Chris Marroy / Film. TV. Stage Actor. Designer. Impressionist

Actor Chris Marroy shares his journey from New Orleans theater to Hollywood, discussing the realities of building an acting career, the importance of authentic connections, and balancing creative passions. Through personal stories and live impressions, Chris demonstrates how taking calculated risks and staying true to your craft can lead to meaningful success in the entertainment industry.

5 Key Takeaways:

• Start where you are—build a foundation in your local market before making big moves.
• Surround yourself with community to help you through the ups and downs.
• Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there; sometimes it’s a small thing that makes the biggest difference.
• Stay genuine and treat every opportunity as a chance to learn.
• Remember why you love the craft—passion is what keeps you going.

BIO:
Chris Marroy is a SAG-AFTRA actor based in Los Angeles who brings over two decades of experience in film, television, stage, and theme parks. Originally from New Orleans, he has worked alongside industry giants like Will Ferrell and Seth MacFarlane. Known for his versatile performances ranging from authority figures to comedic roles, Chris has earned recognition for his "elastic face" and impressive range of impressions. Beyond acting, he maintains a successful career as a freelance artist and graphic designer.

Link: ChrisMarroy.com

Paul Povolni, the founder of Voppa Creative, has been a creative leader for over 30 years, with clients around the world. He’s led teams in creating award-winning branding and design as well as equipping his clients to lead with Clarity, Creativity and Culture.

Headsmack Website

Transcript

Paul Povolni (02:57.585)
Hey, you're listening to the heads Mac podcast. Great to have you along today. I'm excited about my guest.

Paul Povolni (03:26.885)
Chris Maroy, he is right now in LA, right? In Hollywood, California. And Chris, it's good to have you on, man.

Chris Marroy (03:38.075)
Good to be here. I am actually a block off of Hollywood Boulevard. So I am Hollywood proud.

Paul Povolni (03:41.941)
Nice. So you get all the nice smells and sounds of Hollywood.

Chris Marroy (03:45.758)
Oh yeah, we're smack dab in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard and the rich neighborhood. So, you know, either way you go, it's really good, yeah.

Paul Povolni (03:54.498)
Nice. Well, Chris, I actually met about seven years ago, about seven, seven years ago or so, and we're actually working on a commercial and we're working with a, uh, NFL, um, you know, quarterback famous person, hall of famer, uh, had a commercial that we're doing and so we needed somebody that could play against a huge celebrity like that.

Chris Marroy (04:00.253)
Yeah, it was.

Paul Povolni (04:19.041)
And so we had sent out Word, the agency that I was at the time, and looking for somebody to play an insurance agent. And so we got lots of reels back, a lot of footage back, and Chris submitted one of those and quickly stood out from everybody else. You know, his delivery and expressions and everything was everything that we wanted it to be because it was a little on the lighter side of things.

And Chris brought a level of comedy and just expressions and everything to it that made it an easy decision. And so it was great meeting you then and working with you, Chris. And you've had quite an adventure to where you're at in the smelly verse of Hollywood. But that journey was a little bit of a longer journey to get there. It wasn't.

You woke up one day and there you were. So tell us a little bit about yourself, kind of as early on as you wanna start and how that journey has been for you.

Chris Marroy (05:22.062)
Yeah, thank you so much. And I really appreciate those kind words. That commercial was a real thrill, because like you said, you're playing against this big superstar NFL quarterback, and then you find me the exact opposite of a superstar NFL quarterback. I was like a duck on the pond, man. I was just trying to keep up. I had so much fun. But yeah, I'm originally from the New Orleans area, and I grew up...

Paul Povolni (05:36.6)
Hahaha

Chris Marroy (05:49.682)
you know, a hyper kid who loved Jim Carrey. And so my parents decided, we need to focus this energy somewhere. So let's put them in theater. And that's where it all started. And I did theater all through elementary, junior high, high school. I studied theater in college in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where I met you. And then from there, I sort of stayed in the New Orleans area. And I knew at that point that I had to take a risk on being an actor because it had been where my life was leading me to.

And so I figured it was better to start in a smaller market, um, build up a little bit of a career, sort of feel what the industry is, is like, and it was, it was really beneficial for me. You know, I got to put some credits on my resume and, you know, earn, earn my chops, so to speak. And then, um, yeah, you know, the plan was never really to move out to Hollywood or New York or anything. I was content in being in New Orleans for a long, long time. It's a great community. I did.

Paul Povolni (06:37.323)
Right, right.

Chris Marroy (06:49.546)
I had the opportunity to do lots of theater down there, which I really loved. And then one day, my best friend, who I sort of grew up with, said, Hey, I'm moving out to LA to be a film composer. I was like, great, you have fun. I'll miss you. And I was thinking about it a couple of weeks later and I actually did have a head smack moment.

Paul Povolni (07:07.523)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (07:15.842)
where I was driving across Lake Pontchartrain and the sun was setting and it was beautiful. And, you know, I thought to myself, okay, I'm not married. I don't have kids. I don't have a dog. I have nothing tethering me to this moment right now other than my free will. And so I was like, you know, let's take a chance. And so I called him up and said, hey, I'm coming too. And so we did.

Paul Povolni (07:16.199)
Mm-hmm.

Paul Povolni (07:28.87)
Yeah, yeah.

Paul Povolni (07:42.037)
Hahaha.

Chris Marroy (07:42.622)
And that was seven years ago, and we moved out here without very much at all. Uh, we, we gave ourselves a week at an Airbnb to find a place to live and a job. I would not recommend that plan to anyone.

Paul Povolni (07:48.275)
Wow.

