Original The Office star names British actor he would add to cast of spin-off

One of the stars from the American adaptation of The Office has revealed why he eagerly accepted the opportunity to join the cast of a new spin-off, despite none of his original co-stars signing up.

The Paper is a fresh show from one of the creators of the US version of comedians Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's original masterpiece.

Despite initial apprehension from devoted fans, The Office: An American Workplace would eventually become one of the most cherished sitcoms, running for nine seasons.

Speculation about spin-offs and reboots have been circulating for a while, although nothing ever materialised.

However, more than a decade later, a brand new show is poised to carry on its legacy.

The premise of The Paper suggests that the same documentary crew who shadowed the employees of Dunder Mifflin are back with their new subject, a local newspaper in an Ohio city. It aims to maintain the same mockumentary style that The Office was renowned for.

However, it will primarily introduce a brand new set of characters. One familiar face making a comeback, however, is Oscar Nunez, who will reprise his role as accountant Oscar Martinez.

The show itself is co-created by comedian and writer Michael Koman alongside Greg Daniels. Daniels had a successful career writing for Seinfeld and The Simpsons before creating the animated series King of the Hill , reports the Mirror.

He also assisted in adapting The Office for American audiences initially and co-founded Parks and Recreation alongside Mike Schur, plus Prime Video's Upload and Netflix's Space Force.

It was this impressive track record that gave Oscar the assurance to commit to The Paper.

When questioned about any apprehensions regarding reprising his role in an exclusive conversation with Screen Time, he remarked: "No, no, it's great. Well it's my old boss and we were very much in good hands. With Greg Daniels and also Michael Koman."

He added: "Yeah, so he (Daniels) had this idea and we started talking about it, and lo and behold. Before we knew it, we're there. I mean, he's a man of his word. And, you know, he's done this before. He's done a bunch (of shows). So it's cool to see how he did that. He has a thought and it became a show. It's incredible."

Oscar also disclosed that he was forbidden from informing any of his previous co-stars from The Office about the programme, stating 'it was a big secret' concealed from everyone.

Nevertheless, when pressed about which former colleague he might hypothetically select to accompany him in the Toledo newsroom, his response was immediate.

He answered: "I think I would always say Idris Elba. I don't know why he's being dragged into this but he is."

Oscar proceeded to commend the versatile performer and expressed admiration for his political engagement. Elba has previously collaborated with the government to help tackle Ebola in Western Africa and spearhead anti-knife crime initiatives in the UK alongside Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

He also portrayed Charles Miner across seven episodes of The Office.

Consequently, Oscar declared: "I would make him (Idris) Political Correspondent or something. He's someone who really works to make a change."

The Paper is streaming on Sky Max and NOW from September 5.