Last week I spoke with YouTube star Drew Malino. We discussed what inspired him to launch his YouTube career, creating videos that would land him with over 400,000 subscribers, how he balances his time making videos while pursuing acting, and why he’s not afraid to push the limits. If you missed part one you can check it out here. Read on for part two of our exclusive interview!
TAM: What advice can you give to other actors and content creators hoping to break into comedy?
Drew Malino: The best advice that I can give to anyone breaking into comedy is to know that there will be people that won’t laugh at everything you do. You can’t please everyone, but you can please yourself and the people who love and appreciate your material.
TAM: That’s some pretty good advice. It reminds me of when people say, “You have to learn to love yourself before you can love anyone else.” Tell me, what’s been the most rewarding part of your YouTube success?
Drew Malino: The most rewarding part of all my success is knowing that I’ve been able to save lives through my my videos. So many people are going through rough things in their lives, and they come to my YouTube channel to kind of escape their reality. I got a message from a fan last year where this girl told me that my videos saved her life when she was experiencing suicidal thoughts. That’s the kind of thing that pushes me to keep creating content.
TAM: What actors, tv, or film have most deeply influenced you as an artist and why?
Drew Malino: Actors like Robert Downey Jr., Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Heath Ledger and Johnny Depp have really shaped me as an actor and comedian. I’ve been a huge Jim Carrey fan for a long time so I’d say he definitely inspires me the most. He puts himself completely out there and he isn’t afraid to do it. The Dark Knight with Heath Ledger as The Joker had a huge influence on me. I’ve always admired actors who can completely transform into another person.
TAM: What projects are you working on next? Any auditions coming up?
Drew Malino: I’m working on a web series called, Drew York City. It’ll definitely be the biggest project that I’ve ever put out. The series is basically my take on what it’s like to be a starving artist in the big apple. I want people to realize that it isn’t easy and I want to inspire others to work as hard as they can for their dreams. And I’m auditioning a lot in the city (New York) for all kinds of things. That’s also something I want to show in my webseries- what it’s like to audition.
TAM: Switching gears a bit. We know you’re a huge Pokemon fan. You even do Pokemon themed videos on your YouTube channel. Why is the franchise so dear to you?
Drew Malino: [laughs] Yes! I love Pokemon! I’ve loved it for a very long time. If you really think about it, Pokemon was like social media before it existed. It requires that you interact with other players and trade or battle in order to see, or catch ’em all. That’s probably the reason why I’m really big on social media. Pokemon pushes you to be the very best, like no one ever was. You have to work hard on your craft, if you want to be the best at it.
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