Paul Povolni (07:55.345)
Wow, wow. Sounds like the typical story though, is just kind of go out there and just kind of follow a passion.

Chris Marroy (08:01.642)
Yeah, you know, yeah, the, you know, the entertainment industry is sort of always a crapshoot. So you have to have a little bit of that gambler spirit, I'd say. But, you know, since then, I think it's paid off pretty well. The industry has ebbs and flows, but I've gotten the hang of the town and as smelly as it can be sometimes, I really do love it out here. It's nice. And I've gotten the, you know, the opportunity to work some, on some beloved,

Paul Povolni (08:10.727)
Yeah.

Ryan.

Paul Povolni (08:24.897)
Ha ha ha.

Chris Marroy (08:31.85)
shows and meet some heroes of mine, so it was really special.

Paul Povolni (08:36.241)
Yeah. So let's go back a little bit to, um, New Orleans. And so the work that you did there, you said you did a lot of theater there. And I know New Orleans for a while there had, um, a lot of stuff happening when it came to movies, TV and all that. Is that where you first started plugging into that, or did you have opportunities to go out to LA, um, before that?

Chris Marroy (08:57.582)
No, I really did cut my teeth just in New Orleans. About halfway through college, I had a professor, Sean Boyd, who was a really big influence on me, and we've still remained close to this day. Now we're just buddies. But he was the cooler professor who was working in film and TV and teaching at the same time. And he made it attainable.

Paul Povolni (09:20.714)
Hmm

Chris Marroy (09:25.774)
in a way that like didn't intimidate me, which I think when you're younger, you think about the big move to either New York or LA, and it's just this sort of ethereal wish that some people have, but you don't know how to actually do it. So to be able to sort of take it step by step and really slowly and build a foundation in the craft, I think, then made it possible for me to then later on say, okay.

Paul Povolni (09:33.438)
Right.

Paul Povolni (09:48.846)
Mmm. Yeah.

Chris Marroy (09:54.014)
I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go for it. I know this is what I like. I haven't been scared off yet. I'm gonna shoot for it. So I started at the lowest rank on the totem pole and I just started doing extra work. Like my sophomore year of college on a couple of productions that were shooting in New Orleans at the time. If you see the lauded Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds, I'm actually an extra in that.

Paul Povolni (10:02.2)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (10:11.079)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (10:23.65)
Uh, yeah. That was like my first big, big picture. You know, we went to the movies and said, hey, there I am. That's cool.

Paul Povolni (10:23.786)
Oh, how cool, how cool, yeah.

Paul Povolni (10:29.333)
Ha ha ha.

Paul Povolni (10:33.541)
Yeah, yeah. It was kind of funny. One of the times that we went to New Orleans, uh, there was a, uh, TV pilot being filmed there and so we kind of, you know, checked out the set and kind of saw what was going on and it was so funny cause we walked down this alleyway and in the alleyway was a cluster of extras. You just got to, they're, you know, eating snacks, just kind of waiting. They're all in like period dress and stuff. And it's like, they were just kind of waiting for that call. Um, and that just looked miserable. Yeah.

Chris Marroy (10:57.131)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (11:00.51)
Just this side of herding cattle, really. I mean, just... Ha ha ha.

Paul Povolni (11:03.589)
Yeah. So, you know, you started off with theater, you know, after your parents realized they needed to move that energy in some place. So why, like, go into the big screen? Why follow that? Why not just stay with theater? Because, you know, there are a lot of actors that are like, that's selling out, you know, theater is a more noble art, you know? And so, so why, why?

Chris Marroy (11:27.927)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (11:30.557)
What drew you away from theater to try something, to get in front of a camera?

Chris Marroy (11:37.746)
I think really it comes out of just the admiration of everything that I watched. I mean, I grew up addicted to movies. Like I said, I would watch Jim Carrey, Mrs. Doubtfire. I would watch probably every week with Robin Williams and just the ability to reach millions and instead of dozens, which can sometimes be the curse of theater. I've seen some incredible theater productions and they are...

Paul Povolni (11:52.274)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (11:57.193)
Right. Ha ha ha.

Chris Marroy (12:07.946)
you know, instantly palpable and powerful because you're in the room and you're in the moment and it's wonderful. And I really do miss it. Like I haven't had the opportunity to do a play since I left New Orleans seven years ago. And it's really something that I miss that connection. But it is.

Paul Povolni (12:19.84)
Oh well.

Paul Povolni (12:24.581)
Yeah. Because it's instant feedback, right? You know, you're immediately like, if you did something that was supposed to be funny and people actually laugh and you're like, nailed it. Like, I did it. You know, I did well. Uh, you know, and if you, it's supposed to be funny and nobody laughing, you're like, wow, I really missed that. So it's the instant feedback that, that you just don't get when it comes to, uh, cinema, I guess the director or whatever can say, Hey, great take, you know, let's move on. Uh, but it's very different experience.

Chris Marroy (12:35.198)
Yeah. Totally.

Chris Marroy (12:43.041)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (12:50.058)
Yeah, totally. I mean, the best you get is, you know, looking at the playback and video village and you've got, you know, producers around you being like, yeah, was that good? Good, good. Okay, moving on, moving on. You know, moving on is your applause at that point. But yeah, you know, it's, I also really just miss the community, I think, of being in a town and putting on productions with...


Chris Marroy (00:04.014)
Yeah. Yes. So the connection that you have with an audience and getting that immediate response is obviously invaluable as a performer because you start to really pick up on what works and what doesn't. Whereas with film, someone's going to tell you if that doesn't work or doesn't. That's more direct. But it doesn't have the same oomph. And I think the biggest thing.

