After many viral clips, teacher-turned-comic Chip Chantry is ready for a special
The South Philly comic, who appears on Shane Gillis' Netflix show 'Tires' as Kyle, is ready to broaden his audience with his debut comedy special, 'Move Closer.'
His Philly patriotism has made standup comedian Chip Chantry a favorite on social media.
Bite-sized videos revealing his undying love for the 6abc Action News theme — where he famously says “If you’re in my home, you better stand for the Action News theme song” — and his aversion to heroin and wearing Crocs because he’s afraid he’d enjoy them too much, have garnered millions of views on Instagram.
After 21 years as a standup, Chantry, wanting to capitalize on his newfound virality, has decided to bring together all his searing Philly-isms and hilarious confessions for his debut comedy special, Move Closer.
The special, which he is releasing himself, is named in honor of the Action News theme song “Move Closer to Your World” and is set to drop on YouTube at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. And while Chantry already has two comedy compilations under his belt, this release will mark the biggest moment in the Montgomery County native’s comedy career.
“It feels legitimate,” said Chantry, who filmed the special at Helium Comedy Club. “This is the next level, for better or worse, where I put my hour out there with the best comedians in the world and see where it falls. It’s kind of terrifying, but it also feels good to have the world see what I’ve been doing.”
Long before he became a mainstay in Philly’s comedy circuit, Chantry was a fourth-grade teacher for the Montgomery County’s Methacton School District, juggling life in the classroom and on the comedy stage. He performed in bars and restaurants in the city until 2 a.m., then woke up at 5:30 a.m. to get to school.
“For a decade, I was exhausted at all times. I was living a double life,” he said. “I was flailing around in comedy, not knowing what I was doing, and just creating open mics and doing shows wherever anybody would have me.”
Finally, it was time to choose between the two worlds. After 14 years as an educator, Chantry was committed to changing course despite the “blinding fear” of failure
In 2015, he landed a TV writing gig on the NBC Studios comedy-talk series Crazy Talk. Ever since, Chantry has opened for comics like Dave Chappelle, Tig Notaro, and Bob Saget, and went on to write for other shows like Whacked Out Sports and National Geographic’s Howie Mandel’s Animals Doing Things.
He recently appeared in the Shane Gillis-led Netflix series Tires as the character Kyle.
Philly comedian Mary Radzinski thinks Move Closer will show Chantry’s growing audience what he’s made of. “He’s such an amazing performer and joke writer, and it’s time for him to get the recognition he deserves,” she said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
Chantry’s journey to his debut special was riddled with second guesses. He passed up earlier opportunities to release a special in fear it was too early. And in the months leading up to the release of Move Closer, he considered leaving out the word special altogether.
“I almost felt guilty saying the word special because there are so many specials out there,” Chantry said. “Everybody has one right now, and that’s why I turned down a special I was offered a couple of years ago. I turned it down because I felt I wasn’t ready.”
Releasing a comedy special isn’t quite as special as it used to be, he said. The power of cable networks like HBO and Comedy Central has dwindled, which has led to fewer barriers for budding comics. It’s easier for performers to finance and produce their own “hours” and release them on streaming platforms like YouTube.
The shift, Chantry said, has led to an overabundance of bad specials. Young comics are bypassing the growing pains of the comedy stage and prematurely releasing projects in hopes of meteoric fame. Chantry didn’t want his work to be lost in the shuffle.
Philly comic Blake Wexler believes Chantry is the kind of talent who can thrive in this format.
“He’s been worthy of a special from any of these major streaming platforms and TV networks, but it just so happens that he did it himself, which makes it that much cooler,” Wexler, a Chester County native, said. “We’re obviously really good friends, but I’m really a fan of his comedy.”
In spite of those thoughts of self-doubt, Chantry is confident his experience and material is worthy of a project like Move Closer. He hopes it broadens his audience and breeds more opportunities to showcase his comedic talent.
“The biggest reward for a comedian is just more work,” he said. “Whether it’s on stage doing standup, doing writing, making more videos, or whatever it may be. I just want to do more work.”