Rising Star Actor Charlie Farrell On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry
You are young. Start now. There is no time like now to get serious. No one is going to discover you at a mall. Get in classes. There is a craft to learn. You’re not that handsome. You can’t go into a room, be charming and expect to book. You have to work. Develop a process. Do something. It’s awkward joining a new class. Just do it. I am 44 and feel like I am hitting the stride I should have hit at 34. No matter what age you reach, you will always wish you had more credits at that time.
As a part of our series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Charlie Farrell.
A Chicago native and an alumnus of The Second City Conservatory, Charlie Farrell cut his teeth in theater before transitioning to the screen. Among his many stage credits are starring roles in the national hit shows Point Break Live and Top Gun Live. His work in television began with an appearance on Comedy Central’s, Atom TV, followed by a series of taped segments on Jay Leno’s The Tonight Show and on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
When he’s not parodying hit movies on stage, or making us laugh on late night, Charlie stays busy on shows like Chicago Med, The Terminal List, American Crime Story, and the flagship of Paramount+ The Offer. Other TV credits include roles on American Horror Story, on the Pop Original, Swedish Dicks, and on Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger, as well as a recurring role on the 7-part limited series, Barbee Rehab on Tubi.
Charlie is the star and creator of the hit comedy web series, Windy City Dash Cam — a hilarious love letter to his hometown, which is currently in its third season. He is also a spokesman for Moet & Chandon and can be seen annually on the red carpet at The Golden Globes. His feature film credits include Illicit, Miss Ohio, Roger Corman’s Death Race 2050. Charlie also stars in the psychological thriller Screwdriver, premiering at Dances With Films 2022 in Hollywood.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I am the third son of four boys who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. My upbringing was safe, happy and healthy. My parents were strict but supportive and they sacrificed everything for our education. I played sports all through high school and started to explore acting through theater classes in college. After graduating, I took classes at The Second City Conservatory and joined two theater companies in Chicago — doing multiple plays. When I was a kid, my mom participated in a local fundraiser in which parents put on musicals and charged admission to benefit the school. That was my first introduction to performing. I was six years old.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I worked in television at The Oprah Winfrey Show in Chicago for four years, thinking it was going to satisfy my urge to be on television. When Ms. Winfrey announced the eventual end to her show, I used my career in television production to bring me to LA with a good job, money, security, etc. — knowing that I really wanted to be an actor eventually. After a few years of working in production in LA, I felt comfortable enough in my new city and surroundings to make the transition. Although I did like the security of being behind the camera, I felt it was time to move in front of the camera. I finally said goodbye to production, took the leap and told my friends and family that I was now officially an actor. I was 27.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The great thing about acting is that every job has at least one amazing intangible that you could never anticipate. A booking could have you working with stars you’ve admired for years, working with friends, working on your favorite show, etc. One such intangible for me was a job that sent me to Africa for 15 days. I got to go on safari and see a land that I would likely never have seen without this booking. A funny side note was that the role required me to drive stick shift. In every interview they made us state on camera that we were comfortable driving on the “wrong” side of the road but never asked if we knew manual transmission. They presumed every adult knew how to drive manual. They flew me from LA to Africa and I didn’t know how to drive the hero car! But I learn quickly. A crew member volunteered to take me around the city teaching me the basics of stick shift until I was comfortable doing all the driving for the project. Crisis averted.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Before I even had an agent, a friend got me my very first audition and it was for a hit TV show. I was so green. The casting director asked for my “pic and res” and I told her that I didn’t have one of those yet because I was just starting out. She appreciated my candor and asked if I had any photo of myself that she could keep. I told her that the only photo I had was the headshot attached to my resume and that she could keep that if she liked. She looked at me and said, “well…yeah. That’s a ‘pic and res’”. I was mortified. I realized then that there was much to learn about the industry and acting as a career/business. It wasn’t something to do half-heartedly and hope for the best. I quickly studied up on everything I could — including lingo.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
An independent film that I made recently called In Her Name was an official selection for The Tribeca Film Festival. I am very proud of that. I have also created a web comedy about two Chicago police officers that does well with Chicago viewers. It is in its third season and we have made 30 episodes. That keeps my creative outlet open. I am also putting it out into the universe that I would die to play Hank Greenberg in Peacock’s Field of Dreams TV show.