Paul Povolni (00:26.218)
Right, right, right.

Chris Marroy (00:34.03)
The biggest difference for me in theater, besides the live audiences, is building that community, having the time to build sort of a group of friends that you get to then play with on a repeated basis, especially in a community like New Orleans. It's so close -knit. And there's several different theater companies, but they all sort of interchange and work with each other, which was really special.

Paul Povolni (00:59.594)
Right. And I'm guessing that if you're part of a series or a TV show, you kind of develop a level of camaraderie with your co -stars and with other people on the show that you don't always get with your, you know, just got a one episode piece that you do, you know? And so there is a difference. So for the person that might be listening and they're like, well, you know, I've always wanted to, you know, be an actor. I've always wanted to go out to Hollywood.

Chris Marroy (01:09.742)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (01:25.514)
What are some of those lessons that you've learned along the way? You know, you've been doing this seven years. So obviously, you know, you've kind of gotten past that initial thing where a lot of people give up and go back, back home. Um, so, you know, you're, you're, you're making it, you're doing well, you know, um, you know, you've kind of established yourself there. So what was that journey like for the person that is considering it? What are some, some insights that you've gained from your experience so far?

Chris Marroy (01:36.846)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (01:52.334)
You know, I would give yourself more than a week to find a place to live. That's number one. Have a better plan. Have some money saved up. But then really, you know, it's like setting roots anywhere. I think you have to be open to whatever opportunities come your way, but you also really do have to put yourself out there in order to meet people and connections and things like that. You know, when I got here,

Paul Povolni (01:56.618)
Ha ha ha ha ha.

Chris Marroy (02:20.558)
I had a very loose connection to Second City, the improv comedy school. And so they had a location at the time out here on Hollywood Boulevard. And so I just approached them and I was interested in just being an intern in exchange for doing classes. So, you know, I did that for about a year and I would wake up early and go down to Hollywood Boulevard and open up the gates and say good night to the people who were just going to bed.

Paul Povolni (02:36.508)
Mm.

Paul Povolni (02:44.682)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (02:49.198)
you know, similar crowd as New Orleans, whatever it takes. But, you know, you then get to take classes and to hearken back to the aspect of community that you get from theater, that's sort of where you build your community out here is in the classroom and taking consistent classes that I've found thus far. You know, I haven't been a series regular on anything. I'm...

Paul Povolni (02:49.994)
Whatever it takes. Yeah.

Paul Povolni (03:12.426)
I'm Ryan.

Paul Povolni (03:16.618)
Right, right.

Chris Marroy (03:17.486)
I'm the guy in the suit or in the background who, you know, gives you the line and keeps the story moving. But yeah, you know, like knowing your craft is obviously a huge part of it. So you need to keep studying and keep learning. And film and TV is a very different animal than theater. So just learning how to manipulate that. And then, you know, after a while it becomes like anyplace else. You know, most of your days are.

Paul Povolni (03:23.114)
Right, right.

Paul Povolni (03:36.042)
Right.

Chris Marroy (03:44.462)
admittedly unremarkable. You've got the nine to five or whatever day you have. For me, it was waiting tables in various cafes and restaurants. And, you know, it's a noble profession. I was just not very good at it. I would pray for the slow nights because then I would get to talk to my tables and, you know, take my time. So when the rush came through, my heart started beating and, you know, and then all the while I was

Paul Povolni (03:47.434)
Mmm.

Paul Povolni (03:58.602)
Hahaha!

Yeah. Right.

Chris Marroy (04:12.558)
I was pursuing other passions such as graphic design. And I had heard repeatedly in my life that people say, if you want to be an actor, you can't have a backup plan. It has to be all or nothing. I've never really bought into that. I think as an actor, it's so ethereal what we do. You can't just be an actor all the time. You have to be a person. And hopefully, you can.

Paul Povolni (04:16.362)
Yeah, yeah.

Paul Povolni (04:27.434)
I'm Ryan.

Paul Povolni (04:37.738)
Right, right, right. Yeah.

Chris Marroy (04:42.382)
you get to be an artist of any kind. And I think that one feeds the other. So I have this sort of, you know, self -started graphic artist designer career over the past 12 years that when I got to LA, I suddenly looked back and I was like, oh yeah, I'm a graphic designer. I guess I can do that instead of waiting tables.

Paul Povolni (04:45.45)
Right.

Paul Povolni (05:03.562)
And that's been going well for you? Good.

Chris Marroy (05:05.966)
Yeah, you know, I got very lucky. The funniest story that came out of that was I was waiting tables right before the pandemic hit. And one of my regulars at the restaurant is the artistic director of a theater out here, a performing arts venue. And about two months after the pandemic, you know,

I like a lot of people, I was on unemployment and just like twiddling my thumb saying, okay, what do I do now? Like, what am I gonna do? And I got an email out of the blue because I had given him one of my pens, which I'll show you, which this is audio, so no one will be able to see it. But when I was an actor,

Paul Povolni (05:42.666)
Right, right.

Paul Povolni (05:55.85)
Well, I might actually do a YouTube version of this as well. So that I'll get to see it. Yeah.

Chris Marroy (05:59.15)
There you go. There you go. When I was waiting tables, another server had this idea and I admittedly stole it and admitted it to him. But I got pins with my name and my website printed on them. So that every time I dropped the check, it's Hollywood. You never know. So give the pen and say, hey, keep the pen. You never know. It's a good pen too. It lights really well. Anyway, he kept it.

