Having discovered fame on social media, it’s straightforward to slip Quenlin Blackwell into the influencer bucket. However that’s not how she sees herself.
“I don’t think I’m an influencer at my core. I’m a creator,” the 25-year-old tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I think that’s why I’ve been able to sustain this career because I’m not trying to influence anyone. I’m trying to entertain people.”
After rising in fame as a teen in Texas a decade in the past together with her comedic movies on the now-shuttered app Vine, she later efficiently transitioned her fan base over to YouTube and TikTok, garnering greater than 16 million followers throughout the 2 platforms.
“I’ve had so many parasocial experiences where I understand why people think I’m their friend because I’ve been talking to you since you were 10 years old and you’ve been talking back to me. So in the human mind, that means we’re friends,” Blackwell, who now lives in Los Angeles, says.
As she’s continued to ship her life-style and comedic movies to followers, Blackwell’s additionally expanded her content material with the launch of her authentic YouTube collection, Feeding Ravenous Celebrities, final 12 months. It’s solely grown in reputation, attracting stars like Charli xcx, Tyriq Withers and Lil Yachty to make visitor appearances.
As for her personal private ambitions, Blackwell has additionally began dabbling in performing, making her debut within the Rachel Sennott-led HBO present I Love LA. Beneath, she opens up about how she discovered her residence within the comedy area, her dream company for her YouTube collection, performing targets, internet hosting the Self-importance Truthful Oscars Get together and extra.
Discovering success on social media appears to be half luck, consistency and discovering a distinct segment. Having discovered your property within the comedic area, discuss to me about discovering the content material you like creating.
In the event you take a look at the best comedians of all time — Katt Williams, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, the entire funniest folks ever, particularly Black folks, it’s not that we have been looking for our voices in comedy. In the event you hearken to it, it’s like a communal factor. My comedy doesn’t stem from me looking for the place my voice matches. It stems from me making an attempt to make my aunts and uncles snicker on the desk and going toe to toe with the funniest folks in my household and getting a joke off of them that I used to be humorous. So then it was identical to, let me inform these jokes that I inform myself in the way in which that I understand how to inform jokes. And it simply resonated with folks.
In a world the place so many issues are photoshopped and made to look good, you current a really genuine and personable persona on-line. Is sustaining that relatable persona vital for you?
I feel it’s the one solution to do it. I began creating on the web earlier than the phrases influencer and creator have been even conceptualized. … I feel the explanation folks like watching me is as a result of it doesn’t really feel like I’m making an attempt to optimize them or match into no matter mould society needs me to be. It looks like they’re speaking to a pal as a result of I’m simply the pal on the opposite facet of the cellphone.
You fall out of the final vibe once you begin to attempt to shift your self to be no matter you suppose the algorithm needs you to be. The algorithm’s not an individual. The algorithm will provide you with viral movies, however a pair million likes however no connection to an precise particular person for a sustained time frame doesn’t imply something.
You’ve been doing this for a while, so what are your future targets with social media?
I don’t see myself going anyplace actually subsequent within the social media area as a result of I really feel like I’m all over the place. I’m taking a look at it extra as, the place do I wish to enterprise into the leisure area as a result of that’s what I’m at my core. I don’t suppose I’m an influencer at my core. I’m a creator. I feel that’s why I’ve been in a position to maintain this profession as a result of I’m not making an attempt to affect anybody. I’m making an attempt to entertain folks. So the way in which that I like my profession as an entertainer to evolve is to do extra performing tasks. … Particularly in these hectic occasions, I simply wish to proceed to be that place of solace for my group in no matter approach that takes form.
Your YouTube collection Feeding Ravenous Celebrities has actually resonated together with your followers. How did the concept for the present first come about?
The present first happened as a result of my associates Lil Nas X and Destin Conrad, each musicians, have been like, “Let’s go party.” And I’m like, “Y’all have music as a sustaining career. I need to make a video. I haven’t made a video because I’ve been hanging out with everyone in L.A. so much. I need to make a video. I need to give to the people who’ve got me in L.A. I’m not doing anything except for making a video right now.” They usually’re like, “OK, shit, what do you want to do?” I’m like, “I don’t know, cook.”
So that they’re like, “What do you want to cook?” I’m like, “I don’t know. I’ll just DoorDash Uber Eats some groceries.” And I’m like, “Let me just film it.” And that was the primary episode. … There’s extra episodes of me with associates than there may be with me and folks I don’t have some kind of repertoire with. A majority of individuals I do know from socializing within the leisure trade. So it’s a extremely trustworthy present.
Quenlin Blackwell
Max Montgomery
The collection has a approach of bringing out a really human and personable facet of the celebrities. Is that your objective with each visitor?
