Exclusive Interview
‘The Paper’ Star Chelsea Frei Reveals Ned & Mare’s Finale Kiss Almost Didn’t Happen
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Paper Season 1 Episode 10, “The Ohio Journalism Awards.”]
The Paper‘s first season may have concluded on Peacock, but we’re still obsessing over the romantic cliffhanger between coworkers Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) and Mare (Chelsea Frei). But did you know their finale kiss almost didn’t happen?
As fans who tuned in will recall, the editor-in-chief and reporter tested their palpable chemistry, as any good journalist doing research would do, by sharing a smooch at the Ohio Journalism Awards after a victorious evening. “We shot that ending like a million different ways,” Frei tells Swooon. “I didn’t even know that’s how it was going to be,” she adds of the final cut.
“There are versions where we didn’t kiss,” she says. “[I think] they wanted to see how the season felt and where it went,” she adds of the direction the writers ultimately took Ned and Mare before the season was through.
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It was a rather shocking moment because many sitcoms avoid the first kiss until a couple of seasons in, and with that idea in mind, Frei says, “I hope it wasn’t too soon. I think it’s going to lead to a lot of interesting back-to-work on Monday situations. So I’m excited to see what [the writers] come up with,” she adds alluding to Season 2’s potential direction.
According to Frei, the writers were really receptive to feedback and thoughts from performers surrounding their character arcs. “The coolest thing for me about this show in terms of our relationship to the writers was how Greg [Daniels] and Michael [Koman] check in with the actors of how you’re feeling,” Frei shares. This was especially true when it came to the relationship between Ned and Mare, according to Frei.
“We had so many conversations about it, and what we wanted it to look like… and then how it started feeling different throughout the season. So it’s kind of cool. It’s ever-evolving in a way.”
As for the pressure of taking on a sitcom romance, Frei jokes, “I wanted to die the entire time…. I always say, and I think it’s true, is Mare and Ned just both want to make something amazing. Whatever their relationship ends up being or is right now, it’s almost a byproduct of this important thing to them, which is the paper.”
Only time will tell where Ned and Mare’s romantic spark will take them, but let us know your thoughts and theories for Season 2 in the comments section below.
The Paper, Season 1, Streaming now, Peacock