We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
While it is always our job to entertain, storytelling influences culture, so those of us in the entertainment industry have a responsibility to make sure that the stories we are telling authentically represent the audiences for whom we create. We can only do that if we invite different perspectives and experiences into the process.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
1. You are young. Start now. There is no time like now to get serious. No one is going to discover you at a mall. Get in classes. There is a craft to learn. You’re not that handsome. You can’t go into a room, be charming and expect to book. You have to work. Develop a process. Do something. It’s awkward joining a new class. Just do it. I am 44 and feel like I am hitting the stride I should have hit at 34. No matter what age you reach, you will always wish you had more credits at that time.
2. Be prepared. Early on in my career, I met a showrunner socially and he told me to send him my materials. I did. But I took my sweet time getting them together and the moment passed. I wasted time in my 20s thinking a showrunner would ask me for my reel every week. It never happened again. When someone asks you for your stuff, be prepared ahead of time and get them what they ask for.
3. No one will come to your play. As rewarding as it is, doing theater or improv will rarely get you paid work. I did a play for 11 straight years. It was successful, I got a stipend and all my friends and family enjoyed it. But I was hiding there. I thought that I didn’t have to look for agents and/or work because, one day, it would find me doing theater. It never did. Once you make it big, THEN go back and do theater between roles. That’s my goal.
4. Try to volunteer as a reader in a casting office. That is where I learned the most about auditioning and booking the job (or more importantly, why we don’t book the job). It truly is a process of selection, not rejection. Many actors are truly great in the room but only one can be selected.
5. Stick your neck out. There is no American Idol for acting. It would be nice to arrive in LA and get in front of the Simon, Randy and Paula of acting, and have them tell you if you can act or if you should move back home and do something else for a living before too much time passes. But we don’t. So, jump in both feet and find out. Avoiding agents/classes/auditions means you’re scared. Huge waste of time. Get in there.
Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Move on with your personal life while you pursue your career. Find love, hobbies, passions, etc. Get married, start a family. Fill your life outside of acting. Sure, have a fun fling with the cutie in your acting class, but then get serious about who will support you and love you for who you are. That person may just turn out to be a civilian. Everyone experiences dry spells in their acting career, but those dry spells allow you to focus on the rest of your life while you wait for more work. Be well-rounded and your career will reflect that.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
A person of enormous influence? Is my mom asking these questions?
I once worked as a guest star on Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger and witnessed Cooper Barnes (Captain Man) interact with Make-A-Wish children whose dream it was to see the world of Henry Danger and meet Cooper and Jace Norman. Get. Me. A. Job. Like. That. What a dream it would be to make “wishes” come true through a popular children's show in which I appear. That would be the ideal work scenario where I feel I could do the most amount of good.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
A friend of mine from my improv circles at The Second City heard that I had booked something and he wrote to me saying, “We are all proud of you. I am glad you are still doing this and stuck with it.” He had moved away from acting and into a “real job” in his 30s. But I reminded him that my success is made entirely possible by my hard-working wife. I am so proud of the way she handles herself ethically in her career. She supports me and our family — allowing me to do low-paying and no-pay jobs that might turn into other opportunities that I might otherwise have to turn down in order to wait tables. I am completely aware that there is no acting without her support and that anyone (like my friend) could be in my position if they didn’t have to worry about housing or where their next meal would come from. My wife wants me to pursue this. She believes in my abilities and never asks for anything in return for her support.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I did The Diary of Anne Frank with Keith Coogan — whom I’ve admired since the ’80s. He told me that his grandpa, Jackie Coogan (of Coogan’s Law fame), told him, “a good actor is good 100% of the time”. It sounded simple at the time, but in my youth, I was not at my best in every opportunity. But, since I have applied that to my work, I put in max effort — no matter if it is a buddy’s pet project or a major studio production. Be good always. No excuses about things that went wrong and threw you off. Anticipate those curveballs. Visualize. Always bring your A-game and they will have you back. If you work long enough, you WILL have a job that you think is beneath you or less important than some fancy studio production. Give them your all. Be good 100% of the time or don’t do that job.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)
Personally, my dad. He could have been a real show business personality if things were different. And so, he would have loved to sit down and hear about my career. He would have been so proud and intrigued. You’re welcome to tag him, but he probably won’t see this. He died long before social media became a thing!
Professionally, I would like to use my time wisely and pick the brain of Michael Schur. Everything he touches is gold. His writing and character development take such care of his actors and sets those actors up to succeed. His body of work is incredible. I can’t tell you how many times I have cried during The Office. Weepy crying, not crying from laughter — although there’s that too. Michael Schur. Final answer.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
@WindyCityDshCam Twitter
WindyCityDashCam.com
@FarrellCharlie Twitter
@charliefarrell54 Insta
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
