‘The Paper’ Star Tim Key Calls Ken ‘Absolutely Despicable’ Ahead of Season 2

If you somehow found yourself rooting for Ken Davies during the first season of The Paper, Tim Key would like to remind you of one important detail: the man is terrible. Apparently, Season 2 isn't about to change that.

I recently caught up with Key ahead of The Paper Season 2, and when I pointed out that Ken manages to be openly conniving while remaining strangely charming, Key didn't exactly rush to defend his character. In fact, he described Ken as "absolutely despicable," which feels like a pretty accurate assessment.

Key believes part of the fun comes from the major difference between watching someone like Ken on television and actually having that person in your life. In a comedy, watching him scheme, manipulate people and generally behave terribly makes you want to see what he'll do next. Encounter someone like Ken in the real world, though, and you'd probably want to stay far, far away.

That ability to make an objectively awful character ridiculously entertaining is part of what made Ken such a standout in the show's first season, and Season 2 gives him plenty of new opportunities to get himself into trouble.

Tim Key on Those David Brent Comparisons

Given The Paper's connection to The Office, comparisons were probably inevitable, and some viewers have noticed shades of Ricky Gervais' David Brent in Ken. Key told me that he didn't specifically look to Brent, or any other character, when developing his performance. Instead, his approach to Ken was much more instinctive, helped by writing that allowed him to simply dive into the character.

Key is a major fan of the original The Office, however, and acknowledged that influences can naturally become part of a performer's work after years of watching something. He recalled watching a short film he'd made years earlier and recognizing a little of Gervais' influence in the delivery of one particular line.

For Key, the important thing is making sure an influence never turns into imitation. Ken may have some familiar workplace-comedy DNA, but after two seasons, he's certainly become his own uniquely frustrating little man.

Could Ken and Esmeralda Actually Happen?

Of course, I also had to ask the important question: What exactly are we doing with Ken and Esmeralda?

Their chemistry and scheming partnership have made them an entertaining duo, and I admitted to Key that I've found myself shipping the two. When I asked whether there could actually be a world where Ken and Esmeralda date, he didn't completely shut the idea down.

Key joked that putting them together would essentially be two equally terrible people joining forces rather than an opposites-attract situation. He could visualize the possibility, although he also suggested that both characters might be better off finding people who are a little nicer than they are.

Personally, I still think they're pretty great partners in crime, so I'm not giving up just yet.

Don't Expect a New and Improved Ken

As for whether Season 2 finally forces Ken to grow as a person, Key isn't particularly interested in fixing him. When I asked him to describe Season 2 Ken in three words, he summed the character up perfectly: "Same. Despicable. Ken."

Key explained that Ken is constantly looking for opportunities but remains primarily interested in small, short-term victories. While some of The Paper's more rounded characters can evolve over time, he doesn't necessarily think that kind of growth is right for Ken.

I get it. Part of the fun of watching Ken is knowing he's perfectly capable of getting himself into a ridiculous situation, suffering the consequences and then finding another way to do it all over again. Season 2 wastes very little time reminding us of that, with Ken already landing himself in quite the predicament during the premiere.

Traditional character growth might actually ruin some of what makes him so entertaining. We don't necessarily need Ken to suddenly become self-aware, learn his lesson and emerge as a better person. We need him chasing those tiny victories, making questionable decisions and getting himself into situations he has absolutely no business being in.

After talking with Key, it seems viewers shouldn't expect a dramatically reinvented Ken Davies in Season 2. Thankfully, when a character is this entertainingly awful, "same despicable Ken" sounds like exactly what we need.

Check out our full conversation below.

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