Biography
Adam Shalzi is an accomplished screen and stage actor known for his versatility who brings a unique and comedic sensibility to the characters he plays. A Chicago theatre critic compared Adam to a young Steve Buscemi.
Adam grew up in a suburb of Chicago and found his love for acting when his high school theatre director encouraged him to audition for the school play and cast him as the lead. He made his way to the city with acting and soon became multi-listed with four of Chicago's top talent agencies. Shortly after hitting the audition circuit, he began his professional acting career on Chicago stages, TV series, films, and commercials.
Adam plays the recurring role of Foot Fungus Bill in the new FOX series Best Medicine (2026), starring Josh Charles, and plays a supporting role in upcoming comedic thriller The Lottery, starring Sofia Wylie, Madison Thompson, Genevieve Hannelius, Noa Fisher, Trew Mullen, Austin North, and Belmont Cameli.
Adam plays supporting roles in the coming of age comedy The Crusades (2023), starring Rudy Pankow, Nicholas Turturro, and Mike Starr, and the horror feature The Windigo (2024), starring Fivel Stewart and Brian Krause. Other notable credits include the Amazon series Paper Girls (2022) as the peevish corner store clerk, Showtime's The Chi (2018) as Skokie, NBC's Chicago Fire (2012) as Patrick, Utopia (2020), Betrayal (2013), Janie Jones (2010) (Toronto International Film Festival), NightLights (2014), and The Onion series America's Best (2013).
Adam's experience and training is rooted in theatre and he has an extensive Chicago theatre resume that includes work with Steppenwolf Theatre, Goodman Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, American Theater Company, Griffin Theatre, Organic Theatre and many more. He played a lead role in RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN at Raven Theatre where the production was Jeff Nominated for Best Production. Regional theatre credits include a season with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival and the title role in the touring Australian show DR. EGG AND THE MAN WITH NO EAR.
Adam is a graduate of the iO Chicago improv program and has studied improv and comedy at The Second City Chicago, The Groundlings, The Annoyance, and The Idiot Workshop. He is a Cirque du Soleil casting pool member for comedic actors. Adam likes to dance, play trumpet, and is a substitute teacher.
