Chase Coleman

Chase Coleman
Chase Coleman attends a red carpet event in 2017
Chase Coleman
Born	20 3, 1985
Birthplace	Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor, director, musician
Website	[[chase-coleman.com chase-coleman.com] Official site]

Chase Coleman (born March 20, 1985) is an American actor, director, and musician from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He is known for his recurring television roles, including Billy Winslow in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire and the werewolf Oliver in The CW's The Originals. Coleman's career has spanned work in television, film, and the New York City theater scene, where he appeared in several Off-Broadway and independent stage productions throughout the early 2010s. In addition to his screen and stage work, Coleman has been involved in independent filmmaking and music. His portrayal of the young Billy Winslow in the first season of Boardwalk Empire brought him early recognition, and his subsequent role as the politically cunning werewolf Oliver on The Originals expanded his visibility to a broader audience. Coleman's body of work reflects a range that includes period drama, supernatural television, and intimate stage performances in New York's independent theater community.

Early Life

Chase Coleman was born on March 20, 1985, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Details about his family background and childhood in Alabama remain limited in publicly available sources. He grew up in the American South before eventually pursuing higher education and a career in the performing arts.

Education

Coleman attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe, where he studied prior to embarking on his professional acting career. The university, located in Monroe, Louisiana, provided a foundation from which Coleman would go on to pursue opportunities in acting and the performing arts in New York City and beyond.

Career

Early Theater Work

Coleman's early career was rooted in the New York City theater scene, where he participated in a number of Off-Broadway and independent stage productions. He was involved with productions staged through the Stage 2000 theater company, which listed him among its featured talents.

Coleman appeared in the Off-Broadway production My Big Gay Italian Wedding, a comedy that ran in New York before closing in August 2012. The production featured Coleman as part of its ensemble cast. The show had developed a following in the New York theater community and its closure was noted by Playbill.

In 2012, Coleman also appeared in the production Four Dogs and a Bone, staged at The Wild Project, a performance venue in New York City's East Village. The play, originally written by John Patrick Shanley, is a dark comedy about the machinations of Hollywood filmmaking, and the production at The Wild Project offered Coleman an opportunity to demonstrate his range in a more intimate theatrical setting. A review of the production was published on TheaterOnline, which covered the show as part of its coverage of New York's independent theater scene.

Coleman's theater work also included participation in the Love Out Loud events, a series of performances connected to the independent arts community in New York.

Boardwalk Empire (2010)

Coleman gained significant attention for his role as Billy Winslow in the first season of Boardwalk Empire, the critically acclaimed HBO period drama series set during the Prohibition era. The series, created by Terence Winter and produced by Martin Scorsese, premiered in September 2010 and depicted the world of organized crime and politics in 1920s Atlantic City.

Coleman appeared in the seventh episode of the first season, titled "Home," which delved into the painful childhood of the show's protagonist, Nucky Thompson, played by Steve Buscemi. The episode explored Nucky's backstory through flashback sequences, and Coleman's portrayal of the young Billy Winslow was part of these sequences that revealed formative events in Nucky's past. The episode was noted for its emotional depth and the way it provided context for the series' central character. Coleman was listed among the guest stars for the episode on HBO's official website.

In a later interview with Debonair Magazine, Coleman discussed his experience working on Boardwalk Empire and reflected on the show's depiction of the 1920s. He spoke about the production's attention to period detail and what it was like to be part of a series with such high production values and acclaimed creative talent behind it.

The Originals

Coleman took on the recurring role of Oliver, a werewolf character, in The CW's supernatural drama series The Originals, a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries. The series, set in New Orleans, followed the Mikaelson family of original vampires as they navigated the politics of the city's supernatural community. Coleman's character, Oliver, was a member of the Crescent Wolf Pack and served as a politically ambitious figure within the werewolf faction, often finding himself entangled in the power struggles between the show's various supernatural factions.

In an interview with HitFix (published through Uproxx), Coleman discussed his work on The Originals, speaking about the dynamics of playing a werewolf character who made deals with the show's central figure, Klaus Mikaelson. He also discussed the physical aspects of the role, including the howling required of a werewolf character on a supernatural series. The role expanded Coleman's visibility to the large fanbase that followed The Vampire Diaries universe of shows.

Other Projects

Beyond his television roles, Coleman has been involved in a variety of other projects spanning film, directing, and music. His official website lists a range of projects he has been associated with over the course of his career.

Coleman has been featured in Debonair Magazine, which profiled him in a feature titled "Debonair Like Me," highlighting his career and personal style.

Recognition

Coleman's work in independent theater earned him attention within the New York Off-Broadway community. His performance was recognized at the Indie Soap Awards, where he received acknowledgment for his work.

His role in Boardwalk Empire brought him to the attention of a wider audience due to the series' critical acclaim and large viewership on HBO. The show itself received numerous industry awards during its run, including Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards. Coleman's subsequent casting in The Originals further demonstrated his ability to secure roles in high-profile television productions, moving from prestige cable drama to network genre television with a dedicated fan following.