He’s no Michael Scott.
Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson, 42, who is starring in the upcoming spinoff of “The Office” called “The Paper,” slammed comparisons between the two shows.
Gleeson told People on Thursday, “I don’t think my character’s like Michael Scott at alI.”
The “Harry Potter” actor added, “I think if you’re trying to compete with what Steve [Carell] did or with what Ricky Gervais did, I think it would be a massive mistake.”
Domhnall Gleeson attends the “Echo Valley” New York premiere at AMC Lincoln Square 13 on June 4, 2025. Getty Images
Rainn Wilson and Steve Carell in “The Office.” ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection
“The Office” originally began as a British show that aired from 2001 to 2003, created by Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Gervais also starred.
The American version of the show, helmed by Greg Daniels, starred Steve Carell and aired on NBC from 2005 to 2013.
“The Paper” is co-created by Daniels and Michael Korman and will be set in Ohio rather than Scranton, Pennsylvania. It will premiere in the fall.
Creed Bratton, Paul Lieberstein, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Leslie David Baker, Phyllis Smith, Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, Rainn Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Jenna Fischer, Steve Carell, John Krasinski in “The Office.” ©NBC/Courtesy Everett CollectionGleeson, whose father is “The Banshees of Inisherin” star Brendan Gleeson, 70, said about Carell and Gervais, “They are geniuses who are incredible in loads of different ways.”
He added, “We made a whole new character. And it’s a whole new sort of setup, but I hope people will find a reason to love him as well, just in a different way than they did the guys before.”
“The Paper” will be a mockumentary series set in the same world as “The Office” at a different company with a different cast of characters.
Sabrina Impacciatore as Esmeralda, Oscar Nunez as Oscar, Domhnall Gleeson as Ned, Gbemisola Ikumelo as Adelola in the first-look photo of “The Paper.” Aaron Epstein/PEACOCK
Domhnall Gleeson attends the “Alice & Jack” premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival at Royal Alexandra Theatre on Sept. 16, 2023, in Toronto, Ontario. Getty ImagesGleeson stars along with “The White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore, while “The Office” star Oscar Nuñez will reprise his role.
The show’s official logline is, “The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it.”
In May, Gleeson also told People that he got some advice from “The Office” star John Krasinski.
Steve Carell and John Krasinski in “The Office.” ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection“He was wonderful. I mean, his big advice that he gave me was to do it,” he said.
“And the same with Steve Carell, another just wonderful actor who I’d worked with before,” Gleeson said, referring to the 2022 miniseries thriller “The Patient.”
He added, “Their advice was, if it’s Greg Daniels, you should do it because getting to work with him is a treat that not many people get to have.”
During a 2022 interview with The Post, Daniels recalled, “I really liked making the Jim and Pam romance over several seasons [on ‘The Office’], and the key to it is having obstacles … it could have that poignant feeling that you have when you can’t see a way for them to get together.”
Domhnall Gleeson attends Apple’s “Fountain of Youth” premiere at American Museum of Natural History on May 19, 2025, in New York City. Getty ImagesGleeson said, “And I’m so happy I did it because I think we have something really lovely. So I’m thrilled with it.”
“The Paper” will premiere at an unannounced date in September on Peacock.
