Oscar Martinez (The Office)

Oscar Juan Paul Martinez is a fictional character from the US mockumentary-style television series The Office played by Cuban-American actor Oscar Nunez.[3] Martinez was one of the few openly gay characters in broadcast television at the time that the series aired.[4] Nunez, who is straight, did not know his character might be gay when he first signed on.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7] For the 2009–2010 season, Martinez was one of four people of color LGBT regular series characters; in 2010–2011 there were six and in 2011–2012 there were five.[8]

Oscar Martinez
Oscar Nunez as Oscar Martinez
First appearance	"Pilot" (2005)
Last appearance	"Finale" (2013)
Created by	Greg Daniels
Based on	Oliver
Portrayed by	Oscar Nunez
In-universe information
Alias	C-Span, Actually
Gender	Male
Occupation	State Senator of Pennsylvania Chief Accountant, Dunder Mifflin, Scranton, PA Accountant, Dunder Mifflin, Scranton, PA
Family	Unnamed nephew[1] Mrs. Martinez (mother)[2]
Significant other	Gil (ex-boyfriend) Robert Lipton (ex-boyfriend)
Children	Phillip Schrute (god-son)
Nationality	Mexican-American

Martinez is an accountant at the Scranton, Pennsylvania, office of the paper distribution company Dunder Mifflin and gets his first name from Núñez; series producer Greg Daniels said that "Oscar" sounded like a good accountant's name.[9] He is a first-generation Mexican American.[10] 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.[10] 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 to 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.[3] Núñez explained in a 2008 interview that the character variously feels amusement, pity and hatred towards his fictional boss.[3] He has no specific counterpart in the original British series.

Oscar is known for being a 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.[11][12] In some episodes he is described as the smartest in the office. Martinez refers to himself as being in the "Coalition for Reason" with Jim and Pam Halpert.[13] According to Núñez, the three "are there to set up the comic situations" for boss Michael and Dwight Schrute, Michael's toady.[14] He explained, "We can still be funny but we are definitely the 'straight guys'."[14] He is often the one who is 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 startup 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, Núñez 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.[10] Actor Núñez references the character as a Log Cabin Republican, though no mention of this has occurred in the show.[14][15] In the episode "Dwight Christmas", he is in fact openly acknowledged as a Democrat. His more balanced and normal personality makes him an everyman type character, contrasting with the generally extroverted people with whom he works.[11] He's also a charter member of the company's three-person (and exclusive) "Finer Things Club" with Pam and Toby Flenderson.[16] 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.

Biography

Oscar has worked at Dunder Mifflin since 1999. He is openly gay (after being publicly outed by Michael) and previously lived with his partner, Gil. Originally, Oscar was in the closet, and Gil was believed to be his roommate. In earlier seasons, he is seen driving a Saturn Ion. This is the same Saturn that Angela can later be seen driving, such as in the episode "Niagara". However, he is seen in the third season driving a Lexus RX 400h, a company car he was lent as a result of his unwanted outing by Michael.

Though Oscar is openly gay in later episodes, in the episode "The Fire", when asked by Jim "Who would you do?", Oscar offers the answer, "Pam"; also, in "The Client", he makes an intentionally vague reference to a woman he previously dated.

In a deleted scene from "Gay Witch Hunt", Oscar explains that he in fact notified Michael of his being gay during his job interview. This caused Michael to laugh repeatedly, and he hired Oscar on the spot because he was "the funniest person that [Michael] had ever met". Oscar then hid his sexuality from his co-workers (until he was outed) for fear of losing his job.[17]

References

1. "The Alliance"
2. The Lover
3. Comedian Oscar Núñez has 9-to-5 fun at 'The Office', LEE HERNÁNDEZ, New York Daily News, April 21, 2008.
4. Gay Characters on Network TV: 2009-10, Hanh Nguyen and Rick Porter, Los Angeles Times,
5. "From The Office to the Soapbox", Neal Broverman, The Advocate, March 12, 2009 .
6. Where we are on TV: GLAAD’s 11th Annual Diversity Study Previews the 2006-2007 Primetime Television Season. August 2006, Mónica Taher, GLAAD's People of Color (POC) Media Director, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Archived 2014-05-13 at the Wayback Machine
7. GLAAD’s 12th Annual Diversity Study Examines 2007-2008 Primetime Television Season, Damon Romine, Sarah Holbert, Matt Kane, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
8. Where we are on TV: GLAAD’s 14th Annual Diversity Study Previews the 2009-2010 Primetime Television Season, Taj Paxton, Jonathan Rosales, Callan Koenig, Brian McGough, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
9. Our Interview with Oscar from "The Office", Leah Weathersby, August 06, 2009, Armchair Commentary.
10. Interview With Oscar Núñez, by Craig Young, October 4, 2006, AfterElton.com.
11. "Oscar Nuñez Discusses His Character From 'The Office'", March 10, 2009, Mike Ryan, Star Pulse.
12. Oscar Núñez, 'The Proposal', June 18, 2009, Michael Ordona, Los Angeles Times,
13. Toby Flenderson was formerly a member, but Oscar states that Toby checked out mentally, and Toby seems to agree with him when asked about it, and as can be seen in the episode "Mafia", where Oscar is the only one to see that an Italian American insurance agent is simply an insurance agent.
14. Oscar performance: He's a straight stripper or a strait-laced gay -- and he loves playing both, Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun, October 12, 2009,
15. A Chat with Oscar Núñez of "The Office" on his character Oscar Martinez, Will Harris, November 12, 2008. Bullz Eye.
16. Why I Love Scranton: Emmy winner Oscar Núñez still digs his daily "commute" from his home in Los Angeles to The Office in Scranton, Pa. Michael Hammett, Arrive, July/August 2009.
17. Frederick Luis Aldama Latinos and Narrative Media: Participation and Portrayal 2013 1137361786- Page 16 "There is the Latino accountant, Óscar Martínez, on NBC's The Office (2005–2012), who is outted by his boss, Michael."