Meet Julie Marchiano

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Marchiano.

Julie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ll work backward: I moved to Los Angeles for almost a year and a half ago from Chicago, where I lived for seven years. I was an actor at The Second City for six years, and before that, I was an Equity actor living in New York. Before THAT, I was a Theatre major at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. And before that, I was ten years old, deciding that I wanted to be an actor when I grew up.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Ha! Nope. I don’t know that anyone who has chosen this career path has had a totally smooth ride, but for me, almost every challenge has led to a great opportunity. When I was in college, for example, I didn’t get into my school’s acting program (I auditioned twice). But, had that not happened, I probably wouldn’t have started taking improv classes and doing live comedy. Getting rejected from my university’s BFA Theatre program led me to…well, getting paid to do live performance anyway.

Being at The Second City and in the Chicago comedy scene was a challenge because everyone around me was truly so talented. It’s hard not to compare yourself to others, especially when you’re in the same company as someone who, say, books the commercial you were both auditioning for or whatever. It’s a good problem to have, I think—being surrounded by so many geniuses who may be hitting their stride before you. We have an opportunity to keep creating together and lifting each other up. What I’m saying is, to my famous friends, I’m available for any projects you’re working on.

Finally, starting over in a new city, even though I have the Second City connection (to the Hollywood branch) and many friends out here, is a huge challenge, especially after establishing myself in another major city for so long. It can be frustrating, and it sometimes feel like all of the work I did in the Midwest kiiiiiiind of means nothing, but a part of me finds this challenge enjoyable. It’s like a math problem if math were fun.

Tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as and what sets you apart from others.
I’m an actor, writer, and improviser (comedian) who spent six years writing and performing with and for a pretty famous and important comedy theater. I’ve studied improv…truly everywhere. I’m also a trained theatre actor. I don’t know how much that sets me apart from other people with similar credentials, but I do know that I work really hard and love comedy and am very proud of my work, at Second City and beyond. So, you know, still not too different from most other people like me. I’ve also spent a ton of time teaching, and even more, time teaching and performing for kids! I love working with children and doing shows for them—they have the best BS detector of anyone, so you have to believe in what you’re selling and commit hard.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Oh boy, I am so excited for the future! I moved here to take the next step(s) in my career and while nothing very exciting has happened quite yet, I like the possibilities. I’m sort of reintroducing myself to the business side of “the business,” and like I said, I like the problem-solving aspect to it. I’ve started performing around town and getting into a groove with that—it’s been a blast making new friends and figuring out what these audiences enjoy. On a personal level, my boyfriend and I are working towards getting a dog, and I spend a large chunk of my time Googling “puppy,” so I am super excited for that.