Paul Povolni (06:08.522)
Ha ha ha.

Paul Povolni (06:12.17)
Nice, nice.

Paul Povolni (06:16.362)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (06:20.33)
Yeah. Yeah. Those are some of my favorites. I actually have a whole bunch of them myself. Yeah. And so it sounds like it's very much, I guess it's, you know, you coming from the South, it's very similar to the South. It's like really who, you know, it's like these random, sometimes conversations, these random connections, these random meetings, um, and just letting people know who you are and what you're about can lead you to.

Chris Marroy (06:25.87)
There you go.

Paul Povolni (06:47.658)
things that surprise you, you know, you just never know who you're talking to. And so it sounds like it's kind of similar in that industry there, which you're totally prepared for, you know, because of the coming from the South is just, just being that person.

Chris Marroy (06:59.95)
Yeah. Yeah. And I think, you know, this is a fun gimmick, but I was never trying to sell myself really as an actor or a designer. It's just, it's something to put myself out there. And I think there is a difference of having that genuine connection and meeting great folks like yourself on set one day and then being able to stay friends over the past seven years. Yeah. I think it's, you know,

Paul Povolni (07:15.722)
Right.

Paul Povolni (07:25.77)
Yeah. Yeah.

Chris Marroy (07:30.446)
Don't sell, just show. And just do your work and do the best you can and be a nice person. And I think good things will come to you.

Paul Povolni (07:33.13)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (07:39.562)
So after moving to Hollywood, how soon after you got there were you like, I think this could work. Like, was there a point that you were like on the verge of heading back to New Orleans or was there a point where before that happened, something gave you hope that said, do you know what? I think I can make this, make a go of this.

Chris Marroy (07:58.67)
Yeah, I mean, I think like a lot of people who move here, I get the sort of, you know, freshmen freak outs of, okay, this is maybe bigger than I wanted to bite off. Um, I was lucky enough that I did have those commercials that we shot because I was able to then, you know, have something really professional to show off to different agencies and things. And, um, I actually bagged a commercial agent.

Paul Povolni (08:15.274)
Right. Yeah.

Chris Marroy (08:27.918)
Um, about five months after moving out here, which was really nice. And that, you know, it, it wasn't a lot of calls right out of the gate, but it was nice to be able to like have something to say, okay, someone's on my side. Uh, and then my agent who I had in Louisiana actually set me up with a manager who was out here at the time. And they started getting me auditions for film and TV, but also helping me to find.

Paul Povolni (08:33.002)
well.

Paul Povolni (08:41.802)
Yeah, yeah.

Chris Marroy (08:57.454)
a theatrical and film agent out here as well. So, you know, it's really nice to just connect and have your people to be able to not do it alone. Once I had that team, I think that was the moment I said, okay, I am here now, I am established, I have roots, as thin as they are, I have my roots, let's go and just keep your head down and see what happens. And, you know, eventually the auditions come.

Paul Povolni (09:00.714)
Mm, yeah.

Paul Povolni (09:19.338)
Right, right, right.

Chris Marroy (09:27.054)
and you book one and then you book another one. And it's like, wow, okay, I'm doing it. I'm not top of show. I'm not number one on the call sheet, but I'm doing the thing that I moved out here to do. Yeah, I mean, and every actor will have those moments of, do I really, do I wanna keep doing this? Because, you know, gray hairs are only multiplying as the years go by. Yeah, yeah, just for that.

Paul Povolni (09:32.842)
Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

Paul Povolni (09:48.266)
Right. That can be taken care of. That can be taken care of.

Chris Marroy (09:56.654)
Um, but, you know, ultimately I think it comes back to the love of the craft and the fact that this is, this is where the movies are made. That's still the dream. You know, I mean, you, you can find work, consistent work in smaller markets, Atlanta, New Orleans, but like the big stuff that you grew up watching and you really want to be a part of, it really helps to be here. So that's why I'm still.

Paul Povolni (09:56.81)
Hahaha!

Paul Povolni (10:05.418)
Mm -hmm.

Paul Povolni (10:09.162)
Yeah, yeah.

Paul Povolni (10:25.226)
Right. Right. So what was, what was the role that you got that you were like, Oh yeah, this, this is the kind of thing that I moved here for. Have you gotten that role yet? Are you still kind of hanging out for that? Or was there one that you said, yeah, this, this is cool. This is why I'm here.

Chris Marroy (10:42.062)
I've had, you know, I admittedly, I've been a lot of day player roles. So, you know, man in uniform, I played a lot of cops, doctors, pilots. You know, the pilot one was very cool because I got to put on the suit and like go to a tarmac and this is my plane, you know, that was for NCIS. I think the geekiest moment I had of just like, oh my God, this is Hollywood was for the Orville.

Paul Povolni (10:47.978)
Mm -hmm.

Ha ha ha.

Paul Povolni (10:56.202)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (10:59.818)
hahahaha

Chris Marroy (11:11.31)
with Seth MacFarlane. And, you know, I got a one -line role in that show, but I was over the moon because I get to go to space. Like, are you kidding me? It turns out space is just like a warehouse lot in Burbank. Going on the script, like, I mean, it looks like you're pulling almost into a junkyard and then you go inside the studio and there's this entire world built.

Paul Povolni (11:13.226)
Oh my goodness.

Paul Povolni (11:20.298)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (11:28.81)
Right, right, right, right.

Paul Povolni (11:34.858)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (11:39.086)
and aliens walking around and I'm like, oh my God, this is everything I want. And there's F, you know, and he's sipping coffee and watching the monitors and executive producing like he does. And I'm just like, hi, I'm a huge fan. Thank you for having me. Yes. A little bit. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, very brief, you know, like you, when, when you start out, you're, you know, your place and you go in and do your job, but like,

Paul Povolni (11:40.874)
Yes.

