Daniel Gilchrist began his love of theatre in high school, where his initial interests were in the production/writing areas. Upon graduating, he began working and volunteering for local theatre productions in his hometown of Topeka, Kansas. His first starring role was as The Creature in Topeka Civic Theatre and Academy's run of Frankenstein. He went on to have featured roles in Macbeth, Scrooge, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Tempest, and The Addams Family as well as Washburn University productions of Elephant Graveyard and Uncle Vanya. He received his BA in theatre from Washburn in 2012.

Daniel attributes his love of the theatre to his older brother, Brendan Gilchrist, who died in 2007.