He Quit Comedy for 20 Years… Then Came Back at 48 | Chris Ryan, Comedian

On today's show I shared some laughs with Westfield-based comedian Chris Ryan, who returned to stand-up after a 20-year break.

Ryan got his start in IU's Full Frontal Comedy in the mid-'90s alongside Straight No Chaser, training in Chicago improv at ImprovOlympic, and moving to Los Angeles in 1998 with $2,000 from a near-fatal car accident. In LA he worked at Paramount while pursuing stand-up, auditioned for MadTV, and waited alongside Seth Meyers, who was offered SNL the same week.

The setback helped prompt Ryan's exit, grad school in journalism at Illinois, and a move to Indianapolis. After 15+ years in healthcare marketing, therapy and a company sale pushed him to write and perform hour-long shows, including Thermometer and Nothing Means Anything, centered on parenting twins, adolescence, and midlife reinvention.

If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.

You are going to learn about:
- Ryan's Journey in Comedy From IU to Chicago to LA
- Why Ryan Stepped Away from Comedy
- Scripting, Speeches, and Improv

Thank you to our partners:
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Check out these great clips from the show:
00:00 Am I Crazy Cold Open
01:16 Guest Introduction: Chris Ryan, Comedian
02:09 Bloomington Improv Origins
02:57 Auditions And Campus Fame
06:03 Chicago Improv And The Harold
08:57 Yes And Gifts Onstage
11:50 Finding A Creative Path
14:12 Detroit, Chicago, LA
16:54 Car Crash Sign To Move
19:38 Paramount Day Job
23:31 MadTV Audition Near Miss
25:42 Grad School And Midwest Reset
27:10 Indy Roots And 30 Under 30
29:40 Returning To Comedy At 48
30:37 Career Shakeup Catalyst
32:09 Therapy And Reaching Out
33:05 Theater Deal Home Base
34:23 Writing A Full Hour
36:22 Script Versus Riffing
38:38 Old Jokes New Opener
40:49 Alanis Opener OCD Stories
43:34 Speechwriting Performance Tips
49:04 Embrace Fear Of Bombing
53:15 Rapid Fire Indiana Round
58:16 Hidden Gems And BBQ
01:00:37 Letterman Story And Wrap

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