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Oscar Martinez
(Oscar Nunez)
The Office
(2005–13)
Oscar Jual Paul Martinez is a fictional character from the US mockumentary-style television series The Office played by Cuban actor Oscar Nunez. Martinez was one of the few openly gay characters in broadcast television at the time that the series aired. Although Nunez, who is straight, did not know his character might be gay when he first signed on, he has no issues with the character's sexuality as long as the material is funny. For the 2006-2007 season Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) reported he was the only LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) person of color character on a regular series. For the 2007-2008 season he was the "only remaining gay character on a half-hour comedy program" and the only LGBT lead or supporting character who is a person of color. For the 2009-2010 season Martinez was one of four people of color LGBT regular series characters; in 2010-2011 there were six and 2011-2012 there was five.
Martinez is an accountant at the Scranton, Pennsylvania office of the paper distribution company Dunder Mifflin and gets his first name from Nunez, series producer Greg Daniels felt that "Oscar" sounded like a good accountant's name. He is a first generation Mexican-American. He is also openly gay after being outed by his then boss Michael Scott in "Gay Witch Hunt," the third season premiere episode devoted to the outing. However, the character was implied to be gay in the second season episode 'The Secret' when Dwight catches him faking sickness to spend the day with his boyfriend (Dwight remains oblivious to this detail as he was obsessed with proving that Oscar was not ill). As a result, in earlier episodes, many co-workers erroneously attribute him various Mexican stereotypes (e.g. being involved in drug cartels) but after his outing, his stereotypes are more focused on his being gay, particularly by Michael which may explain their conflicted relationship. Nunez explained in an 2008 interview that the character variously feels amusement, pity and hatred towards his fictional boss. He has no specific counterpart in the original British series.
Oscar is known for being rational, quietly efficient, and intellectual worker in the office, often the one who will ask pointed financial questions that his colleagues will not or that Michael avoids answering. Martinez refers to himself as being in the "Coalition for Reason" with Jim and Pam Halpert. According to Nunez the three "are there to set up the comic situations" for boss Michael and Dwight Schrute, Michael's toady. He explained, "We can still be funny but we are definitely the 'straight guys'." He is often the one who's able to clearly see the reality and logic in situations, including financial ones such as when Michael started up his own paper company or Ryan Howard's online start up business. Because of this, Oscar is considered to be a know-it-all by many of his co-workers. Oscar is frequently exasperated by the antics of his coworkers and tends to find their humor offensive.[11] He is reserved, not really exhibiting a desire for close contact with any of his co-workers, although he is friendly when not outwardly pedantic. In an AfterElton.com interview Nunez explained he plays the character like an accountant, who happens to be gay, and just trying to do his work and not really interested in what the documentarians are filming. Actor Nunez references the character as a Log Cabin Republican, though no mention of this has occurred in the show. In the episode Dwight Christmas, he is in fact openly acknowledged as a Democrat. His more balanced and normal personality makes him an every man type character, contrasting the generally extroverted people with whom he works. He's also a charter member of the company's three-person (and exclusive) "Finer Things Club" with Pam and Toby Flenderson. He and co-worker Kevin Malone seem to have a strong friendship with each other, often a dynamic where Oscar is often the calm, rational one while Kevin is the fun loving one.
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