When The Paper premiered its first season, expectations were at an all-time high for The Office spin-off, all the more so when it was revealed that Irish star Domhnall Gleeson would take on the leading role in the series.
Well known to audiences globally from his roles in movies like About Time, Ex Machina, the Harry Potter movies and The Star Wars sequel trilogy, Gleeson delighted in his turn as Ned Sampson, an ambitious newspaper editor trying to keep a struggling publication alive.
The Paper eventually turned out to be a success, largely satisfying a loyal fanbase from the heydays of The Office, while still crafting a niche of its own. After a first season that introduced audiences to Ned and the chaotic world of his in-dire-straits newspaper Toledo Truth Teller, Gleeson returns for a second season with more hijinks, workplace drama and some personal problems to solve.
With the second season premiering on JioHotstar earlier this week on September 9, Gleeson reflects on his growing empathy for journalists, how Ned’s journey has evolved into the new season and if we might get to see a surprise cameo or two soon.
The Hollywood Reporter India: Before Season 1, you did quite a bit of preparation for The Paper. You met local journalists, even spent time with a high school newspaper and learned about the newspaper business. Now that you’ve completed a season and have received feedback, has the experience changed your opinion on the press? As an actor who speaks to us quite regularly, have you become more empathetic towards journalists?
Domhnall Gleeson: I've always been pretty empathetic towards journalists! There's, of course, a difference between the journalism that Ned dreams of doing, which is sort of Pulitzer Prize-winning stuff — breaking stories that have to do with local government and societal stories — and the sort of thing that I'm doing off-screen when I'm talking to people like yourself, promoting a TV show or a movie. So they're two different sorts of things.
But no, I've always been pretty empathetic towards journalists. I think the press is having an incredibly hard time at the moment, and so my empathy just grows all the time. My appreciation for the people doing the good work keeps increasing.
THR India: Both the US and UK versions of The Office became famous for the way the actors — be it Steve Carrell on Michael Scott or Ricky Gervais on David Brent — influenced how certain characters evolved over the course of the show. When you first decided how you wanted to play Ned in Season 1, did he land with audiences in the way you intended? How has that influenced Ned’s arc in Season 2?
Gleeson: That's interesting. I definitely talked to Greg and Michael, our showrunners, and the writing team about how they felt about Ned after Season 1 and what they wanted to change, if anything, for Season 2. Actually, there wasn't a lot to change. It was more about honing in on the aspects of his personality that we found the most entertaining and the most moving.
So there haven't been any big changes for Ned. But I hope he feels like a real person, and that he still can surprise people. Because one of the great things about a show coming back is that you know the characters, you want to see them in certain situations, but they still have to be able to surprise you.
I think it was about knowing who he was, but still allowing him to surprise us, and we found a really good path forward for him with that.
THR India: The Office was famous for so many fantastic cameos coming in and surprising audiences randomly. When you were cast, a lot of us hoped that your father, the great Brendan Gleeson, would maybe come in an episode someday. If so, what kind of character do you think he could play? Because I can see him fitting right into that world.
Gleeson: (laughs) I think a really great actor will fit into anything. My dad's a great actor, and he can be very, very funny when he wants to be. So he could fit in great… but I wouldn't be expecting him to be part of The Paper anytime soon.
THR India: Lots of fans globally first knew you from your role as Bill Weasley from the Harry Potter movies. The Harry Potter reboot is coming up now; have you thought about how the show will now bring a new generation of audiences to the world of Hogwarts?
Gleeson: Hmm, I've not really thought about it all that much, to be honest with you. I wish them luck, and I think it'll be great. I think it works, as the material suits a television adaptation very well.
I love the books and I love the movies, so I don't see any reason I wouldn't love the TV show. But no, it hasn't been on my mind a lot, I have to say.
The Paper is currently streaming on JioHotstar