

"The Paper" season 1 is now streaming on Peacock.