Chris Paradice Daniels

Half Black and half Korean, Chris Paradice Daniels is a SAG-AFTRA actor, screenwriter and lifelong poet whose journey into storytelling began by accident. A random independent film audition turned into a booking. Curiosity turned into a calling. That calling led him to the doors of the storied Company of Angels, where he was entrusted with the lead role of Cash in The Peacock Men, written by award-winning playwright Ronald McCants and directed by award-winning director Ayana Cahrr. The role had already been cast. Rehearsals had already begun. Daniels, by his own admission, walked in not knowing stage left from stage right but he knew center stage. He won over the room and earned the trust of the producers and director. He helped carry a production that LA Weekly’s Bill Raden called a "terrifically talented ensemble." Cahrr’s parting words to him were simple. "Don’t ever stop acting." They lit a fire that has never gone out. He has carried a deep gratitude for every door that has opened since, treating every set, stage and audition as another chance to learn, stretch and become a better artist. What followed was a hunger to master the craft and the business behind it. He found his home at New Collective LA, where he studied seven days a week under the guidance of Greg Braun, who taught him the art of living truthfully in the moment. He essentially lived in the studio, logging hours across scene study, on-camera technique and cold reads while also training with respected teachers at some of Los Angeles’ most active acting schools. That immersion shaped the actor he is today. Daniels went on to appear in numerous plays, independent films and television projects including True Nightmares and a memorable turn as a battle rapper in King of the Underground. He earned his union status and built a working actor’s resume rooted in range and instinct. Then life pulled him sideways. A five-year detour into internet car sales became its own kind of education. He was the number one sales leader at his new car dealership every single year. The job put him face to face with every kind of person imaginable and taught him how to read a room, listen without assumption and meet people inside their own mindset. He learned to sit with what customers truly wanted and guide them toward it with patience and vulnerability. Those years sharpened his instincts for human behavior in a way no classroom could. Between closings he quietly studied everything he could about storytelling, structure and the human conditions that drive a narrative. The storyteller in him refused to stay silent. He left the business to return to the one that never left him. He began formally studying screenwriting and filmmaking. He is currently completing his first feature as a writer. In 2025 he took home the Best Actor award at the 48 Hour Film Project for The Search, collaborating with cast and crew from San Bernardino Valley College. He approaches every collaboration with the same mindset he carried into that very first audition. Show up grateful, stay coach-able and leave everything on the floor. Real life experience and a powerful imagination allow Daniels to connect to even the darkest characters with honesty and nuance. As he puts it: "All humans have wants, needs and desires. It’s our job as storytellers to find the truth in those moments so the audience can relate."