Social media has become a major starting point for performers hoping to make it in the entertainment world. Many popular actors and musicians today first gained attention by sharing videos online – everything from funny skits and song covers to personal vlogs. This shows that becoming famous online can lead to a successful career in film and television. Here’s a list of twenty people who went from being online sensations to major stars in the entertainment industry.
Dylan O’Brien
Dylan O’Brien first became known for his funny videos on YouTube, where he posted content under the name moviekidd826. This online work led to his big break in the TV series ‘Teen Wolf’ soon after he finished high school. He then went on to star in major film series like ‘The Maze Runner’ and its sequels. O’Brien’s career is a prime example of how someone can build a following online and then achieve mainstream success in movies.
Awkwafina
Nora Lum first became well-known in 2012 when a funny music video she created went viral on YouTube. She used her distinct comedic style to land parts in popular movies like ‘Ocean’s 8’ and ‘Crazy Rich Asians’. Her work in ‘The Farewell’ was highly praised, and she even won a Golden Globe Award for her performance. More recently, she became a major movie star by joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’.
Rachel Zegler
Rachel Zegler started her career by sharing singing videos online, performing covers in her bedroom and at school. One video of a song from ‘A Star Is Born’ went viral, and soon she was noticed by film casting agents. Director Steven Spielberg chose her from a large group of hopefuls to play Maria in his remake of ‘West Side Story’. She quickly became a rising star, and later took the lead role in the movie ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’.
Halle Bailey
Halle Bailey began her career performing with her sister Chloe, posting heartfelt covers of popular songs on YouTube. A video of them covering a Beyoncé song caught the attention of Beyoncé herself, which led to a record deal. Later, Halle landed the starring role of Ariel in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid’ and showed off her acting skills again in the movie musical ‘The Color Purple’.
Issa Rae
Issa Rae first gained attention with her web series, ‘The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,’ on YouTube. This success led to her highly praised HBO series, ‘Insecure,’ for which she received several Emmy nominations. More recently, she’s taken on leading roles in major films like the hit movie ‘Barbie,’ and she was a key voice actor in the animated film ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’.
Addison Rae
Addison Rae became incredibly popular on TikTok thanks to her dance videos, quickly becoming a well-known personality on the app. She used this fame to land a deal with Netflix for several movies. She started her acting career as the main character in a remake of the classic romantic comedy ‘He’s All That,’ and later showed off her range by appearing in the horror film ‘Thanksgiving.’
Bo Burnham
Bo Burnham started his career as a teen, creating funny and thoughtful musical comedy videos in his bedroom and posting them on YouTube. This led to successful stand-up specials and eventually, making movies. He’s highly praised for writing and directing the award-winning film ‘Eighth Grade,’ and he also gave a standout performance in the Oscar-winning thriller ‘Promising Young Woman.’
Troye Sivan
Troye Sivan began his career as a young teenager by creating videos and posting music on YouTube, quickly gaining fans around the world. He also appeared in films early on, including a role in ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’. Later, he received positive reviews for his performance in the drama ‘Boy Erased’, where he acted alongside Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe. Today, Sivan continues to pursue both music and acting, recently appearing in the series ‘The Idol’.
Liza Koshy
Liza Koshy first became famous online with her funny, energetic videos on platforms like Vine and YouTube, known for her unique style of physical comedy. This online success opened doors to hosting jobs and appearances in TV shows, and eventually led to roles in movies. She showed off her dancing skills in the Netflix film ‘Work It’ and recently voiced the character Arcee in the popular action movie ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’.
Flula Borg
Flula Borg first became well-known on YouTube, where he shared funny videos and music as a distinctive German DJ. His humor and personality helped him move into mainstream movies and television. He gained significant recognition playing a member of Das Sound Machine in ‘Pitch Perfect 2’, and later appeared as the character Javelin in the superhero film ‘The Suicide Squad’.
Jimmy Tatro
I first discovered Jimmy Tatro through his hilarious LifeAccordingToJimmy YouTube channel – those college sketches were spot-on! It was clear he had a knack for comedy and improv, which I think really helped him land that memorable role in ’22 Jump Street’. Since then, he’s kept building a really interesting career, starring in stuff like ‘American Vandal’ and ‘Theater Camp’. It’s awesome to see how someone who started creating comedy online can successfully make the jump to more traditional acting roles – it proves those skills totally translate!
Andrew Bachelor
Andrew Bachelor, who goes by King Bach online, became famous as the most-followed person on Vine. He used his large social media following to start a successful acting career in movies and TV. He’s appeared in films like the horror-comedy ‘The Babysitter’ and the disaster movie ‘Greenland,’ and regularly stars in big comedy films like ‘Vacation Friends’ and its sequel.
Shawn Mendes
Shawn Mendes first became famous by sharing short song covers on Vine, which quickly became popular and launched his music career. More recently, he made his first big movie appearance by voicing the main character in the film ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’. This move shows how many musicians are now also appearing in family movies.
Anna Akana
Anna Akana became popular on YouTube by creating short, story-driven videos and sharing personal experiences about mental health and self-improvement. She also started acting, landing a role in the Marvel movie ‘Ant-Man’. Since then, she’s been in shows and films like ‘Let It Snow’ and ‘Blade of the 47 Ronin’. Akana continues to create online content while also building her career in more traditional Hollywood films and TV.
Kian Lawley
Kian Lawley first became well-known as part of the YouTube group Our2ndLife. He then transitioned to a solo career and surprised many by becoming an actor. He landed a leading role in the teen movie ‘Before I Fall’ alongside Zoey Deutch, proving he could handle serious acting roles beyond his online personality. Since then, he’s appeared in the horror film ‘Monster Party’ and several other independent projects.
Froy Gutierrez
Froy Gutierrez first became popular on social media platforms like Vine and Instagram. This led to an acting role on the TV show ‘Teen Wolf’, where he gained a larger following. He then appeared in the popular Disney movie ‘Hocus Pocus 2’, and is now starring in the new ‘The Strangers: Chapter 1’ horror film, continuing to build his career.
D.C. Young Fly
D.C. Young Fly first gained fame online with his funny ‘roasting’ videos on platforms like Vine and Instagram. His talent for quick, spontaneous humor led to a role on the comedy show ‘Wild ‘N Out’. More recently, he starred in a remake of the movie ‘House Party’, produced by LeBron James, and appeared with Eddie Murphy in the holiday film ‘Candy Cane Lane’.
Lilly Singh
Lilly Singh rose to fame as Superwoman on YouTube, becoming one of the platform’s top earners. Her popular comedy videos helped launch a career that included appearances in movies like ‘Bad Moms’ and HBO’s ‘Fahrenheit 451.’ She also lent her voice to the hit animated film ‘The Bad Guys.’ Notably, Singh made history as the first YouTuber to host a late-night talk show on a major television network.
Eugene Lee Yang
Eugene Lee Yang first became well-known as one of the original members of the Try Guys on YouTube. He’s skilled at creating and directing detailed videos, demonstrating his creativity. He also voiced the character Ambrosius Goldenloin in the animated film ‘Nimona,’ which was nominated for an Academy Award. This role was an important move for him, helping him shift from being a popular online personality to a professional voice actor in major films.
Quinta Brunson
Quinta Brunson began her career creating popular videos for Instagram and working at BuzzFeed Video. She then used her skills in writing and acting to develop the sitcom ‘Abbott Elementary’, which quickly became a critical and commercial success, earning her several Emmy Awards. Additionally, she portrayed Oprah Winfrey in the comedic biographical film ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’.
Please share your favorite performance by a former social media star in the comments.
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2025-12-06 08:18