The most popular YouTube personalities became celebs before they started uploading (daily) vlogs with their gameplay, travel vlogs or even their makeup tutorials on their personal YouTube channels. They used their channels to document their life experiences, to gain fans, and to keep their subscribers engaged. The final goal was to use their channels as a stepping stone for more ‘legitimate’ opportunities like television shows, big-budget movies, or major label recording contracts.
Gone are the days when children dreamed of becoming movie stars, today’s children want to be YouTubers and Vloggers.There are a variety of reasons for this change, but the biggest one is because millennials are consuming their content via social media.
This is also the main reason we see a reverse trend happening: Our favorite actors, comedians and musicians are starting to take over cyberspace! For many of these celebs, YouTube offers a way to connect to their younger fans, while they are able to express a side of themselves that the general public doesn’t know yet. It also offers more control over the content that they participate in.
From TV Studio’s to YouTube vlogs
From TV Studio’s to YouTube vlogs, here are a few celebrities who spotted this trend and have started their own YouTube channels.
Dwayne Johnson
According to the MVPindex – a social media analytics company that ranks the most popular actors, based on their social media accounts – Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, is the most popular actor by far!
One of the main reason for his ranking is his youtube channel, where he has been posting videos since 2016.
Will Smith
When “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” ended its six-year run in 1996, Smith was starring in “Independence Day” the film that put him on the map as an action hero.
Smith posted the first video to his channel on December 19, 2017 and has since uploaded a few wacko clips: He skied in the desert, Bungee jumped out of a helicopter, did a shootout with Ronaldinho and so much more!
Jack Black
The American actor Jack Black has explored many creative outlets in the past: Tenacious D, School of Rock, Being the voice of the Kung-Fu Panda movies… But now he’s on to the next ambitious project: a YouTube gaming channel.
Henk Rijckaert
Belgian stand-upcomedian Henk Rijckaert likes to build things in his spare time, so he decided to launch his own “DIY”-Youtube Channel called “De Koterij” back in 2016.
Dreaming to become a vlogger? Will Smith has a final tip for you: “If we wanna have a YouTube channel it has to be based on authenticity”.