The Paper Interviews #2 with Chelsea Frei

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Hello, everyone.

Welcome to another special Friday episode of Office Ladies.

This week, we are sharing our interview with Chelsea Fry from the paper.

The paper is coming out on September 4th on Peacock, and we found out they are planning to release the first four episodes.

That's right.

We got our links to view them before they air.

Yes, they sent us the first four episodes.

I am so excited.

This is one of the benefits of being part of the Office universe.

We get to see these shows early, and lady, I am here for it.

I know.

We get to see them, but we do have to wait to do our breakdown until after the show has premiered because no spoilers.

Yeah.

So until then, we have to keep everything to ourselves.

Oh, by the way, Ange, did you know that there is a rumor that we have cameos on the paper?

Seriously?

Yes.

Yes.

What kind of rumor?

Okay.

Well, some website quoted you talking about how we went to the set.

And for some reason, that got turned into us having cameos on the show.

But you were just talking about how we got to visit.

Okay, I didn't muck it up, right?

I said visited.

No, no, no, no.

Okay.

You did not, lady.

Okay.

This is one of those examples of how things get twisted.

We should say, I guess, set the record straight.

Angela and I do not appear in the paper.

Nope.

There is a familiar face on the paper.

That news is out.

Oscar Nunez is reprising his role of Oscar Martinez.

That's right.

But Jenna and I are not on the paper.

Correct.

Are in the paper.

We're not on it or in it.

We are not.

We just visited it.

That's it.

Well, I'm glad we cleared that up.

And now we really hope that you enjoyed this interview with Chelsea Fry.

You might know her from the series The Cleaning Lady or Animal Control.

She is an absolute sweetheart.

Chelsea shares about how she got her job on the paper and the secret code name everyone had to use to keep the show under wraps on the Universal Lot.

Mm-hmm.

We hope you enjoy.

All right.

Will you please tell us your name and tell us your character name?

I'm Chelsea Fry and my character name is Mare Preeti.

And tell us a little about your character.

Mare

is,

well, she's an Army vet.

She's born and raised in Ohio.

She's very practical.

I think she got really used to

her dreams kind of like not working out.

I think she, you know, worked here for a while and

saw how it was run and didn't really think anything would change.

And

then when Ned shows up, I think kind of this fire is reignited in her of

hope and excitement and doing something maybe she cares about with her life.

I think she used to just like go to work as, you know, the job.

And now it's kind kind of something more exciting, which is nice.

So catching her at an interesting moment in her life.

So you mentioned your character was born and raised in Ohio, but what about you?

I'm from Boston.

I grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, small town like right outside of Boston.

And then I moved to New York for college.

So I was there like when I was 18.

I lived there for six years and then I moved out here.

But now I got my entire family to move out here.

So we're all California people now.

Yeah.

All right.

So we always ask everyone, how did you get your job on the office?

So how did you get your job on the paper?

Can you tell us about your audition process?

Oh my God.

It's crazy.

I'm sure as, you know, the stories always are.

But I

was in New York shooting something and

I had a really rough year during the strike.

I

was the lead of a show for two years that was just a strike casualty and they were just like, we're throwing it in the trash.

And I was like, I just really did never, never saw, it was kind of like my dream job that I was just like, well, that's, you know, now in the trash and nobody's ever going to see it.

And

I was in a dark, dark hole as I'm, you know, we all kind of work during that time.

But anyway, I was.

luckily shooting a really sweet rom-com in New York, playing just a fun little side character.

And I did, you know, the audition.

You didn't know anything about the part.

And so it was, you know, kind of just like dummy sides.

So I was like, whatever, I'm just going to have fun with it.

Like, I'm never going to hear about this again.

You know, it was kind of like the rumor going around that it was like the office reboot.

But I have one thing to say.

So we, so your audition sides were nothing that gave anything away about what you were doing.

Is that correct?

Yes.

Yes.

It literally said like untitled Greg Daniels.

And then the sides, I didn't even know what they were about.

It was not about a newspaper.

I didn't know what the character, who the character was,

literally nothing.

And so,

yeah, I just kind of put it on tape and totally improvised it with my friend Blake.

And he was so sweet and did it with me a bunch.

And I was like, great.

Like, again, I'm never going to hear.

Like, I'm just never going to actually be up for this job.

And so then I got a call that they wanted to see me, but I was in New York.

And

I, they were like, you can go to 30 Rock, which was, I was like, okay, like, I interned there when I was in.

I interned there.

Yes, I interned on Conan O'Brien.

I interned at late night with Seth Meyers and then SNL.

My like, I worked on the weekends on SNL.

Are you kidding me?

So it's like, so surreal.

