Chet Grissom, a talented individual, was born in Washington D.C. and is the youngest of three children born to F. Dewayne Grissom and Lynn Turner Grissom. He spent the first ten years of his life in the D.C. suburbs of Bethesda and Darnestown, Maryland, where he developed a passion for the performing arts.
It was during his time at Darnestown Elementary School that his choir teacher encouraged him to audition for a local dinner theater production of "Bye Bye Birdie" when he was just eight years old. He was cast and this experience had a profound impact on his life, sparking a lifelong passion for acting.
In 1975, his family made the decision to move onto a boat in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he would live until he was 18. During this time, he continued to pursue his love of acting, performing in local plays and musicals at the St. Petersburg City Theatre and the Showboat Dinner Theatre.
At the Showboat Dinner Theatre, he had the opportunity to meet and work with notable actors such as Robert Cummings and Nanette Fabray. He also attended three different high schools, ultimately graduating from the Visual and Performing Arts Program at Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida.
While attending high school, he was fortunate enough to be part of a talented group of students that included Oscar winner Bill Corso and comedian Lynne Koplitz. After graduating, he left Florida to attend the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago, Illinois, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting.
During his time at the Goodman School of Drama, he had the opportunity to work alongside other talented individuals, including Kevin J. O'Connor, John C. Reilly, and Gillian Anderson. As a freshman, he volunteered to usher for the final preview of the original production of the play "Glengarry Glen Ross," which was performed at the Goodman Theatre.
This experience had a profound impact on him, and after graduating, he spent the next ten years immersed in the thriving Chicago theatre scene, working in a variety of settings, from tiny storefront black box theaters to the large stage at the Goodman Theatre.
One of his most notable roles during this time was in a production of Shakespeare's "Richard II," which also featured a young Nick Offerman, Chris Bauer, Mike Nussbaum, and Raúl Esparza.
In 1997, he made the decision to move to Los Angeles, California, where he began to build a new career in the entertainment industry. He started by doing theater and attending film and television auditions, eventually landing a commercial and small parts in television.
It took some time for him to gain traction, but by his third year in Los Angeles, he was working consistently and has continued to do so ever since. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Lisa Kenner Grissom.
