Oscar Martinez is a fictional character from the US mockumentary-style television series The Office played by Cuban-American actor Oscar Nunez.[1] Nunez, who is straight, did not know his character might be gay when he first signed on. For the 2006–2007 season, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) reported he was the only LGBT person of color character on a regular series.[2] 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.[3] 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.[4]

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Oscar Martinez
The Office character
Oscar Nunez as Oscar Martinez
First appearance	"Pilot" (2005)
Last appearance	"Finale" (2013)
Created by	Greg Daniels Ricky Gervais Stephen Merchant
Portrayed by	Oscar Nunez
In-universe information
Occupation	Chief Accountant, Dunder Mifflin, Scranton Accountant, Dunder Mifflin, Scranton
Significant others	Gil Robert Lipton
Children	Phillip Schrute (godson)
Nationality	Mexican-American

Character

Background

Oscar Martinez is an accountant at the Scranton, Pennsylvania, office of the paper distribution company Dunder Mifflin and shares his first name with the actor who portrays him; series producer Greg Daniels stating that "Oscar" sounded like a good accountant's name.[5] In the character's backstory, his parents are from Mexico and moved to the United States one year before he was born. His character was outed by his boss Michael Scott in "Gay Witch Hunt," the third-season premiere episode devoted to the outing.[6] 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 was oblivious to this detail, as he was obsessed with proving that Oscar was not ill. In earlier episodes, many co-workers erroneously attribute to him various Mexican stereotypes (e.g. being involved in drug cartels), but after his outing, the stereotypes are more focused on his being gay, particularly by Michael, which may explain their conflicted relationship.[1] Nunez explained in a 2008 interview that the character variously feels amusement, pity and hatred towards his fictional boss.[1] His counterpart in the original British series is accountant Oliver.

Personality

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 know the answer to, or that Michael avoids answering.[7][8] Martinez refers to himself as being in the "Coalition for Reason" with Jim and Pam Halpert. According to Núñez, the three "are there to set up the comic situations" for boss Michael and Dwight Schrute, Michael's toady.[9] He explained, "We can still be funny, but we are definitely the 'straight guys'."[9] 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 when Ryan Howard launched an 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.[7] 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.[6] Actor Núñez references the character as a Log Cabin Republican, though no mention of this has occurred in the show.[9][10] 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.[7] He's also a charter member of the company's three-person (and exclusive) "Finer Things Club" with Pam and Toby Flenderson.[11] He and co-worker Kevin Malone have a dynamic where Oscar is often the calm, rational one, while Kevin is the fun-loving one.

Biography

Oscar works at Dunder Mifflin since 1999. He is openly gay (after being involuntarily outed by Michael) and previously lived with his partner, Gil. Even after his outing, Michael believed Gil to only be Oscar's roommate ("Gay Witch Hunt").

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 for fear of losing his job.^{[citation needed]}

Before his outing, 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 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. The company also gave him three months' paid leave in exchange for a promise not to sue them.

References