Yes, Chelsea Frei felt a shit-ton of pressure ahead of starring in Hulu’s new Office spinoff series, The Paper. The iconic 2000s mockumentary sitcom has a lot of very passionate fans, and following in the footsteps of legends like Steve Carell and Jenna Fischer is no joke.
Before The Paper dropped on September 4, longtime Office fans were pretty skeptical, and they made that clear on social media.”There was so much hate before the show came out,” Chelsea told Betches in an exclusive interview. “Everybody online was like, ‘Why would you try and follow in The Office footsteps? How dare you.'”
But as it turns out, there was no need to worry. The Paper, while set in a similar universe and featuring that same fourth-wall-breaking style, is an entirely different show with its own characters. Chelsea stars as Mare Pritti, one of few competent journalists at the struggling newspaper, the Toledo Truth Teller.
And as an Office superfan herself, she’s genuinely the perfect person to take on the daunting task of leading a spinoff. “Of everyone in the show, I’m definitely the biggest Office fan,” she declared. “That is a known thing in the group.”
The Paper actress also opened up about getting advice from the OG Office stars, those Mare-Pam comparisons, and what’s in store for season 2.
What was it like getting a dream job like this? Can you describe the moment that you got the part?
Chelsea: The audition process was crazy. It was so long and they didn’t want anyone to find out any information about it, so they were kind of secretive… I just knew it was in The Office universe and it was Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. I had a chemistry read with Domhnall that I didn’t think went well. And then, I heard from my agents that I was still up for it, and months went by.
The night I knew they were testing my tape, it was a Friday night at 6:00 pm. I was at dinner with my friends and I saw a call from my agents and I was like, “Okay. They’re just going to tell me I didn’t get it.” I was just like, “They’re clearly going to give this part to a famous person.” And then, they told me I got it, and I just levitated off the ground and was just sobbing outside the restaurant and they were like, “You cannot tell anybody. Nobody can know.”
Oh, wow.
Chelsea: They were like, “Do not tell your boyfriend. Do not tell your…” I literally was, “I promise I won’t,” hung up the phone, walked into the restaurant and screamed it at the top of my lungs.
Amazing. That sounds like the best day ever.
Chelsea: It was a good day.
How did you handle the pressure of taking on a reboot for such a beloved show?
Chelsea: It was very, very scary. One thing that really changed things for me in the best way was Steve Carell and John Krasinski coming to set the first or second day. They surprised us in the makeup trailer and couldn’t have been sweeter. I remember Domhnall and I were talking to Steve and we were like, “We’re so scared of following in your footsteps. What you guys did was perfect and iconic and it’s the most beloved show of all time. How dare we try and continue that legacy?”
And he told us that he went through the exact same thing with the American Office. He’s like, “At a certain point, you need to kind of put on your blinders and realize you’re trying to make something different.” And, I think that’s when the show started clicking for all of us is when we stopped worrying and started having a lot of fun.
Oscar Nuñez is on the spinoff, which is incredible. So did he give you guys any advice and help the process?
Chelsea: Oscar has mastered the art of fake working like no one I’ve ever known in my life. And, I’m not kidding. It’s an art because I’ve never been on a show like this where everyone is usually seen in the background of every scene, so you really do have to have a full life outside of just your scenes and the other characters you’re responding to.
The first or second day of filming, we were just supposed to walk around the office and work. Greg and Michael were like, “We just want to see you guys walking in the space.” And, I remember I was so nervous. I was like, “What do you do if you don’t have lines?” And Oscar came over to my desk and pretended to show me a date on something. And, I was like, “Oh, I just saw an Oscar winning performance. It was so real.” So, yeah, he really taught me how to fake work. He’s a great fake worker.
Your character is a former Army vet and she knows how to stand up for herself. What does it mean to you to play a strong female protagonist like that?
Chelsea: It means so much. It absolutely goes down to the writing and Greg and Michael writing just such a complex character. I got to talk to my dad, who’s a vet, and my cousin who’s a vet. And his experience working with female Navy officers and people in that world… It was interesting to hear about that dynamic because there are so many more men than women and how that kind of can mold somebody.
And, she drove a tank in the army so I read a lot of books about what it’s like to be in a tank and how it’s so claustrophobic. You’re in this small place, you can’t get out, and you become so close with the people you’re working with. And there are barely any women that drive tanks. So, you have to imagine that kind of shaped her a lot.
How did you build your character? Was there a lot of research involved?
Chelsea: Something that really helped me was sitting down with other journalists. We got to sit down with a bunch of journalists at The Palisadian Post, which is the Pacific Palisades paper and they were so helpful. Local journalism is really struggling and you can feel it when you talk to them, the importance of it and how hard it is because they’re just so understaffed and just have such limited resources. So, it really helped talking to other people more so than specific characters.
If you weren’t an actress, what boring nine-to-five would you have?
Chelsea: During the summers, I would help at my dad’s construction company in the office filing stuff and I love filing. I’m a filer- At heart, I’m unfortunately a filer.
Obviously people are comparing your relationship in the show to Jim and Pam. How do you feel about that comparison?
Chelsea: Oh, it’s a scary comparison. You’re looking at one of the most iconic will they, won’t theys on television ever. And, I do think Ned and Mare are so different. I think that the big difference besides everything else is Ned and Mare love the paper. They want to make a really good paper. They’re in love with their job and making something special. And, I think whatever relationship they form around that or wherever it goes, it’s all in service of this greater good.
Do you have a favorite memory from filming?
Chelsea: I think when Domhnall and I shot the finale episode, we were in a hotel. I don’t want to spoil it, but it was like this awards shows, newspaper awards, and we just had the best time because you’re on the lot the entire time in your office. It’s kind of going and dressing up for something fun. You get to see everybody to of work. And, Domhnall and I got to have so many fun scenes together running around that hotel, and it was a really special week. I think it was also almost the end of filming. I couldn’t believe we did it. And, filming the finale was really special.
You’ve already been renewed for season two. What can you tease?
Chelsea: Oh my God. I know the writers went back a couple weeks ago. Everybody seems really excited and I think we’re all just so thrilled that we get to work together again. I really don’t know what to expect. I think the end of the season leaves like a big cliffhanger and I, for one, am excited to see what it’s like for all of them to come back to work on Monday. I think it’ll lead to some awkward moments. I’m so excited to see what the writers come up with. They’re all geniuses.
