Conversations with Darrin Chase

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darrin Chase.

Darrin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in a small Minnesota town, raised by a single mom after my dad was killed in a car accident when I was 15 months old. I had many jobs before finally deciding to be a stand up comedian. Jobs ranging from backstage security guard for the NBA to managing a GNC and even selling cars. When I was 17 I became a professional wrestler and carried on with that on a fairly regular basis until 23 years old but still wrestling here and there for 5-10 years after on a very limited schedule.
I started stand up comedy in Seattle after being too broke to pay to watch and open mic. A friend who had been signing up told me if I signed up I didn’t have to pay to get in, but signing up didn’t guarantee a spot. If you weren’t selected that night, however, you were promised a spot the following week and thats what happened to me. The next week I went up towards the end of a 40 comic line up and had to follow a comedian who had been a runner up on Last Comic Standing and had multiple TV credits.
It didn’t go well but I was hooked, later moving to LA, I lived in my car sleeping in the front seat of a Chevy Cruze for over 2 years while also working as an extra in movies and television shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Transformers: Bumble Bee and Timeless, to name a few. I was lucky enough to be welcomed into the Comedy Store family, getting to perform on all 4 active stages and competing in the Roast Battle while there.
After the world shut down in 2020 I went on a Nationwide tour for a year, living out of hotels, performing at wineries and breweries and then later moved to Las Vegas and then New York City where I performed regularly at Broadway Comedy Club in Times Square.
In NYC I met my girlfriend, she moved to Boulder to go to college and I followed.
And that’s how I got where I am today.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
not at all but at sometimes it was smoother than expected. I lived in a house with 17 other people in Hollywood, and then another house that was majorly infested with bed bugs, causing me to throw away most of my clothes. That was after I lived in my car for 2 years, I didnt have any issues living in my car until Vegas.
In Las Vegas I was living in my car, staying at hotels but then my timing belt snapped and no mechanics wanted to work on it because I had a PT cruiser and those are very difficult due to space thanks to the shape of the nose.
I was doing odd jobs trying to survive but having to walk a half mile just to use the bathroom. I made a mini series during this time called Chasing the Dream to show people what I was going through and to keep myself sane(all of it can be found on my IG account)
When I moved to NYC, I immediately had a problem with my downstairs neighbors when my A/C unit fell out of my window and broke theirs.
Also in 2019 I was diagnosed with a severe case of diverticulitis and had to spend 19 full days in the hospital with about 3 total months bed ridden after having 7 inches of my colon removed. This happened in my hometown in MN, to get money to go back to LA, I became an evening janitor at the very high school I graduated from.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I do stand up comedy. I’m most proud of making all varieties and backgrounds of people laugh across the country and even at hostels to international audiences. It’s nice to see that we all think the same way about a lot of the same topics. Humor brings people together.
What sets me apart are my experiences. I’ve been a stand in for Gerard Butler, I’ve done door to door work in North Carolina, I’ve made fun of Prince(yes that one) to his face. I have an unlimited amount of experiences to reach for when it comes to relating to an audience.

What’s next?
First and fore most I want to tour again. I love going to small towns that no ones ever heard of and bringing people together.
After that I would like to start branching out and maybe managing other comics on the road or even opening my own comedy club.
I also have a clothing brand I’m trying to build called Worry Free Comedy Co. you can find some of my merch at worryfreecomedyco.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://darrinchase26.wixsite.com/darrinchase
• Instagram: @darrinchase
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/darrin.chase26/
• Twitter: @darrinchase
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@darrinchase
• Other: https://linktr.ee/darrinchase

   

   

Image Credits
Troy Conrad, LJN Photography, Matt Misisco, Quick Style Photography, Seth Ogden