Office alums Carell Krasinski surprise The Paper on first filming day

The Paper marked its first day of filming with an unexpected break in a very familiar way when Steve Carell and John Krasinski stopped by the set to wish the cast luck. The moment occurred as Sabrina Impacciatore, Domhnall Gleeson and Chelsea Frei prepared for their initial shoots, with no makeup done and nerves running high. The Office alums’ cameo came while they were nearby filming a Lavazza coffee commercial, a coincidence that cast the production in a buoyant, serendipitous light.

Impacciatore recounted that the room was tense with anticipation when the knock came. The surprise visitors underscored a rare moment of connection between the original series and its spinoff, which is set in the same fictional world as The Office U.S. and follows a documentary crew that serendipitously discovers a struggling Toledo newspaper, The Truth Teller. The exchange also highlighted the cross-generational appeal of The Office franchise and the continuing enthusiasm of its leads for new chapters in the same universe.

For Impacciatore, the encounter carried personal significance. She had not watched The Office before being cast in The Paper, but after signing on she devoured the series and...