Chelsea Frei is an emerging legend in the world of comedy.

      Chelsea Frei is not one to wait idly for success; she actively pursues it with humor, enthusiasm, and a knack for cold-emailing influential figures in the industry. At 32, the actress boasts an impressive background, having secured internships at Saturday Night Live and Late Night with Seth Meyers, created multiple viral internet comedy sketches, and recently starred alongside Domhnall Gleeson in The Paper, NBC's spin-off of The Office. In this series, she portrays Mare Pritti, a straightforward army veteran working for a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio. Frei recognizes the significance of this role and often expresses her gratitude for being part of a sitcom featuring a remarkable cast, created by original showrunners of The Office, Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. However, it seems that luck played little role in her success. With a determined outlook on the future, she is crafting her own path forward.

      Frei always anticipated a career in show business, despite not coming from that background. Growing up in Andover, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, her parents worked in construction, and she describes acting as "not something in [her] family." Like many actors, she began her journey in school plays. "I loved being onstage," she shares. "I loved making people laugh and going to rehearsals after school. It was a running joke among my friends that I could never hang out because I was always at rehearsal. It consumed my life." After high school, Frei was accepted into NYU to study classical acting and even took a course on Shakespeare in London. Her passion for comedy remained strong, leading her back to New York where she obtained internships at Late Night with Seth Meyers and SNL. Immersed in comedy's revered atmosphere, Frei absorbed knowledge and relished each moment. "The excitement of being there was incredible. I was obsessed," she says, recalling how witnessing SNL's production made her feel she belonged in that world.

      Following her impressive internships, Frei faced challenges finding work after graduating. Eager to work at NBC, she was proactive instead of waiting passively for opportunities. She began creating comedy sketches with friends. "None of us could get agents or knew how to break into the industry, so we decided to make funny videos with one of our old digital cameras, edit them, and post them online. I did that for a couple of years. Elizabeth Banks had a comedy platform called WhoHaha," she explains, recalling how she posted her videos there, hoping for attention. Frei also sent cold emails to industry contacts to network. "I'm a big fan of cold-emailing. I didn't have anyone's phone number, so I decided to email everyone," she says, using an email aggregator to gather the contacts she needed. She reached out to the president of Funny or Die and was invited in for a meeting after sharing her work. Although the meeting was in L.A. and she lived in New York, she flew across the country that night. "I left my suitcase outside, which led him to think I lived in L.A. He asked me to write something long-form, so I created a web series called Hostess about my experiences as a hostess in New York. I raised around $10,000 on Kickstarter, and Funny or Die helped promote it, which ultimately led to securing my agents," she shares.

      Despite achieving professional status and landing significant roles, Frei remains recognized by producers and casting directors for her personal internet projects. She sees this as a demonstration of taking initiative and ambition. "Always have one foot in charge of your own creative direction. You must go for it and garner as much attention on your work as possible," she advises. "I realized that if I wanted to be an actor, I couldn't be the one waiting for auditions, sitting back and thinking, 'I did my audition, and we'll see what happens!' That's not my mindset. I need to actively pursue my goals to feel progress. The grind never stops; that's been my main takeaway. I always strive to keep moving forward in my own work, regardless of my acting commitments. I ask myself, 'What am I doing to advance my career in a way that I control and create?' I believe that’s what those at SNL excel at, which is why they achieve strong careers."

      Things shifted when she submitted a self-tape for an unnamed project created by Daniels and Koman, which later became The Paper. "I thought, 'I'm never gonna get this, so I’m just going to enjoy myself.' I recorded my audition and found out two weeks later that I was being considered," Frei recalls. She went in to audition with Daniels, Koman, and several producers at NBC's 30 Rock in New York City, still doubting her chances. "I think my saving grace was believing I'd never get it, so I was nervous but not excessively so. I just thought, 'I'm getting to improvise in front