C.J. Vana

C.J. cut his teeth in the Chicago sketch and improv scene, opting to study at iO Chicago, The Second City, and Acting Studio Chicago instead of taking the traditional college route. Commercials, voiceover work, and popular sketch shows soon followed, which caught the attention of a Los Angeles based manager.

His television debut came in the form of a memorable guest spot on the season two finale episode of TV Land’s hit Betty White led sitcom, “Hot in Cleveland.” He followed that with a noteworthy role in Academy Award winning director Damien Chazelle’s multi-Oscar winning debut film “Whiplash,” sharing a powerful and pivotal scene with Best Supporting Actor winner JK Simmons. C.J. then joined the cast of TBS’s George Wendt and Ashley Tisdale led barbershop sitcom “Clipped” as the scene-stealing shop hand Lonnie. He was later cast in Academy Award winner Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing,” sharing a scene with Matt Damon. Multiple national commercial campaigns followed, most notably a prominent multi-year series of ads for Spectrum. In the well-received indie feature “Film Fest,” available on Amazon Prime, C.J. shares the screen with numerous comedy heavy hitters as Kyle the PA. He continues to develop multiple projects with his writing partner Paul Alan Cope.