Today we’d like to introduce you to Chase O’Donnell.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chase. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Sounds good! I feel like I’m still in the beginning chapters of my story. I grew up dancing and spent a lot of my childhood performing. This informed my decision to attend a performing arts high school, and later, graduate from college with a BFA in theater.
My parents are both creatives and have only ever had a career in the arts. Consequently, I never even considered pursuing a ‘normal’ job. To be quite honest, I didn’t know that was an option. (That probably would have been a simpler path to take with way less uncertainty. My bad.)
After graduating from college, I found myself performing Off-Broadway, singing in a pop group with NSYNC’s, JC Chasez, and acting in some cool projects. But what I kept coming back to was comedy. This is by far what makes me the happiest, and what has been my sole focus for some time now.
Now, I’m performing at UCB, writing for National Lampoon’s, Final Edition Podcast, and doing stand up. Opportunities are presenting themselves, and I’m excited for the next chapter.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Between any success of mine, there’s been a whole lot of doubt and rejection. I really had to decide if I was going to give up or grow from the rejection. I’ve decided to go with the latter.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I write and perform comedy. Whether it’s stand up or sketch, I enjoy making people laugh.
I spent three years living in New York where I co-created and starred in an off-broadway comedy show called Too Blondes with Savannah Brown. We were compared to the Smothers Brothers in the New York Times and won the Broadway World Award for ‘Best Duo.’ It was exciting, and I’m so proud of that accomplishment.
Everyone on this earth has a different perspective. I’m here to offer mine. And for some reason, I don’t take life too seriously. As dramatic as life can be at times (and as dramatic as I can be at times), I tend to laugh through it all. I find that this is what sets me apart from others. I love my outlook on life, and I’m happy to share it.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would take all the pressure I had on myself to ‘make it’ out of the equation. I’ve learned that success isn’t the end goal. Being happy is.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chase_odonnell/
Image Credit:
@Ble.y – https://www.instagram.com/ble.y/, Bob Degus
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