John Krasinski visited the set of The Paper while the cast was making its first season. Chelsea Frei, who plays Mare, says he and Steve Carell stopped by the hair and makeup trailer early in filming. Krasinski also had a tip for actors who spend long stretches sitting at desks: bring things to do.
What did Krasinski tell the cast?
Frei told Peacock that Krasinski suggested snacks, games and internet access on the computer. On a workplace mockumentary, an actor can spend a lot of time in the background while someone else has the main scene. Krasinski learned that playing Jim Halpert for nine seasons of The Office.
“You sit there a lot and only some of the computers get internet.” — Chelsea Frei, recalling Krasinski’s advice
It is a funny, practical detail rather than a grand acting lesson. A newsroom set may look busy on camera, but the actors also have to stay in place through multiple takes. Frei said the visit from Krasinski and Carell was kind, and their advice helped welcome the new cast.
How does The Paper connect to The Office?
The same documentary crew that followed the Dunder Mifflin staff turns its cameras on a struggling newspaper, the Toledo Truth Teller. That gives the two comedies a shared world and familiar filming style. Krasinski is known for playing Jim Halpert on The Office, but Peacock’s story is about his set visit, not an announcement that Jim appears in The Paper.
What is happening in season two?
Mare has moved to a new newsroom in Cincinnati. Frei said that change tests Mare’s relationship with editor Ned Sampson, played by Domhnall Gleeson. The move gives Mare a different job and puts some distance between the two characters, while the Toledo paper keeps dealing with its own problems.
The Paper is streaming on Peacock in the US. Fans of The Office may enjoy the set-visit story because it shows a small link between the old cast and the new one. The main show, however, is about Ned, Mare and their newsroom—not Jim taking a job at another paper.