Paul Povolni (11:50.986)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (11:56.138)
So you actually got to interact with them and have a conversation. Yeah.

Paul Povolni (12:06.762)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (12:09.262)
every set that I've been on, the stars are there and they're welcome to say hi. And it's really special and sort of affirming to be like, wow, I've watched you do your thing for so long and now I get to watch you with my own eyeballs and it's very, yeah. I'm a little kid who really loves to play pretend and that I think...

Paul Povolni (12:17.29)
Right.

Paul Povolni (12:26.474)
See you in action, live and in the flesh, yeah.

Paul Povolni (12:33.546)
Right.

Chris Marroy (12:35.47)
That's what can keep you going in this industry is like, as long as you don't lose that, you'll be okay.

Paul Povolni (12:41.386)
Yeah. Yeah. It's kind of funny how you talked about the set is just kind of a back lot, you know, doesn't look like anything special and you walk in and suddenly you're in outer space. Uh, I was talking to little Ricky from I love Lucy and he was talking about, you know, he had stolen him and him and Ron Howard when he was on the Andy Griffith show, uh, stole some bicycles and rode through the star Trek set. You know, I was like, what? There's so many things.

Chris Marroy (12:51.662)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (13:05.006)
I'm sorry.

Chris Marroy (13:08.59)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (13:10.506)
that happened in that little thing. Ron Howard, Andy Griffith's show, I Love Lucy, Star Trek set. I mean, it was awesome. But yeah, it's very different, the life, the set life and all that from what people imagine. It's not like Disney. It's kind of the back end of Disney that nobody else sees.

Chris Marroy (13:28.654)
total.

Chris Marroy (13:33.038)
Yeah, yeah, I mean, getting I've I've gotten to shoot on a studio lot twice and just walking through those gates like that's a that's a dream come true moment, you know, as small as it is, it's man, that's a big number on that door. I'm on stage for great.

Paul Povolni (13:47.05)
That's a moment, yeah.

Paul Povolni (13:53.066)
Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's awesome when you have those moments. And I was talking to somebody else on another episode and we're just talking about those hyper awareness moments that, you know, we, we sometimes have, and I sometimes, I think we also miss them. I think we sometimes just kind of exist through life instead of living through it. And we don't take those hyper awareness moments to just like really absorb.

everything, the sites, the smells, the tastes, the, the everything of that moment. Um, excuse me, we don't absorb everything of that moment to make it as, as in a heart impression and a mind impression as it could be. And, you know, for you, it seemed like walking onto that set the first time you were like in, you're the in the moment, like this is, this is it. This is what the dreams were about.

Chris Marroy (14:36.686)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (14:49.902)
Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, it's a flashback to getting in the car and driving through all of Texas to finally get to California. Like this is this is what you moved here for. So.

Paul Povolni (14:58.57)
Ha ha.

Paul Povolni (15:02.826)
Yeah. So with, with some of the roles that you've played, and I think you bring it up, Seth is a perfect segue to something. Not only do you do acting and you mentioned that Jim Carrey is a huge influence. And, and I think we got to see some of those expressions and some of that, that, uh, uh, the comedic style that you have about you in that, uh, with the, with the roles that you've played, um, you also, you know, you also do impressions. Um, have you got to use any of that in any roles?

Um, or is that kind of a, a, a voiceover thing that's being say that you do, or where does that play into what you've been doing?

Chris Marroy (15:36.526)
Yeah!

It's been a skipping stone of a talent that kind of grew up naturally that I didn't realize not everybody could do. You watch Jim Carrey make the Jack Nicholson eyebrows and you're like, well, everybody can make eyebrows. No, not everybody can.

Paul Povolni (15:50.058)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (15:56.074)
Yeah. No, no, I can't move. I can't do the one eyebrow thing. Like my wife could totally. Yeah. See, can't do that. Mine does move in sync because I guess I had the Neanderthal brow or whatever it is, you know.

Chris Marroy (16:03.886)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (16:10.062)
The Aussie brow. Yeah, no, you know, it's really fun. And I booked one gig where I had to do like a Matthew Perry sound alike for some commercial spec. And that was really special because he's another one of my favorites who got rest. But yeah, I mean, I've used it more on stage getting to sort of...

Paul Povolni (16:11.562)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (16:28.394)
Yeah, yeah.

Chris Marroy (16:37.454)
put it into some different performances, but I haven't had the opportunity to use it on film yet. So hopefully one day.

Paul Povolni (16:42.986)
Right. So, so, so the roles you've been doing haven't been necessarily character pieces. They've been more like the, the, the person that the lead will react to, or that would give the lead information that is critical for the moving of the plot or whatever. Right. Yeah.

Chris Marroy (16:59.054)
Totally. Yeah, I mean, I'm the pilot, the doctor, the bartender, the nurse, the cop, you know, it's all of those guys who just like, keep it moving, keep it moving. The important part of the industry. Yes. Sometimes, sometimes I'll, I get in trouble usually in the makeup chair because I'll start saying, yes, ma 'am, no, ma 'am. They're like, ma 'am, I'm 40, where are you calling me? I'm like, I'm sorry, I'm from New Orleans. Just.

Paul Povolni (17:03.69)
Ha ha ha.

Paul Povolni (17:09.322)
Have you had to fight your accent? Have you had to fight your accent on that? Yeah.

Paul Povolni (17:23.21)
Man!

