We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris O’Neill and Paul Valenti Chris and Paul Show and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris O’Neill and Paul Valenti, why did you pursue a creative career?
We were both big into playing sports. By high school, we both gravitated to our local community theatre where we met and got hooked on performing We were motivated by the passion for humor and performing. The skills we learned and adapted now in writing, acting, and physical comedy to produce entertaining and original content. 20 plus years later, we are still having fun and making each other laugh. That keeps us going.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Chris and Paul met in 1999 at the theater company Curtain Call in Stamford, CT. where they both attended a class taught by community theater veteran Suzi Lynch, who was quickly impressed with the duo. She taught them comedy by masters such as Jack Benny, Sid Caesar, Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Laurel and Hardy. She also imparted to them the principle that “To be funny, you don’t have to be dirty,” teaching instead that “You just have to be silly. Don’t be afraid to be silly.” O’Neill and Valenti refer to Lynch as their “Yoda” for the mentor role that she took on for them, providing feedback on their material and suggestions for improvement. The two men began performing together professionally in 2000. In 2003 It’s definitely a grind and we’ve met plenty of disappointments. However, we created a community of other performers throughout the years. We got to watch and get inspired by other comedians. You can’t be selfish in this life. Another piece of advice we carry with us from Suzi and be professional and nice. With a good attitude, you’ll have friends for life. We want to do our best to put a smile on a face that comes to our show.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Anything touristy. We are big foodies. When we tour, we like to find the best pizza, burger,s and ice cream,

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Our mentor Suzi Lynch. She helped mold us into what we are and how we approach comedy today.

Website: www.chrisandpaulshow.com

Instagram: @chrisandpaulshow

Twitter: @Chrispaulshow

Facebook: The Chris and Paul Show

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theCHRISandPAULshow

Image Credits
The Headshot truck and Bring the funny on NBC

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