Meet Chelsea Pope

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Pope.

Chelsea, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in Rancho Cucamonga and used to rent VHS tapes every week from the Super Duper Video store… I think they might still be open. I haven’t passed by recently. I’ve always been sort of a theater and movie geek. I did a lot of community theater and even applied to a few theater schools but ended up pivoting instead towards a liberal arts degree because it seemed like the more sensible choice at the time. I was getting my BA in English at UCLA when I started taking classes at The Groundlings in Fall of 2011. I’d still commute to my hometown on the weekends to work my waitressing job out there because I was too scared to leave it! I know now there are many, many serving jobs in LA, and I’ve worked most of them… I interned for a time at ICM as well as Groundlings while finishing school, eventually afterwards learning more in-depth about sketch and standup in addition to improv. I’ve since worked my way through the program at Groundlings and recently joined the Sunday Company, although not without the help of training and generous stage time at theaters such as The Pack and UCB, performing on indie sketch and improv teams, workshopping characters. Just trying to throw that spaghetti. Still am!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My mom and I were very close and she did pass away while I was finishing college, and that’s since had a pretty profound effect on how I view the world and my place in it. Her passing left me in a dark place for a time but it was also an opportunity for me to learn how to grow and come into my own as an adult and a comedian. I’ve also dealt with pretty moderate to severe depression and social anxiety for about as long as I can remember, it’s definitely affected relationships and opportunities as I’ve learned how to manage it through trial and error. But I’d rather acknowledge and embrace that side of myself rather than attempt to stifle it though, that’s just never ever worked out, for me at least.

I think what’s attracted me the most to comedy, both as a writer and performer, is that it can be so healing in the wake of tragedy and a great means of processing “big feelings,” which I have a lot of, just all the dang time. I also still juggle multiple serving jobs while I write and audition, and I do wish things were less tumultuous from week to week, but you know what? I don’t hate it. I feel incredibly lucky at the end of the day to be where I am and to do what I do… Most of what I do. You get it!

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I think success is more like that term “flow,” which I’m still figuring out. I would also like a million dollars, yes, like a few million, maybe more, but really I’d just like to feel fulfilled and purposeful in the life I’m leading as a writer and performer, to feel connected and enrich my relationships with others… But yeah, maybe a network deal, a champagne fountain, a pool of loose gold coins like the one from Duck Tales with a diving board… A car.

Contact Info:

• Website: chelseathepope.com
• Email: chelseathepope@gmail.com
• Instagram: @chelseathepope
• Facebook: facebook.com/chelseamarthapope
• Twitter: @chelseathepope

Image Credit:
Daryl Jim, Jasper Sams, Cameron Rice, Julia Boyd

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