Ellie Kemper Shares Some of Her Favorite Headlines She Authored for 'The Onion'

Kevin Polowy
·Senior Correspondent, Yahoo Entertainment

The Onion’s biting brand of satire has been cracking up readers since 1988, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that “America’s Finest News Source” helped launch the career of one of our funniest young comedians. Ellie Kemper served as a contributing writer for the faux newspaper years before landing her breakout role on TV’s The Office. ”I got in because I kept sending my headlines to this editor named Joe Garden, and he kept saying ‘All right, thanks but no thanks,’” Kemper told Yahoo Movies while doing press for her latest comedy, Sex Tape. “But I kept sending them to him for two years, so finally he was like, ‘Just stop. Fine! You can do it.’”

It was 2006, and Kemper was already having some success in comedy as part of the Upright Citizens Brigade and People’s Improv Theatre. The Onion gig tasked her with contributing headlines (though not the articles themselves) on a weekly basis.

Among Kemper’s favorites (only recently available in digital form):

Grapes ‘Big Hit’ At Area Picnic

(“That was the first one I got in, so I remember that,” she said.)

Dog in Purse Stares Longingly at Dog in Yard

Nation Sickened By Sight Of Happy Young Couple

The actress, who plays a friend in need to a couple (Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz) when they accidentally unleash their naughty home video in Sex Tape, is clearly still a fan of The Onion, and looks back fondly on her time contributing. “It was thrilling,” she said.