Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Vatterott.
Hi Abby, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Absolutely! Sooo, my origin story is very High School Musical—truly. I had my own Troy Bolton aka Zac Efron moment: I quit the basketball team to do the school musical. It was tough. My dad coached me all through grade school, it was my favorite sport, so honestly it was one of the hardest decisions of my life… up to that point. Bball was life—but also so are character shoes? Haha. And well, the rest is history…
From there, I got my BFA in Musical Theatre at Southeast MO State and moved from STL to Chicago two weeks after graduation with nothing but two suitcases, and a DREAM! It’s funny…immediately after graduation, we had just done our senior showcase in New York, and one of my mentors was like, “You HAVE to stay in New York!” And I was like, “Mmm nah, I want to do comedy in Chicago.” He was baffled, he goes, “ But there’s a HAIR audition tomorrow!” My brother—who also works in comedy and was supporting me at the showcase—looked at him and says: “Was Tina Fey ever in HAIR?” I’ll never forget that.
So I followed the laughs to Chicago. I trained at iO and Second City, and basically lived in every black box or store front theater in the city. I was performing constantly—stand-up, sketch, improv, musical comedy. I would have a show almost every night of the week, multiple times a night. I produced and hosted weekly variety shows, including one that got voted Best Improv Show in Chicago in 2017. During all this I was booking the occasional commercial, nasal spray print gig, or handing out Bobo’s on Michigan Avenue. The grind was real, yet exhilarating.
Every year I would write a new one-woman show for the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival. In my third year, I did a superhero-themed show called Marvelous Me. A big-time LA agent was in the audience and came up to me afterwards, and we ended up working together. I started flying back and forth to LA, auditioning for network TV shows and commercials.
In 2018, I officially made the move to LA with my then-boyfriend and now husband. I kept doing the thing: improv, stand-up, acting classes, the occasional random LA moment of seeing my idols. I kid you not—I walked by Jim Carrey backstage, saw Weird Al get his star on the Walk of Fame, and spotted Wallace Shawn (Princess Bride) at the Roosevelt Hotel. I believe I’m their love child… even though I know that’s literally INCONCEIVABLE!
Hahaha ANYWAYYYS a year and half later… a pandemic happened! Did ya hear about it? We moved back to St. Louis, waited it out, and while we were there, we got engaged, then married, and five years later—here we are! We’ve made STL our home base. One silver lining that came with the pandemic was self tape auditions from home. So I have agents in several markets nationwide. I book a lot of commercial work in the Midwest. And fly out to LA whenever a job comes up. Sometimes staying for months at a time. It’s a very glamorous bi-coastal lifestyle—one of the coasts being the beautiful banks of the Mississippi River.
And honestly, I love it. It’s the best of both worlds: I get to do what I love, spend quality time with my family, and bounce around to different cities for work. NYC included…for ya know, when Tina Fey casts me in HER version of HAIR ; )
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth? Absolutely not. You have to have thick skin. There’ve been plenty of “no’s” but then you get a “yes” that makes you forget the “no’s” and then suddenly you’re on set, in a snuggie and stiletto’s, holding a corgi, wondering how you got so lucky. It’s wildly unpredictable… and strangely addicting.
And it ebbs and flows for sure, there are slow times and it can be hard. But I’ve learned to trust that something will always pop up. It may not be what I expected—but most of the time it’s even better.
And man…the pandemic really flipped the table for all of us performers. I went from performing every night in Chicago, to slightly less in LA, to shouting jokes at my husband in the kitchen like “Did you hear the one about the sourdough starter!?”
But the downtime forced me to reframe my mindset. I used to be all about the grind. The more I do, the better I’ll be. If I do this, then I’ll be here, and then I have ARRIVED. But now? Now I’m like… if I just keep doing what lights me up, I’ll be fulfilled and happy—and happy Abby makes the best stuff. I’ve learned to stop chasing the outcome and start chasing the joy. Following the fun – as they say in improv. And also snacks. I’m big on snacks.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a comedian, actress, and full-time weirdo with a deep love of wigs, character voices, and storylines that spiral just a little off the rails. I specialize in comedic characters, musical comedy, and impressions—basically I like to vanish into a role, live there for a bit, redecorate, maybe throw a party.
I’ve done a ton of commercial work and that’s how I make my living. If you live in the Midwest, there’s a very good chance you’ve seen me enthusiastically endorsing your local law firm, appliance warehouse, or HVAC System. I bring an authentic sparkly energy to everything, even if I’m in orthopedic sneakers.
I’ve performed a lot of comedy over the years with all kinds of people—countless improv teams, several sketch groups, an infamous comedy duo and wacky one-off shows. After over a decade of live performances, I’ve been focusing more on on-camera work. I’ve worked on some award winning short films with friends. Won a couple awards myself for Best Actress. I’m especially proud of a series I shot here in St. Louis where I played the lead trapped in a ’90s sitcom. It was a super fun, comedian studded series sponsored by Energizer. I could talk forever about this project, but I don’t want to keep going and going and going…you can watch the first season online!
These days, I’m posting more character bits and sketches on social media, collaborating with other funny people, and working on turning my silly brain thoughts into something that makes other people snort-laugh on public transit.
As far as what sets me apart? Chicago Reader once said, “Abby is a spark plug of buoyant trickster energy with Olympic-level performance muscles. She lurks the wild imagination of a wholly original, intellectually daring creative writer and comedy artist. She has that rare ability to lose herself inside of a character while still maintaining tight control.” Sooo…what they said?
I mean I think what I bring to the table is a big heart, a big range, and a big commitment to making people laugh—whether that’s through a parody song, a character meltdown, or just aggressively committing to a series of bad puns in a good wig.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I genuinely believe success isn’t something you chase—it’s something you embody. It’s not out there in some fancy future version of yourself who drinks green juice and owns several tesla trucks. It’s in the version of you right now who’s showing up, staying curious, making stuff, and trusting the process.
To me, success is the freedom to live your life the way you want to live it. To create what lights you up. To work and collaborate with people who make you belly laugh. I’ve learned that when you believe you’re already successful, that belief snowballs into more confidence, more connection, and more joy—and from there, the opportunities tend to follow. I’m lucky and deeply grateful to be living a life that feels like mine. A little weird, a little wobbly, but full of purpose and play. And snacks. Always snacks.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.abbyvatterott.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbyvatterott/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@abbyvatterott8138
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@abbyvatterott