Like, I like walked back in and, you know, met Michael Komen, who was there.

And

we went in and it was like, I'm, I'm so,

I'm so grateful that I thought I would never get the job because I think I just had so much fun.

Cause I was like, I just, I'm never again, like, it just like, even to this day, I'm like, I'm never, I'm never going to get this job.

Like, I'm doing the job, but I'm never actually going to get.

And I went in and they kept me for like two hours.

And we just, they asked about me and about where I'm from.

And we're kind of like incorporating that into the character.

And

it was just one of the most surreal days of my life.

Like everybody else was on Zoom besides Michael, but he was kind of looking at me,

like giving me like a little thumbs up.

And

yeah, then I got a call later that day that I was

in a chemistry read.

And this is where it's funny.

I thought the show was set in Boston, kind of like based on just like how we were talking.

And so I started like making her really Bostony when I came back in for the chemistry.

And they were like, what are you doing?

I was like, I thought she was supposed to have an accent.

I was just kind of going crazy.

And

I then wrote Greg a letter saying that, like, I just wanted the part so bad.

And because it was dummy sides, I thought her name was Paula.

I thought she was from Boston.

I wrote this like heartfelt letter of why, like, nobody else can play Paula from Boston.

And it was like, I just really put it all out there because I was like, when else am I going to get the chance to like write something to Greg Daniels that he might actually read?

Like, whatever.

And then I got the part, and her name's not paula she's not from boston i was like so embarrassed i was like oh my god and i like made it seem like there's nobody else who can do this like what it was terrible but yeah that was the and then i got the call and it was the craziest thing ever i still can't believe it i'm like yeah

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So, on the show, it's the same documentary crew that followed the folks at Dunder Mifflin, and now they're following you all here at the paper.

What has it been like for you to like acknowledge the camera or look right at the camera?

Was that a weird adjustment?

Yeah, it is.

I think it's also, I mean, I cannot tell you how many times I've re-watched The Office.

It's like the thing that I, you know, it's, and as everyone in the world, it was like my comfort show, my everything show, the show that when I'm working and away from home, it like reminds me of home and makes me feel better.

So I, I know everything.

It was like one of the, he'd be like, you know, the episode and I would like pretend.

I'd be like, right, the, yeah, no, the, the dinner party episode.

I think I've seen that one.

I'm like, I've seen it a hundred times.

So anyway, I was so nervous about making it seem like I was kind of putting on something, like trying to do something that you guys had done.

So

the thing that I found was like trying to find like my exact relationship to it and like what, whatever, what I want from what I want whenever I'm looking at the camera and, you know, what also I want the camera not to know.

But it's definitely taken a minute.

I feel like I actually don't know, but I feel like somebody was like, she needs to stop looking at the camera as much because during a couple episodes, they were like, you don't need to look at the camera for that one.

I was like, okay, I'm doing it too much.

But yeah, it's been a fun, it's so fun.

I've never done a show like that where you get to interact with it.

I'm like scared for like the next thing, if I ever, you know, work again, of the next thing I do, I'm going to like be like looking at the camera.

They're going to be like, stop it.

It happens.

Yeah.

I mean, yeah.

I think the job I had after the office was a Netflix show.

And I looked right down the barrel of the camera one time.

And they were like, hey, Angela, can you not not look down the camera?

Okay, that makes me feel better.

Wow.

I have somebody.

I want to ask you guys questions.

How is it being back here?

How do you guys feel?

Well, it's really exciting to see some of our crew members that cross over.

That's been actually really emotional.

I mean, I wish all the time that I could wake up and just like go back to one day in the past and be on the set again and just with all the people, including our crew, and make an episode.

So it's been a little bit, I feel sentimental seeing people.

Well, we walked up and the first person we saw was Sergio from, you know, big time catering.

He, I mean, Sergio fed us for nine years.

He got us both through.

like pregnancy cravings and uh

the cast and the crew that we're still like a family i think of us as a and we still support each other and show up for each other.

So I hope that for you because it's really special.

Yeah, it's that has been one of the nicest things is hearing how many people came back from doing that.

And they were like, it was, I mean, they talk about it all the time.

They're like, because, well, because it's also true, like now, you know,

knock on wood, you get a show that goes on longer than a couple of seasons, but it's so rare.

And to hear about like, you know, them seeing their children grow up and seeing you, like all of you just go through marriages.

And it's just, it's crazy.

It's, it's so special and it's so fun to hear about with,

yeah, every, I mean, I'm just like thinking of every, every single person on the crew, but it's, uh, it really feels like what you guys created has just

truly carried on and made something so special.

And you can feel it.

I feel so lucky to even just like be around it and hear the stories.

