John Krasinski Had a “Very Important” Tip for The Paper Actors When He Showed Up on Set
Twenty years after The Office helped redefine workplace comedy on NBC, its biggest stars helped The Paper cast on set.
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Key Takeaways
- John Krasinski and Steve Carell visited the set of The Paper to support the cast, with Krasinski giving practical advice about bringing snacks, games, and internet access to stay occupied during long desk scenes in a mockumentary workplace setting.
- Season 2 of The Paper explores Mare’s personal and professional growth as she adjusts to a new newsroom in Cincinnati, with her relationship with editor Ned Sampson facing new challenges and deeper development.
Few actors understand the flow of a workplace mockumentary better than John Krasinski. After all, he spent spent nine seasons helping make The Office one of television's most beloved comedies alongside Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, and the rest of the Dunder Mifflin crew.
So, when The Paper began filming its first season, Krasinski stopped by to welcome the cast and offer his support. Peacock Blog spoke to Chelsea Frei, who plays journalist Mare Pritti, about the passing-of-the-baton moment from one workplace mockumentary to the next.
Frei shared what it was like to meet The Office stars—including getting a useful tip from Krasinski—and teased what's ahead for Mare and her relationship with Editor-in-Chief Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) in Season 2 of The Paper. Read more details, below.
John Krasinski visited The Paper set to show his support
Krasinski’s advice to Paper newcomers on set was practical and not about acting or filling the shoes of a beloved comedy.
“John Krasinski and Steve Carell showed up in our hair and makeup trailer, like day one, couldn't have been sweeter,” Frei said.
RELATED: A Guide to Where The Paper Was Filmed (DETAILS)
Krasinski played paper salesman Jim Halpert on NBC's The Office. And while Jim and Mare (Frei's The Paper character) have vastly different careers, they both spend a lot of time behind their desks. On a mockumentary show, sometimes you have to look busy at your desk in the background of other characters' scenes. Krasinski knows this all too well — and has the perfect advice for how to pass the time.
“John Krasinski told me to make sure I had snacks and games and and internet on my computer, which is very important, 'cause you sit there a lot and only some of the computers get internet,” Frei said.
The advice tracks with behind-the-scenes stories from The Office set. To stay busy in the background during scenes, some cast members searched for houses or filed their taxes, the actors told TODAY when celebrating the show’s 20th anniversary.
The support from Office alums helped welcome Frei into the world of The Paper. Now, with the series back for another season, she's getting the opportunity to explore even bigger stories for Mare.
Chelsea Frei teases what's next for Mare in Season 2 of The Paper
As the journalists of the Toledo Truth Teller find their footing in Season 2 of The Paper, the actors get to play with even wilder storylines and deeper character relationships.
“It’s so exciting to get to come back,” Frei told Peacock Blog. “I love working with Domhnall. We have so much fun together.”
RELATED: Meet The Paper Season 2 Full Cast, Plus Every Guest Star (Official Bios & Photos)
Ned and Mare get to explore their professional and personal relationship when it’s tested by working in different newsrooms this season. The transfer to Cincinnati marked a major shift for Mare that Frei felt as well.
“I really didn't wanna go,” Frei said. “I felt, like, so sad. It is so funny. My fiancé kept saying, he’s like, ‘You're not really going to Cincinnati,’ And I was like, ‘I know, but it feels like I am,’ and I just felt far away from my friends and…I felt what Mare and I think what Ned were feeling, which is just like this distance and the uncertainty of it.”
Once Mare settled into her new newsroom, Frei realized the move was ultimately "really good" for the character.
“I think she is somebody who sometimes life just happens to her, and I think this was a distinct change where…she started to make things happen for herself in a really cool way,” Frei said.
The Paper Season 2 is streaming now on Peacock.