Paul Povolni (17:27.466)
Yeah, yeah. So, you know, and that transition of talking about Seth and talking about some of your impressions that you've done, I want to give you a little bit of a challenge. I want to do some micro impressions. And so micro impressions are where you do somebody and it's not in their usual, the usual thing that they do, you know, because people that do impressions, they usually do the standard.

Chris Marroy (17:28.43)
It comes out.

Paul Povolni (17:56.17)
You know, Matthew McCarn, Hey, hey, all right, all right, all right. You know, they, they kind of had their standard script, a part of a script that they do. And it's like, that's good. But can you do that same person doing something that they don't usually do, or maybe you haven't seen them do. And so I've got a couple that I've come up with, uh, that, uh, I'd like for you to do, uh, if you're ready for this. All right. So the first one is, uh, Christopher Walken. And I wanted, I want to see if you could do Christopher Walken.

Chris Marroy (18:16.654)
I was really trying.

Paul Povolni (18:25.354)
are struggling to open a jar of pickles.

Chris Marroy (18:25.358)
Okay.

Chris Marroy (18:28.91)
Alright, you gotta, there's a ramp up to Christopher Walken, so you gotta build it in. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, okay. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,

Chris Marroy (18:56.078)
I loosened it for you. Let me know.

Paul Povolni (19:01.514)
I love it. You know, and from, you know, impressionists, I've always heard that they've got a key phrase or a key sound that they have to first say or get to that puts them in that voice thing. And so I saw that.

Chris Marroy (19:11.566)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (19:18.286)
You have to rewatch it in your mind and be like, oh yeah, that's what they do.

Paul Povolni (19:21.706)
Right, right. Yeah. Where is the voice coming from in my face, right? You know, to do that person. So, all right, next one. That was awesome. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, I've seen, you know, Impressionists also have a, where they transition from one character to another. And it's such a, you know, minor variation, you know, of moving from one to the other. All right. Next one. Patrick Warburton.

Chris Marroy (19:26.446)
Yeah. It's like in the back of your ears.

Chris Marroy (19:45.006)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (19:51.21)
I'm trying to be nice about a bad tasting meal.

Chris Marroy (19:51.502)
Uh, yeah.

Chris Marroy (19:58.83)
Yeah, yeah. Hey, Peter. Thanks so much for having us over. The chicken was delicious. Oh, it was tuna? Oh, it's like the chicken of the sea then. Yeah. No, it's great. Was that cinnamon? Oh, oh, salt. Okay. Well, we should do this again sometime. Thanks a lot.

Paul Povolni (20:24.714)
That's awesome. All right, the final one and this one's totally different. This is Goofy and Goofy. Yeah, yeah, Goofy is having trouble with Siri understanding him.

Chris Marroy (20:35.118)
Go on.

Chris Marroy (20:41.582)
You

Paul Povolni (20:42.57)
Yeah

Chris Marroy (20:45.646)
George? Hey, Zerry! What's the weather like in Tomorrowland? Hey, Zerry! Hey, Zerry! George, darn it! I'll just go outside and see myself!

Paul Povolni (21:03.21)
That's awesome. I've had similar issues with Siri. Siri doesn't always fully understand me. That was fantastic, man. Round of applause, sound effects, maybe throw them in later in post. That was fantastic. So when it comes to doing impressions, you know, do you like, not everybody can do them, like, because you've got to be able to not only hear, you know, the notes of a voice.

Chris Marroy (21:11.054)
Thank you.

Chris Marroy (21:15.022)
different.

Paul Povolni (21:32.97)
but then also be able to control your body to do it. Do you sing? What gives you the ability to do that when other people that say, hey, I've got a really great impression of this person. It's like, they sound nothing like them. In their head, they totally sound like them, but when it comes out, it doesn't. Do you sing? Are you musical? Where does that come from?

Chris Marroy (21:52.654)
I sing a bit. I don't consider myself a professional singer, but I do. I sing a lot, you know, especially in the car. I think for me, it's really just repetition. There's also a certain, there's a certain range that I have. Like I can kind of reach Mickey Mouse, it's up there. Like, oh boy, but it's like really in this falsetto. You know, Patrick Warburton is easier in the morning because he's all down here, you know. Nice and mellow.

Paul Povolni (21:56.746)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (22:11.146)
Hahaha.

Paul Povolni (22:15.786)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (22:21.13)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (22:23.054)
I think it's just a lot of playback, honestly. I was talking about, you know, during the pandemic in that time where I didn't know what I was going to do, I made a couple of impression videos of mismatched sort of quotes like that. And, you know, the final cut made the clip really nice, but there's hours of footage.

Paul Povolni (22:27.242)
Ha ha ha ha.

Paul Povolni (22:50.602)
On the cutting room floor, yeah.

Chris Marroy (22:51.629)
that did not make the cut. That doesn't sound like James Spader, you know. So, you know, I can be a little self -critical when it comes to the impressions, but you know, it's a fun party trick. It's like really, it's an interesting, fun thing to be able to do. I'm lucky, you know. There's a higher echelon of impressionists out there who have made careers out of this for me.

Paul Povolni (22:57.898)
Hahaha!

Paul Povolni (23:12.682)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (23:18.314)
Right, right.

Chris Marroy (23:18.958)
It's like, yeah, I can do that thing too.

Paul Povolni (23:22.634)
Right, right, right. Now, are you wanting more of those kind of roles? Are those the kind of stuff that you like where you do voices with? Like, do you do voices as well? Impressions? Like, what is that range of things that you do that are outside of pilot, doctor, policeman? Like, you know, when it comes to voices and characters.