Well, I know that you mentioned that your family is all out here with you now.

And we also know that everyone has been sworn to secrecy

during this whole taping.

Yeah.

What was it like when your family found out you booked this job?

And what has it been like for you at holidays when they want to know stuff and you cannot tell them?

Like, what, what is the situation?

Like, do you have like an aunt who's like pestering everyone and you're on like lockdown information?

Well, first, could probably get fired for saying this.

Literally, like my agents called me when they told me they were like, do not tell anybody i was like crying oh my god i was also like on this i was like at a dinner and um

you cannot tell like do not tell your family don't tell your boyfriend whatever i was like of course not literally immediately called my mom i was like i got it

um which is so bad and i then i told my mom i was like you cannot tell and like my i love my mother the biggest mouth in the world and like she's so proud of me which i love but it's like i was like this one you really can't tell and then i started getting really nervous because I could like tell that she told family member, I was like, if I lose my job because of this, I'm, so anyway, besides that, um, it is hard not telling people.

I mean, we have this like fake name, Sum Tsum, that has become,

we kind of all just call it Sum Tsum.

I feel like I'm going to continue to call it Sum Tsum for forever.

But yeah, it is, it's, it's fun to keep it a secret.

Alan Havey, who's on the show, who's amazing,

he's had really good advice because he did the last season of Mad Men and he was like, he couldn't tell anybody up until it came out.

And he's like, I'm telling you, in a day and age, we're now like we post every single thing as it happens, like on Instagram, he's like, there's something so cool about nobody knowing and then the show just dropping and everybody being like, oh my God.

And he was saying, he's, he's like, you get that chance for the first time probably to do something like that.

That is definitely so cool.

So when Jenna and I arrived today, our directions were to Sum Tsum.

Am I saying it right?

Zoom Tsum.

So even here on the Universal Lot while you're filming, nowhere does it say the paper.

Yeah.

It's pretty, that's pretty wild, right?

I mean, this is a big lot and you're Sum Tsum.

And we're Sum Tsum.

Yeah.

The lady at the parking structure, I was like, yeah, I'm going to Sum Tsum.

She was like, you're in parking 2160.

I don't know what you're like, she was like not having it.

Well, do you know the story of it?

No.

What is the story of Sumsum?

Wait, is Juliana here?

No.

Juliana and Greg's assistant.

So while they were writing it, obviously they would get lunch every day.

And there's this really amazing, I think, Mediterranean restaurant, Zoom Tsum.

And I guess Juliana, his assistant, always wanted Zoom Tsum.

And she'd be like, he'd be like, okay, what do we want for lunch today?

She'd be like, Zoom Tsum.

And it became a thing.

And so one day they just asked Greg, they were like, oh, what do you want the alias or whatever to be?

And he, he was like, I didn't think about it being the name of it.

He was like, just call it Sum Tsum, like whatever.

And now it's like literally every time like we're pulling it everywhere.

We have like water bottles with Sum Tsum on them now.

Yeah, I wonder if the restaurant knows.

I don't think so, but they will.

Oh, well, this was so great.

Thank you for sitting down with us.

And we hope that like once the show comes out, we'd love to have you in our studio and you can talk to us more.

You can tell you can tell us more specific storylines.

Exactly.

Yeah, you can tell us like, you know, the whole arc of your character.

We'd love to share about it.

Thank you guys so much.

This is a dream.

Thank you so much.

She's just so fun to be around.

Yeah.

Yeah.

She was one of the first interviews that we did, actually, and she really put me at ease, which I appreciated.

Yeah.

I think she was nervous to talk to us because we were her first interview.

But we were nervous to talk to her.

Yes.

You know, when Chelsea talked about keeping stuff secret from her family, I remember what that was like because we did that on the office.

I mean, we very famously kept Steve's return and the finale a secret.

But I remember my family completely hounding me about what was going to happen between season two and season three after Jim kissed Pam on casino night.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

They wanted to know, like, would I still be with Roy?

Did I get with Jim?

I didn't say anything.

Of course not.

Well, you you know, I love Chelsea's story about her audition and how she really committed to a Boston accent at first.

I love that.

That was great.

Well, listen, thanks for listening.

Next Friday, we are back with the super charming Sabrina Impetiatore.

Oh,

Sabrina.

I mean, Sabrina, I hung on your every word.

I seriously can't wait for you to hear this one.

All right, well, see you next week.

Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.

Office Ladies is a presentation of Odyssey and is produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey.

Our executive producer is Cassie Jerkins.

Our audio engineer is Sam Kiefer, and our associate producer is Ainsley Bubico.

Odyssey's executive producer is Leah Reese Dennis.

Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.

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