Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Churchill.
Hi Ryan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am an actor and a comedian. I do too many things according to my mom. In some form or another, it’s my daily goal to do scene work. Besides being a full-time actor in TV, Commercials, and Film, I run a standup comedy venue, Freeway Funk Yard, once a month in Del Rey/Playa Vista. It’s an outdoor comedy show that started during the pandemic and has kept rolling right on out of our little Pandemy’. The power of it is I am doing standup at every show, which allows me to hone my craft as well as see and learn from the best comics living in Los Angeles. Every show is a huge amount of knowledge simply by watching my fellow comics, good and bad. I also run a fairly successful YouTube channel, The Churchie Shed, which incorporates my comedy alongside all the DIY projects I like to work on. It ranges from fabricating off-road trucks to building fences to test-driving cars. It’s truly enjoyable and fulfilling. If I can make even ONE person laugh, I’m satisfied. Yet I keep working to make more and more people entertained. With the goal at hand of wanting to do scene work every day, I write, produce and edit our own comedy. This ranges from YouTube shorts to sketches, TV series and indie films. I’ve been doing that since 1998 and I still have an immense passion for it. I think many actors and comedians out there simply want to be famous and garner all that comes with that aspect of the business, but don’t actually enjoy the work. The scene work. I do. I love it. I love the uncomfortableness with it as it first starts all the way to a finished piece of art. Whether that be a DIY video, a standup set, a sketch, a commercial, a tv show… you get the point. It’s all about taking fictional situations or written words from a page and turning them into believable human behavior.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
With any job that’s difficult to succeed in, there are several challenges. First challenge is there are far more actors and comedians than there are paid open jobs. No matter what job it may be I’m one of thousands that are up for the role. That’s one main reason I, along with my friends and peers, write and shoot our own stuff to sell or stream. Money or lack thereof is a huge obstacle. My wife and I have worked very hard to invest in real estate to help fill the enormous financial gaps that come from time to time with my profession.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I probably do a few too many things, but it’s simply because I like to do a lot of stuff. I’m not one to sit still. As a profession, I’m an actor, comedian and a writer. In my eyes, those are all three pretty much intertwined into the same thing. A Writormedian’, if you will. My day-to-day consists mostly of auditioning. During the Pandemic, many auditions went to “self-tape” which has lead to many more opportunities. I audition for a ton of commercials, plus a pretty good amount of TV and Film. I’m very fortunate in that I’ve worked hard on my craft (because I truly love it) and my team is great at working to get me auditions. That combination of both of us working hard has been able to sustain a full-time living since 2007 as an actor. That’s not to say there aren’t lean years. That’s simply the nature of the job. A brief history; As a comedian, I’m in the middle of a rebirth if you will. When I first started out in Chicago in the early 2000s, I was doing standup quite a bit in that local circuit. I was also on an improv stage most nights of the week at Second City, Improv Olympic or The Free Associates.
Then once in LA, I was on the mainstage at ACME comedy theater for many years. Then I took a break from performing live. Mostly to work on writing. I wrote and produced a movie with my writing partner, Nick Greco, called, The 60 Yard Line. (www.The60YardLine.com) It’s a Coen-Brother’s-style comedy that’s still doing quite well in the world of streaming. Redbox just picked it up and is also available on most other streamers. I also wrote, produced and directed another film, Punching and Stealing (www.punchingandstealingmovie.com/) that was a long process on basically no budget, but is also now available on most streaming platforms with Gravitas Ventures. I now have several other films and series at various stages of development. I’m currently actively shopping a series called, We Make Great Pets, about an Afghan War Veteran suffering from PTSD and homelessness that agrees to take part in a neuroscience experiment where his brain gets fused with neurons from a dog, thus making him part man part dog. We shot a short film/proof of concept that is doing really well on the festival circuit and winning a bunch of awards. We hope to sell it to series within the next year.
Further, I run a standup comedy venue with a fellow comedian, Nick Hoff, in Playa Vista; Freeway Funk Yard. It’s an outdoor show that we started during Covid lockdown as all the comedy clubs were closed. I think we’re the only outdoor show in Los Angeles still going strong. We have shows the first Thursday of every month. (www.FreewayFunkYard.com)
Lastly, but definitely not least, I’m a dad to a four and a half year old boy. He’s my world. Everything I do is to make sure he sees that I work hard and one day he’ll understand that it’s all for him. It didn’t use to be, but now that he’s in my life with my wife, Rachael, they are who I work so hard for.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Scattered! I think there will be several smaller “Hollywoods” all around the country and in Canada. It’s already started. Vancouver, Atlanta and New Mexico are already living and working in entertainment studio areas. It will get more so. Even more, microscopically will be any kid that has a camera and editing software can make a movie or tv series in a couple of months. They ARE competing with the big boys now in film. Eyeballs (audiences) are scattered in where they get their content from. Who doesn’t go down YouTube rabbit holes for hours and hours?! Those are eyeballs NOT watching a Marvel film, thus competing with it.
Pricing:
- 3.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.RyanChurchill.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchiecomedy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurcHieOfficial
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-churchill-7698a62/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/rCHURCHiE
- Youtube: @TheChurchieShed
Image Credits
Shot with TV: Chris Mortenson
