With her unforgettable turn as the dynamic Valentina in “The White Lotus” Season 2, Sabrina Impacciatore became one of the most exciting and unpredictable performers on television. She earned a well-deserved Emmy nomination, which propelled her to a wider U.S. audience as a comedic and dramatic force. Now, Impacciatore reunites with improvisation, chaos, and discomfort in “The Paper”, the new spin-off in “The Office” universe, where she stars as Esmerelda Grand, a character as hilariously unhinged as she is unexpectedly human.
Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, “The Paper” expands the mockumentary format into the eccentric world of a small community newspaper, where Esmerelda quickly becomes one of the show’s breakout figures. The series also stars Domnall Gleeson, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Alex Edelman, Oscar Nuñez, and Tim Key. For the ensemble, a single glance from Impacciatore can derail a scene, and she swings big with “The Paper,” giving her the space to do it.
“When I got the role, I thought I could get bored if there were more seasons. I was very scared because I get tired of playing a character,” Impacciatoreshares. “But then I thought if I put something crazy in her, I will always have fun. Because when there is something crazy, it’s unpredictable. You can keep exploring the infinite possibilities of being unpredictable. And this is what keeps me excited… Now I can’t wait to read the next episode and see what she’s going to do.”
That spirit of unpredictability isn’t just Esmerelda’s calling card; it’s the electricity running through Impacciatore’s performance. After a whirlwind audition process (involving 11 pages of sides she had 24 hours to learn), she learned the art of improvisation while not entirely certain what the other actors were saying in rapid-fire English. Impacciatore is unfiltered, deeply thoughtful, and, at several points in our interview, startlingly funny as she discusses the physical toll of committing to Esmerelda’s most chaotic moments, including a late-night crash course learning how to perform “the worm,” a scene she executed so hard she “lost a lot of blood.”
Imapcciatore spoke with Awards Focus about impostor syndrome, the long days on set that left her unsure of what the cameras even captured, and why she’s simultaneously terrified and exhilarated by the prospect of Season 2.
Awards Focus: I have been laughing myself silly watching you as Esmerelda. How was it joining the ensemble and reading for the part of Esmerelda? What were your first thoughts about her?
Sabrina Impacciatore: I was enlightened by the sides they sent me, which was 11 pages to learn by heart. I read them, and I thought, “I can’t make it, because they gave me only 24 hours to learn everything.” But at the same time, I thought, this material is so inspiring that I felt that I could feel the core of this character, which is far away from who I am. So, I had enough time at the beginning to understand how manipulative she could be, because I am the opposite. I have no filters. I’m very direct. I’m transparent, which is an issue. So, to me, to be so twisted as she is, it’s also very refreshing. It’s something that I didn’t even expect could happen in my mind.
They were looking for another type of actress, but were curious about me. So, I did this audition knowing that it was just something to do for fun. Then, after I got the role, I was very inspired. I contributed a lot to this character because Greg [Daniels] and Michael [Koman] gave me a lot of freedom. They wanted me to live this character and to explore every possibility.
AF: There’s a scene where Esmerelda is at her kids’ audition, and then she steps in front of the camera and starts performing. How much of the material was in the scripts, and how much were you able to improvise on the day and on set?
Impacciatore: I’m glad you are pointing out that particular moment, because when I watched it, I thought, “Who is this person?” I didn’t remember that I had done those crazy, stupid things. It was incredible because you see a show many months after you shot it. So, you forget what you do, especially when you are inspired. You don’t know what you’re doing. You just lose yourself in this weird nowhere.
There was a lot in the script that was happening in the moment, also, because I was reacting to that woman, to the kid, and everything else. But I had so much fun. I must say that almost in every episode, that kind of moment happened. Everything is like being in the flow, and things just happen. And when that happens, I think you can see the difference.
AF: I think about the struggle of a show in its first season in finding its groove. But the Catfish episode, when Esmerelda starts clawing at herself like a lobster, and then the dance scene at the end of the episode, is where I thought this show really came together.
Impacciatore: [laughs] I saw it, I said, who did this? Who is this person who did this crazy thing? This makes me very, very happy. Because, for example, the scene of the dancing was not in the script, but I just had to say a line. And the line was when I was crying after this big delusion, I’m talking to my colleagues, and they are inviting me to go dancing. I had only a line to say, “Are you going to watch me while I do the worm?” But I am so stupid. I am my worst enemy, as I asked if I could do the worm, but I didn’t have an idea of what the worm was. I just liked the idea of it.
