"Had to cast an extremely attractive actor": The Paper creators talk about how Josh Holloway's cameo in The Office spin-off

The Paper, a The Office spin-off that premiered on September 4, 2025, is set in Toledo, Ohio, where a documentary crew follows the struggling local newspaper, The Truth-Teller. The Paper features new characters, including Sabrina Impacciatore as managing editor Esmeralda Grand and Domhnall Gleeson as editor-in-chief Ned Sampson. Oscar Nuñez also returns as Oscar Martinez.

The Paper Episode 5, titled “Scam Alert!,” became an early highlight. Its storyline centers around a dating-app catfish con. The scam unexpectedly draws Esmeralda into believing she’s involved with “Jarson,” a persona built using images and videos of actor Josh Holloway.

In the episode, viewers first encounter a fabricated video featuring “Jarson,” then later see Holloway himself delivering a second cameo that exposes the scam. This reveals a moment of comedic clarity and embarrassment for Esmeralda, as the newsroom unravels the con using modern platforms like AI and Cameo. The creators, Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, explained that they

“Had to cast an extremely attractive actor,”

noting that Holloway “worked so well” once they landed on the idea; his appearance felt both fitting for the scam and reflective of Esmeralda’s narcissistic traits.

The casting choice of The Paper creators fit the episode’s needs

The Paper producers sought an actor whose public image would plausibly be used in a catfish scheme. Holloway’s long career and recognizability—from Lost to recent projects—made him an obvious candidate, and that recognition is part of the joke and the plot. The creators said they were not sure how they initially landed on Holloway, but once the idea took hold, his presence shaped how the scenes were written and shot.

The scene used modern tech and real platforms to feel current

“Scam Alert!” leans into contemporary tools like AI imagery, and the Cameo platform is woven into how the scam operates. The episode shows how a convincing image and a short, paid video clip can be combined to mislead someone online. This creates a practical setup that gives the newsroom characters a clear problem to investigate. Using a real-world service (Cameo) and topical tech choices helped the episode feel immediate without turning the cameo into mere fan service.

The cameo in The Paper served plot and character more than publicity

Daniels and Koman framed Holloway’s appearance as more than a surprise guest-star moment. They treated it as a tool to reveal character—especially Esmeralda’s wishful thinking and the staff’s frustration trying to pull her back to reality. That restraint kept the cameo tied to the episode’s emotional arc instead of letting it distract from what the story needed to accomplish.

The episode’s tone stayed grounded while using humor

Rather than depending on nostalgia alone, the scene plays for a clear payoff. The newsroom exposes the lie, Holloway’s second video punctures the fantasy, and Esmeralda must face the fallout. Critics and write-ups noted the sequence as a neat blend of comedy and social commentary on how easily online images can be weaponized.

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The Holloway cameo in The Paper is brief but deliberate. The creators picked a recognizable face because the story asked for one. They also used current platforms so the scam felt plausible, keeping the scene focused on character impact rather than spectacle. If viewers laughed at the reveal, that was part of the point, but the scene also pushed the episode’s plot forward.

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