[THE MAIN EVENT]

UpRising: On The Paper, you play Detrick Moore, an ad salesman trying his hand at journalism. Were you a fan of the show’s predecessor, The Office, and if so, how did that impact you taking on the role?

Melvin Gregg: I was familiar with the show — I wasn't a super fan but I had doneAmerican Vandal, so I knew the mockumentary format very well. I knew the style of comedy was kind of grounded. A lot of the comedy lives in the awkwardness and authenticity. It didn't feel contrived or performative. It just feels like you're thrown in Middle America and these people are here, [but] they don't really want to be here. So I understood that, and that attracts me. I love that tone and those factors that come into playing the character.

My approach to any character is [understanding] who this character is. The lines really don't matter. So I had a lot of work trying to figure him out, then you got to interact with other people and their versions of their characters. But I didn't watch any of the previousOffice[episodes] after I booked it. I didn't want to unconsciously try to recreate what those characters had or do things those characters did. I just removed the idea ofThe Officefrom my mind and was like, “How can I create the best Detrick forThe Paper?”

I found myself looking for parallels between the two shows. The Paperfeels like it exists in the same universe as The Office but as its own thing.

Yeah. I describe it like family: You can have a brother and sister that are completely different but share similarities. You come from the same person but you’re different. That's how this show is compared toThe Office. If I were to describeThe Officein three or four words and describe [The Paper] in three or four words, they probably wouldn't share any.

Can you talk about the deadpan tone of humor you tap into for your role? 

I love comedy, man. Comedy is so nuanced, but the one throughline for me is being authentic. I've never really played a character who's trying to be funny. Their genuine actions are funny. TakeThe Blackening, for instance. King is confident, he has agency, he's sure of himself, he's lived through a lot, so he's going to have bold reactions. He's going to have a bold perspective. He's going to be more boisterous and outspoken in regards to things he disagrees with. So you'll get a louder comedy versus Detrick, who is unsure, a people pleaser. He's very uncertain. He's not really comfortable in this space and he's trying to find comfort and trying to find where he fits in. So his perspective and his reactions aren't going to possess as much bravado. That deadpan comes from being unsure. So I think the comedy breeds from who the person is. This character is a lot different than any of the other characters I've played.
 
You’ve played a wide range of memorable characters, fromManboyinSnowfallto the aforementioned King. What is your defining role at this point?

Not to be deep, but I don't think any of the roles really define who I am as an actor, because I’m versatile. I'm waiting for a role to show all of these different hues. I think that's the key: character development. You start at one place and then you grow to another, so you could really see all of the shades of a character. A lot of the roles I’ve played, they service the bigger story, so you only really get one facet of the character. I try to do as much as I can with what I have, but I don't think I've really had anything to show—actually, I take that back. InAmerican Vandal, my character had a full arc and that was great. That was my introduction to the industry, in a way.

But I do things in different markets.Snowfallwas very big for me in one community. It introduced me to people in a different way. Then there's people seeing press forThe Paper, like, “Oh my god, where's Melvin Gregg been? I ain't seen him in 10 years, since Vine.” They don't even knowSnowfallexists. There might be fans ofSnowfallwho never seeThe Paper. I'm going to keep shooting my shot in whatever arena I get in and doing the best job I can.

You first made a name for yourself onVine. What do you think was the key to developing that into landing these notable TV and film roles?

It's probably not what people think. I was an actor first. I discovered acting in college [around] 2008, moved to L.A. in 2011 to pursue acting full-time. I was doing commercials, student films, short films, and low-budget films. But I couldn't get auditions to do the more premium projects because I didn't have an agent. And I couldn't get an agent because I didn't have credits with premium projects. So it was a catch-22. I saw Vine starting to move and thought to myself, if I could build an audience, then I would be valuable to a production or at least to an agency. From there, I can get through the door. So that was my approach. I had never really done comedy before. I'm kind of introverted. So I had to teach myself comedy from watching things I thought were funny and kind of reverse engineered to see why it’s funny. I realized there's a formula behind it.

I just attacked it for a couple of years. I was shooting videos every day with a lot of great people who taught me a lot along the way. It didn't translate into me getting films or TV shows. But what I did get from it was an agency. I signed with some agents who believed in me and were pushing me, getting me auditions. I still wasn't booking stuff; I would get a job here and there, but it wasn't anything pivotal. I told myself I can’t do everything, I need to focus on what I really want. So I completely stopped creating content and focused all of my energy towards traditional acting. Soon after, I bookedAmerican VandalandHigh Flying Bird. From there, I never looked back. But I learned so much from social media and creating content that I carry over as an actor.

What are some examples of those transferable learnings? 

I learned how to write. I was shooting and editing my videos, and I started doing longer-form videos. I got to edit it together, do wardrobe, understand lights and cameras, understand the sound when I put music in, when to zoom in or out. Editing my face for so many hours, I got to understand what expressions are funny, what expression looks like this, what expression looks like that.

Could you see yourself writing a film or episodic project?