Chris Marroy (23:39.662)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (23:43.758)
Totally. You know, I would love to, honestly, you know, like, because like I've said a couple of times, I grew up watching the greats, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, all of these guys, Nathan Lane, you know, they're huge comic character actors. And then I think I read more of the drier, you know, men in military. So I'm hoping I can find a nice middle ground and maybe land somewhere around like,

Leslie Nielsen or something in my career. The guy who can surely, that's the hope. A lot of building your career is knowing that you don't yet have the weight to throw around and be like, well, this is the role I want. I think making my own...

Paul Povolni (24:16.778)
Right, right. Surely you can't be serious.

Paul Povolni (24:25.002)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (24:33.738)
Right. Right.

Chris Marroy (24:40.078)
material like those impression videos, that was a really nice outlet. Like have somewhere to put it and if more ideas come down the line, great, but like at least I have that and you know I can look back and be like, oh yeah, I put it out there and people liked it, so that's wonderful.

Paul Povolni (24:43.21)
Yeah. Those are awesome.

Paul Povolni (24:53.418)
Ryan.

Paul Povolni (24:58.826)
Yeah. So what would be your ultimate role? Like what, what, what do you want to do, um, in your time there in Hollywood land?

Chris Marroy (25:09.006)
I mean, I would love to get on a sitcom, a comic sitcom, a la anything. I'll take it. Yeah, you know, I mean, yeah, that's the dream is to just keep building up bigger and better. You know, I don't know what's waiting for me, but I do think that something is and you have to have that sort of blind.

Paul Povolni (25:16.874)
Hahaha

Anything recurring with a steady income, yes.

Paul Povolni (25:35.05)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (25:36.718)
hope and ambition of like, okay, something's coming around and you just gotta, you know, the people who make it in this town are not necessarily always the best or the most talented or the most good looking. It's just the ones who stuck around long enough until their opportunity came. As far as roles I'd love to do, I've always had a liking to Max Bialystock from the producers. I would love to do that role. Yeah. So.

Paul Povolni (25:40.714)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (25:50.698)
Right.

Right.

Paul Povolni (26:02.442)
Oh yeah, yeah.

Chris Marroy (26:05.326)
That's up there. And the dentist from Little Shop. I think that's a really fun one.

Paul Povolni (26:13.13)
So, you know, with the, you know, with the, you know, wanting to do more of that, what's the TV show right now that you're like, man, that's a great ensemble cast that I would absolutely love to be a part of.

Chris Marroy (26:22.382)
Oh man.

Chris Marroy (26:26.19)
I mean, they're not funny, but The Diplomat starring Kerry Russell on Netflix, that show is so good. I was a huge West Wing nut when that was on. Bradley Whitford just stealing every scene he can. I love that. I mean, just fast -paced and great dialogue, high stakes, but it has moments of levity. I mean, you know.

Paul Povolni (26:31.082)
Mm -hmm.

Paul Povolni (26:38.058)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (26:43.882)
Hahaha.

Paul Povolni (26:48.554)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (26:55.342)
I'm just hoping for more well -built shows that I just get to be a part of. I skimmed off the surface of Yellowstone, which my dad was so happy about. I was like, I'm a bartender. I make a martini, that's it. But he was so excited about it. Really any of those great ensembles, even like the medical dramas, we're rewatching The Resident right now. That's a really fun one.

Paul Povolni (26:59.914)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (27:05.546)
Hahaha.

Paul Povolni (27:10.25)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (27:17.802)
right.

Paul Povolni (27:21.706)
Mm -hmm.

Chris Marroy (27:24.974)
Yeah, there's a lot of good stuff out there.

Paul Povolni (27:28.362)
So, you know, out of the actors that you've worked with, you know, you mentioned several shows that you've been on, you know, ones that everybody recognizes the names of. What's been your most surprising engagement with somebody that's kind of attained the place that you want to be? What's been a time that you've met somebody and it's really stood out to you?

Chris Marroy (27:51.342)
Man, back when I was in New Orleans, I got to do a film called Get Hard, where I was in like sort of one of the opening credits scenes starring Will Ferrell. And so I got to shoot with him one day. And, you know, I grew up as a kid of the 90s. So like he was my SNL, Will Ferrell, like that's that manic energy. He's elf, he's everything. He's Will Ferrell. And so getting...

Paul Povolni (27:59.594)
Mm -hmm.

Paul Povolni (28:13.354)
Yeah, right.

Paul Povolni (28:17.802)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Chris Marroy (28:21.294)
to meet him in person and he's so calm and kind and sincere. And I was just like, man, like he turns it on when he has to. He was so kind to everybody on that set, no matter who they were or where they were. Seeing that sort of presence and...

Paul Povolni (28:30.602)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (28:37.738)
Right.

Chris Marroy (28:45.614)
reputation on display was really cool. And I think that's something that I carry with me from then is like every set you're on, no matter what, be kind, you're all in it together. No one's better than anyone else. Yeah, that's the most like affecting one that I've.

Paul Povolni (28:59.882)
Right.

Paul Povolni (29:04.65)
Well, and I think it creates an atmosphere too that allows you to be at your best. You know, if there's a tension, if there's a, you know, prima donna type thing, it just adds a level of tension that you then got to try and kind of wash off to then perform. Right. And so, you know, and I think, I think I've seen a lot of actors that are kind of like that. You think they're these wild and crazy on all the time. Uh, you know, Jim Carrey, you know, he's just, and I think he even talked about.

Chris Marroy (29:09.102)
Absolutely.

