Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Smathers.
Hi Chad, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m originally from a small town called Boring, Oregon. That is not an adjective. That is an actual place. Since the ripe age of five, I’ve been involved in the entertainment industry. It started out with acting in local commercials, and then my “big break” was working with Robert DeNiro in a feature film called “Men of Honor” that was actually shot near my hometown in 2000. My family and I eventually moved down to Los Angeles when I was fourteen to go after the whole acting thing 100%. During that time, I appeared in several feature films, theatrical productions, national commercials and guest starred in several major TV shows. Throughout my experiences as an actor, I had the privilege of observing some of the most influential artists in their field, which later proved to be a proxy film school for me.
While navigating my acting career, the filmmaking bug bit me in a profound way, and in 2015 I started my own production company called Empyrean Entertainment. I’ve since laid down the acting side of things but am fully invested as the CEO and co-founder of my independent production company. I’ve written, produced, and directed seven short films, as well as a TV comedy pilot. We are currently working with major studios and partners to bring powerful stories to the small screen and the big screen, which include a feature documentary and a dramatic anthology series about suicide. My company’s mission is to be at the forefront of bringing stories that carry hope, redemption, laughter, and power to audiences around the world.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been far from a smooth road, not only as an actor but especially as a filmmaker. Any time you take a risk that involves swimming upstream, there are bound to be bumps in the road. With acting, it was a constant battle of feeling adequate or that I even belonged in such a competitive industry. I was auditioning two or three times a week for years and statistically was only booking less than 5% of those auditions. Now that’s actually not too bad, given how wildly saturated LA is, but you hear way more “no’s” than you do a “yes,” which either breaks you or makes you. It created resilience and thick skin that I don’t think I would’ve gotten otherwise. In addition to that, I had several personal tragedies hit me along the way that made me question if it was worth continuing acting or if moving back to Oregon was the right step.
With filmmaking, it’s the same amount of rejection, if not more, but the pursuit has felt even more impossible (at least for me). Not only does it take a village to make any project come to pass, but it also takes an insane amount of grit to stick with something, especially if there is no movement. I’ve had projects come and go, projects stolen and put on major streaming platforms, projects almost get to the finish line and then die, and projects that seem like they would get funded and then didn’t. It’s a battle between the ears because most sane people would just give up after a year, but I’ve been at this whole independent filmmaking thing since 2010, so you have to be a little crazy. It’s a high-risk, high-reward endeavor, but when you do get a breakthrough and see some progress, it makes all the trials worth it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So, while I do own a production company, I’m also the lead filmmaker behind everything we do. I write scripts, produce, direct, and edit at every level, whether that’s feature films, documentaries, commercials, or TV shows. I take pride in having a hand in every phase of the filmmaking process because it brings me great joy to see a project go from a blank page to a final polished product.
I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve built over the course of my career. God has blessed me with an amazing team, and I am thankful for every actor, producer, writer, and crew member I’ve worked with. This industry is all about people, and I never want to lose sight that each person matters, regardless of their title. Each project is an uphill climb, and it can’t be done without the collective effort.
I’ve struggled with the question of “what sets me apart” for a long time. My dad owned a landscaping company, and my mom was his accountant, so making films in LA and Dallas was the furthest thing from my childhood experience. However, I think that’s actually a piece of what sets me apart. I always try to remember my roots and that just because I’m technically a part of Hollywood, I generally feel much more connected to my Oregon upbringing. In addition to that, I lost my father when I was twelve years old and although it has been immensely painful to navigate life without him, I feel like I can tap into the human condition in a deeper way because of the pain I’ve experienced. God has always been faithful to me through the pain though. My relationship with the Lord has afforded me the opportunity to be in rooms and meetings I didn’t “deserve” to be in, and I’ve always felt His encouragement ushering me along the journey.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a pretty spunky kid – quiet if you just met me but a total goofball if you really knew me. As I said, I grew up in a small town called Boring, so you can imagine how creative a child has to be to have fun in a town called Boring. My sisters and I were always running around our three-acre property, creating wild scenarios and acting them out. I guess I’ve always been a performer and a creative. I was always outdoors, whether it was in a forest, on a mountain, or just lying in the grass looking up at the sky. I suppose that’s where imagination grew, and I’m thankful for the simple life we lived. I loved basketball (and still do), I was always splashing in the pool, riding my bike, and was generally just very active. I was the kid where my mom had to yell out the back door to come inside when the sun was setting, and even then, I sometimes stayed out just to look up at the night sky. The simplicity of my childhood was a gift.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.empyreanentertainment.org
- Instagram: @cwsmathers
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smathers/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/csmathers/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFgW8sE9CCMR7xz9C1S7Q_w
Image Credits
Preston Alan DeNunzio
Bobby Bennett
