Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Sheridan.
Hi Shannon, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Cincinnati Ohio doing plays and musicals in school. I always loved acting and comedy and felt that I couldn’t see myself doing anything else for the rest of my life. I got accepted to USC’s School of Dramatic Arts in 2013 and moved to Los Angeles. It was a tough transition coming out here not knowing anyone, but I am so grateful that I made the jump. USC gave me some of my best friends and collaborators, and I don’t think I would’ve fallen in love with this city the way I have if it wasn’t for going to school here. After school, I started to focus more on comedy, doing sketch with some of my fellow USC alums. I eventually started doing standup and have been doing musical comedy for the past few years around LA. Acting is a tough career, but I’m in it for the long haul. The past few years I’ve finally started to feel a shift in my career here and it’s been really exciting.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think the biggest struggle for me is patience. When you’re first starting out, you want everything to happen immediately. But as I’ve gotten older and been at it longer, I think you really have to be patient and know that what’s meant for you will come. I’m honestly grateful that I didn’t find success earlier in my twenties because I didn’t really know myself then. I came out as gay when I was 23, and only in the last two years or so have I felt like I’ve really known who I am as a person and as an actor and an artist. Being in this city for 10 years, I’ve had to learn to really not take any rejection personally and be comfortable with things moving at a really slow pace.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an actor and comedian and I specialize in musical comedy. I write funny songs about situations in my own life that I feel like are universal and I do some stand up in between. It’s been really exciting to do the past few years and I’ve performed at venues all over LA like Nico’s, UCB, The Elysian and more. I’ve also acted in some cool things, including my friend Neal Mulani’s short film “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know.” Most recently I’ve been doing a lot of commercial work, including the new campaign “Meet the Makers” for Papa Johns. I also have a sketch comedy group called Third Base, and we do digital sketches and have our first live show at The Lyric Hyperion on April 23rd. I think I’m most proud of my standup and the work I’ve made with Third Base. I get to make funny stuff with two of my best friends and it brings me a lot of joy. As an actor, I’m passionate about playing queer roles, and I hope to do more of that in the future.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I’ve learned to not compare myself to others. I think it’s easy to see other people’s successes as your failures, but really it’s only a positive when one of your peers succeeds. We’re all in this boat together, and I think I’ve learned to really just support my fellow artists on their journey and know that they would do the same for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tiktok.com/@shansheridan1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shansheridan1/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@third.base
Image Credits
Tandem Photo
Zack Arch
Greg Feiner