For sure. I started to take writing seriously around 2021. I wrote a film with another writer in 2016, but I wasn't confident. I didn't understand structure and storytelling. I realized I had a gift for understanding characters in a small concept, like 5-10 minutes. I could write that out. But an hour-and-a-half or a whole season is different. I’ve been reading every book I can in regards to writing, understanding and learning structure, story development, character development. And just writing. 

I had a lot of different concepts I wanted to do. I’d do 30 drafts. I sent some over to script doctors and they gave me notes. So I’m just implementing all of this stuff. I got a few films I'm getting ready to package and ship out. Writing is very important and dear to me. I really love it.

I can’t wait to see how that manifests.

I'm excited about it, man. I get more excited about the stuff I write than the stuff I'm in. Because when you’re in something, you have some input on one character. But when you’re writing, you really create an entire world. It's exciting for a creative like myself.

—John Kennedy

You can stream all 10 episodes of The Paper on Peacock, beginning Sept. 4. 

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[WORKSHOP]

Office Hours: Rachael Holder on the Art of Compromise in Filmmaking

Originally conceived as a white-centered story, the indie romance Love, Brooklyn, found new life when the first-time director took charge. Here, she reflects on being flexible—and when she puts her foot down.

Writing and creating stories is rewriting, especially in an independent film. But in any film—not just because of financial restraints—it's hard to move a machine made up of many creative minds and moving parts. You always have to be able to pivot creatively. The way I navigate having to be flexible as a collaborator and a creative is to have a North Star and not compromise on those. That allows me to be open to other ideas and have it be thrilling rather than scary.

I did not want to compromise on the cast. When I first booked this job, [a script] went out to a [lead] different actor, Jesse Plemons. It was an entirely different movie. Once he passed on the project and it became a blank slate, I was like, “Let's make the movie that's in my head.” I was imagining a Black cast. I really did not want to compromise on that.

I did a director's pass on the original script that Paul [Zimmerman] wrote to make it culturally specific. In the original script, [after] that first dinner that you see with Casey and Roger, they run out on the bill. In my director's pass, I kept on playing with the idea of like, can I still do this? Does this still work? Is the next scene gonna have to be with cops? Visually, I had a really great idea for it. But it just didn't serve the story so I took it out.

The lighting was another North Star. Martim Vian is a lighting genius. We spoke about lighting for hours. It was really important to me that our characters were well lit. It’s not just about skin, but a lot of it was that. Even if we were in dark spaces, I still wanted to be able to see everyone and have the visual look match the energy and pace of the overall piece.

Another North Star was the pace and energy of the film. I really wanted to create a calm... I wanted people to feel like they visited the quiet, cool Brooklyn. Brooklyn is not just sirens and people yelling out of their windows. That's not the Brooklyn that I would tell a story about. So even though we're not in nature the entire time in the movie, I wanted people to leave the movie feeling like they've just spent some time in nature—that sense of calm in their nervous system.

Love, Brooklyn is now playing in New York City ahead of its nationwide debut on Sept. 5. The film stars André Holland, DeWanda Wise, Nicole Beharie, Roy Wood Jr., and Cassandra Freeman.

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[DINNER PARTY]

Barriga Llena, Corazón Contento (Full Belly, Happy Heart)

Get your fix of Mexican cuisine and culture at El Tepeyac Cafe in Los Angeles

All of present-day California used to be Mexico, so it’s no wonder every Californian city has an abundance of legendary Mexican restaurants.

Among these cherished spaces, certain names echo louder in the state’s collective memory, rising to legendary status as true pillars of the community. Few shine brighter than El Tepeyac Café in Boyle Heights.

To step into El Tepeyac is to instantly return to the heart of mid-20th century East Los Angeles, a living testament to resilience and tradition. When the Rojas family planted its roots in the neighborhood in 1952, they weren’t just opening a restaurant; they were opening a second home for generations of families. Here, under the booming, infectious laughter of patriarch Manuel Rojas—better known as "Manny" or "Don Manuel"—El Tepeyac became a vibrant, bustling attraction where the irresistible aromas of slow-simmered chile verde and sizzling carnitas intertwined with the comforting symphony of laughter, shared stories, and the undeniable feeling that you were right where you belonged.

Local residents considered Manuel family. His heart was as big as the portions he served and his larger-than-life presence turned every meal into an event. Diners celebrating birthdays, quinceañeras, first communions, and other milestones flocked to El Tepeyac for iconic dishes like "Manuel's Special Burrito," which were hearty enough to share. These patrons knew that beyond the oversized dishes, they'd also receive a warm embrace, a nod of recognition, and flavors that were unapologetically Mexican. Manuel has since passed on, but his legacy lives on through those who carry on his vision at El Tepeyac Cafe.

Today, the Cafe is a sacred space where people gather in the heart of a richly diverse community just east of the Los Angeles River. It remains a vital connection to an unvarnished authenticity that feeds not just bellies but souls, too.

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[TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT]

I know it might not sound like the right word, but he was possessed.

This Brooklyn-born film icon has seen highs and lows throughout his four decades in entertainment. He covers it all in a career-spanning interview that includes this unforgettable experience on set. Tap in to get the full picture.