Paul Povolni (29:32.874)
that Jim Carrey was a character that he created, you know, that that was not him. And he got tired of it and eventually stopped being Jim Carrey, you know, because that was not who he was. That was the expectation. And so it sounds like, you know, with Will Farrell, it was a similar experience where, you know, he, he, when he had to turn it on, he turned it on when he was not having to, to be this character that he was, he was a totally different person.

Chris Marroy (29:35.406)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (29:59.95)
Yeah, totally. And I mean, that's a good point as I think I always also used to be on a lot more than I am now. I've relaxed in my mid to late thirties. Um, you know, because I think you start to have a little bit of a retrospect and you just, you find gratitude, yes, for the jobs that come along and the opportunities that you get, but you start to find more gratitude in your daily life. And that's, that's been a real blessing for me.

Paul Povolni (30:11.85)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (30:27.786)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (30:29.966)
Um, speaking of Jim Carrey, yeah, I was trying to think of quotes cause you had asked when you initially reached out, if there's, if there's something that stuck out to you. And I think he was giving some commencement speech or something maybe 10 years ago or so. And he was telling the story about his father who, you know, had dreams of being a musician and a performer, but he took the safe route and became an accountant or something, something that he didn't really have a passion for.

And about five years from retirement, the company folded and he got canned and he had to start all over again. And he was saying, you know, you, you can fail at what you don't want to do. So you may as well take a chance on something that you love. And that's a, that's a quote that is, it's always stuck with me as, you know, as much as of a crap shoot as this life and being an actor and performer is like, there, there are no guarantees. You, you asked me, you know, what's, what's my.

Paul Povolni (31:05.77)
Hmm.

Paul Povolni (31:12.714)
Oh wow.

Paul Povolni (31:27.114)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (31:28.782)
What's my next thing? What's my dreams? Like it's whatever comes. Like I have to be open to it. And there's something freeing about that, I think, to know that you're living your life to your fullest potential is really, really nice.

Paul Povolni (31:34.826)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (31:47.466)
Right. And also not waiting until a certain point in your life to start checking stuff off a list, a bucket list, you know, and I think people have said it correctly. That regret is the one of the toughest things, uh, you know, to, to live with is, and so, you know, by checking things off and saying, do you know what I am? I'm, I'm, I'm a young guy from New Orleans. Uh, I'm going to take a big step and, and move out to Hollywood and not ever have to look back and say, well, what if.

You know, what if I left, uh, you know, what if I never left? What would that be? And what if I left and something happened of it? And so, you know, kudos to you for, for taking that big step. Uh, you've been there seven years. Uh, you know, you've, you've got to work on some, some great projects and I believe a lot more are ahead for you. And I'm excited for you. Uh, what is the next thing that we're going to see you in or what's the next next thing that you're going to be a part of that we can expect.

Chris Marroy (32:35.342)
Thank you.

Chris Marroy (32:42.926)
Well, for now, I'm just trudging along in the design world because the industry, as you know, has been at a standstill with all of the strikes and negotiations and AI. I feel like there's a bit of a spinning top that everyone's just waiting for the merry -go -round to slow down before we can all get back on. I mean, I'm getting emails from agents here in Louisiana, everywhere, saying that it's slow. Nothing's happening now.

Paul Povolni (32:53.002)
Right.

Paul Povolni (33:02.442)
Yeah.

Paul Povolni (33:08.874)
Yeah.

Chris Marroy (33:10.83)
And it's a nature of the industry about every decade or so there's an ebb and flow. So I'm going to write it out is my plan right now. Whatever audition comes in, I'll be turning that in. I've got, you know, acting class every Monday night and then Monday through Friday. I'm, I'm a designer and that's okay for me.

Paul Povolni (33:13.386)
Right.

Paul Povolni (33:17.77)
Ryan.

Yeah.

Paul Povolni (33:32.842)
Awesome. Well, so how can people get a hold of you if somebody wants to get some design work done? What is your ideal audience? Who are you looking for to help with their design needs?

Chris Marroy (33:45.326)
Yeah. So, um, anyone can go to my website, chrismeroy .com and I've, I've essentially broken it in half. There's the actor version and the artist version of me. Um, and under the art page, you'll be able to see sort of my style. I'm, I'm not afraid of color. Um, I do a lot of poster work and logo design and things like that. T -shirt designs, which I started doing back in New Orleans. Um, you know, I've, I've got a great love for.

Paul Povolni (33:55.85)
Hahaha.

Chris Marroy (34:15.47)
old fashioned 2D hand drawn animation in the age of AI, which is impressive, albeit sometimes scary. I think there's something classic and everlasting about just lines on a page. So that's my main style and anyone who wants to play, I'm open to it. Reach out and say.

Paul Povolni (34:35.594)
Well, be sure to reach out to Chris. I'll have the link in the show notes as well. Check out his work, check out his videos, his impression stuff, his reels of the cool stuff he's got to work on. And thank you very much, Chris, for coming on. This has been a great conversation and appreciate you taking time to do this.

Chris Marroy (34:52.206)
Thank you. It's my pleasure. It's really good to see you again, Paul.

Paul Povolni (34:57.29)
All right, have a great one and don't forget everybody, one great idea can change everything. And so I'm sure there's going to be a lot of value in what you've gotten from listening to this episode. And so take action on it. Ideas are worthless without action. And so just like Chris took action on a dream brought into a place that he's at, if you hear a great idea, ideas are worthless and they're everything. And so take action on an idea and see your dreams come true. Thank you, Chris. Have a good one.

Chris Marroy (35:26.958)
Thank you.