So, I studied the worm in bed, doing the worm all night long, watching YouTube on how to do the worm. We shot the whole thing, and then when I saw the show, there were only a few seconds. We shot the worm, but the worm is not there anymore. But if you see my knees now, there are still the signs of me doing the worm because I lost a lot of blood doing it.
AF: Oh, no.
Impacciatore: I’m a crazy person, Matthew. I’m a crazy person. The director of that episode gave me a letter thanking me for how much I was dedicating myself to the worm and to the dance in that episode. She said, “Your devotion to the craft and your passion are so inspiring for all of us. Thank you for living your heart on this stage.” I will never forget that.
AF: I love what you’re saying about how much you were putting into the performance and then how much was actually used in the episode, because it’s really the perspective of the camera, which is like another participant in the room. What was that like for you to adjust to interacting or not interacting with the camera in that way?
Impacciatore: That’s a very good question. I was in awe at first because this show is very peculiar. It must be real. You never know when the camera is looking at you. I wanted to forget. I really wanted to be a spy. So, there is this feeling of being a spy. You live as the character for the whole day, and you just follow the flow of the character.
You said something really smart, like it’s almost another character that is looking at you. And so, you never know. That’s why you have to keep going. Sometimes I got frustrated, to be honest, because I’d use so much energy. I give my blood, and then there are only a few seconds of that scene, and no one will ever see what I’ve been doing 12 hours a day. It feels weird.
But it’s actually very fascinating. An actor doesn’t have any control, so the only thing you can do is give everything you can.
AF: It’s such a brilliant collection of actors, too. What was it like on set on those days with everyone on the cast, and how did you keep from cracking up and breaking?
Impacciatore: I think there is one episode where I really cracked. We were very lucky because we like each other. It’s not so common. I’ve been working a lot in my life, and it’s rare that you really like everybody, and that this chemistry helps a lot. Because if you like the people around and you enjoy what they’re doing, and you like them as artists, you don’t have to act so much. You just have to react and really listen to the situation.
To be honest, there were so many times, Matthew, I didn’t have an idea of what was going on. I was the only non-English language-speaking person. They would talk very fast, and I had a very hard time, so many times, and I was just launching myself into the not knowing.
AF: How did you overcome that? What helped you to get over that language barrier?
Impacciatore: I struggled every day, to be honest, starting from the table read. During the table read, I didn’t understand a word. I was just pretending. Every Tuesday at one, we had the table read, and I could feel my body shaking under the table, but I had to pretend that I was okay, and I was cool. I had to read the episode after by myself, with a friend helping me. My best friend Johnny and I, we used to read the episode together the day after, trying to figure out what was going on in this episode.
Sometimes with Tim [Key], also because he speaks English with a British accent, I could not understand what he was saying, but I play the dynamic. It’s okay if Esmeralda doesn’t get it, so I used the fact that sometimes I wasn’t really getting what was going on and would say something, or would just try to really feel the behavior of the character and the behavior of everybody. It’s really like being a child and playing with other kids from different places. It’s very fascinating and challenging and scary and I confess too, Matthew, I don’t know if I’m able to do the second season. We have to shoot in January, but I’m very scared. I think I’m not going to make it. It’s impossible.
AF: I need more Esmerelda. You’ve made such a fascinating, hilarious character. Is there something you’re taking with you that you learned in the first season that will carry you through the next season?
Impacciatore: That’s a very good question. This is really a work in progress. I’m still figuring out the entire shooting. Every day, I was exploring things. It was always unfinished. I think that what I learned is that I have to look more and more for the magic. So, I have to be even more prepared before getting on set. I’m a very obsessive person, so I try to prepare everything very deeply.
There are a few things that helped me play Esmeralda. The way she’s dressed in a tight, tight skirt, tight bells, always in high heels. Imagine that now I was dubbing the Italian version and I kept the high heels because there is something about walking that way or that that puts you in that state of voice. I’m still learning a lot. What feels good is to feel protected by these geniuses. I really, really let myself go widely free, and this is something I want to keep doing. I’m saying to myself, don’t be scared.
Don’t be scared. Just go for craziness, and Esmeralda will come alive.