Carly Craig & Chelsea Frei On The July 25th Premiere Of YouTube Premium’s “Sideswiped” & More
Premiering on July 25th via YouTube Premium, Sideswiped is a multi-generational comedy about relationships, both romantic and familial. Based on a true story from Carly Craig, this eight-episode comedy series focuses on dating in the digital age. Craig’s character Olivia begins Sideswiped as a successful workaholic who is both single and miserable on her 35th birthday. Ultimately her sister Jayne (played by Chelsea Frei) and mother Mary (played by Rosanna Arquette) plunge Olivia into the hellish world of Tinder, and Olivia commits to dating all 252 of her Tinder matches.
Carly Craig is an actress you may recognize from the series American Housewife and the film Hall Pass, and Sideswiped is her first high-profile attempt at co-creating and executive producing a series. Celebrity guest stars within these 8 episodes include Jason Sudeikis, Rick Springfield, Peter Gallagher, Tyler Posey, Thomas Lennon, Bryan Greenberg, Christopher McDonald, and Sarah Burns.
I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with both Ms. Craig and Ms. Frei on behalf of The Hype Magazine, covering both Sideswiped and what else the two leading actresses have coming up. Craig can be followed on Twitter via @Carly_Craig, Frei is on Twitter as @ChelseaBFrei.
When you were working to create Sideswiped, did you also envision yourself starring in the show?
Carly Craig: Yes, that was always the dream — to star in the show I created!
How much of the show is based on your personal experiences? Or experiences of friends?
Carly Craig: A lot of it is based on my personal experiences with dating and Tinder, as well as my friends’ experiences, too.
Did working on the show require a lot of research?
Carly Craig: It did! I had to research what it was like to do online dating because I had never done it before. I went on a lot of dates for research, and did some other research for the show as well.
How did you and Carly first meet? Had you worked on a project together before Sideswiped?
Chelsea Frei: We met in the Sideswiped audition room. To me, it was such an immediate connection. I’d already read the pilot and was in love with the project, and getting to audition with the star/writer of the show was a little nerve wracking. But the minute we started reading through the audition sides and playing together, it felt so natural and fun.
Before being cast in Sideswiped, how well-versed were you with online dating?
Chelsea Frei: I was pretty well-versed. I went to NYU for college, and because we were in the city, it seemed like the norm to be on at least one dating app. I went on a few dates that were truly terrible. One time, I met this guy for a drink and he kept looking around the bar as if someone was going to come up and kill him at any moment. I also went on dates that were fun! If anything, it’s a great way to find fun bars around a new city.
Your character on Sideswiped is a devoted mother who really needs a night out. Is that based on anyone you know?
Chelsea Frei: It’s not based on anyone I know, but I believe Carly had several people in mind when writing my character. I definitely have people in my life who are making those next steps, getting married and having children. It was a really fun role to play because I got to imagine what my life would be like if I had settled down at a young age. I’m the same age as my character in the show, but nowhere near ready for marriage and/or children. The whole experience made me so empathetic towards mothers, and I found myself continuously wanting to just call my mom and tell her how much I loved her!
Sideswiped features a lot of excellent guest stars. Was that planned from the beginning?
Carly Craig: Yes I had a lot of great comedic actors I knew I wanted to work with like Jason Sudeikis and Thomas Lennon. They really helped get the ball rolling and set up the tone for the show, which helped us get all of our other great guest stars like Tyler Posey, Bryan Greenberg, Chris McDonald…
Sideswiped aside, what is coming up for you career-wise?
Chelsea Frei: I’m working on digital series right now with my creative partner that we wrote and created about a young married couple — I guess I do have a thing for young married women? — who, after failing as actors in New York City, go a little crazy and start an experimental theater upstate New York. The role I play is really wacky and different from Sideswiped, and the show is mainly improv. I’m also in post-production for a short film I wrote and star in, about an insane true story that happened in Boston, Massachusetts, where I’m from!
Carly Craig: I’ve been on American Housewife for 2 seasons and season 3 is coming up. I’ll be back again to guest star for season 3!
When not busy with your career, what do you like to do in your off-time?
Chelsea Frei: I recently moved from New York City to Los Angeles to film Sideswiped, and I’m having so much fun exploring Southern California! Having a car has been kind of life-changing, and I’ve been trying to take a bunch of weekend trips to towns just outside of L.A. — I LOVE Ojai. I love hiking so I’m always trying to find new trails.
Carly Craig: I love to swim, go to the movies, hang out with my boyfriend and friends. I’m obsessed with coffee! And I would love to start reading more as well once I get some more off-time!
What was the last concert you attended for fun?
Carly Craig: Wow! I haven’t been to a concert in so long… The last one I went to was probably was a jazz festival at the Hollywood Bowl. I love to hang out there. it’s such a great venue.
Chelsea Frei: Tomorrow I’m going to the Take A Stand Festival presented by LA Phil, which is a symphony orchestra made up of diverse students from El Sistema-inspired programs across the country. I love programs that intertwine social change and art, and I’m super-excited about this concert.
Finally, any last words for the kids?
Carly Craig: Tune in to Sideswiped on July 25 on YouTube Premium, and subscribe to YouTube Premium and get one month free!
Chelsea Frei: Make sure to get your free month trial to YouTube Premium and binge all eight episodes of Sideswiped on July 25th! I’m so excited for everyone to see it!
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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