In fact! I’m additionally a public determine and I understand how it feels to go on an interview present and it actually feels such as you’re in a fever dream of the identical factor occurring each time versus after they come on my present, I’m like, “You have complete freedom to take anything out that you don’t like. I’m not trying to get you. We can talk about whatever you want to talk about. I just want you to feel comfortable. Let’s have fun. Everyone is under an NDA. You’re safe, you’re safe, you’re safe.” As a result of so many occasions folks like salacious issues, they like clicks, they like no matter would get them views. And that’s once you get a not-real particular person as a result of they’ve all their defenses up. However on my present, you don’t must have all of your defenses up as a result of I don’t need something from you besides so that you can have a great time. I simply wish to have a brand new pal.
Do you’ve a dream visitor?
Each visitor and pal dream: Inde [Navarrette] from Obsession. Actually dwell for her, dwell for her, dwell for her. Her, Odessa [A’zion] … Then let me suppose, are there any males that I’m like, “Oh my God, we’re best friends. We just don’t know it yet.” That is going to sound so loopy, however actually all of my associates that I’ve now, all of my associates that even have leisure careers, that is the way it begins. When me and Odessa met one another, I used to be like, “Oh my God, you’re crazy. I’ve seen videos of you on the internet and you’re such a talented person. We’re going to be best friends.” After which we’re greatest associates. Similar with me and Larray.
YouTube has pushed its approach into Hollywood, highlighting its creators’ content material and reveals. Why do you suppose the platform is flourishing on this shifting broadcast-streaming period?
Effectively, as a result of there’s no gatekeepers to maintain it stagnant. There’s no non-public fairness taking all of its worth and making an attempt to tear components of it so it turns into worthwhile to whoever else. It’s like no matter you wish to do together with your AdSense, do it. If you wish to reinvest into your present, reinvest into your present. If you wish to let your YouTube fall downhill whilst you go get together with that cash, do it. It provides the creator full autonomy. I feel that’s why we’re seeing so many writers, filmmakers come from YouTube as a result of they didn’t must squeeze their concept as a result of the studio stated they needed to match some kind of quota to make a sure factor to take the soul out of it. … I feel YouTube is doing the perfect as a result of it’s simply probably the most trustworthy format to create on.
Along with YouTube, you’ve additionally dabbled in internet hosting, most lately the 2026 Self-importance Truthful Oscars Get together. I do know there was some criticism, with some folks saying that’s a journalist’s job. What’s your ideas on that, and what was that total internet hosting expertise like?
I really feel wish to be a journalist, you simply must be curious, actually, and know find out how to have a great dialog with folks. Individuals wish to really feel related to those celebrities and these occasions. So the explanation why folks like me, Brittany [Broski], Jake [Shane] have been invited to do one thing like that’s as a result of we’re the conduits to connection to all of those larger-than-life celebrities. We make them really feel like folks, as a result of child, we’re folks. I see y’all out, I see y’all at Erewhon, I see y’all strolling on the road, you’re identical to me, let’s discuss, let’s keke.
People who find themselves watching issues proper now don’t wish to hear the identical celeb speak about the identical press speaking factors. They’ll hear the repetition. They wish to hear a star they’re thinking about converse to somebody like their pal as a result of that’s how they really feel about that particular person. They really feel a detailed connection to them, and that’s how we discuss to folks versus a journalist [who] is investigative, making an attempt to get into it. Child, I’m making an attempt to know what number of pictures you’re going to take. And identical with the person who’s watching this (Laughs). It will be totally different if I used to be internet hosting an occasion, however the crimson carpet to a celebration, all we making an attempt to know is the way you about to show up. You had all of the investigative questions on the Oscars crimson carpet. Child, that is Self-importance Truthful. We’re making an attempt to get together.
Quenlin Blackwell on the 2026 Self-importance Truthful Oscar Get together.
Amy Sussman/Getty Photos for Self-importance Truthful
You made your performing debut within the HBO comedy collection I Love LA, enjoying a dramatised model of your self. What was that have like working with Rachel Sennott and your shut pal Odessa?
It was a dream come true. I’m eternally grateful to Rachel Sennott for giving me the chance. I imply, to play a hyperalized model of myself is a feat as a result of that’s not me. That’s not me in any respect. I actually had an anxiousness assault earlier fascinated with how I might go and stroll in public and be simply regular. Like I’m a really anxious particular person, versus the character in I Love LA was like a queen bee princess. And it was simply so good to have the ability to drop my actual self to offer life to this character. And it made me be taught extra about myself too.
I really like performing as a result of I really feel like for those who grew up on the web, you weren’t correctly socialized in a approach the place you don’t have your first kiss as a result of it’s time so that you can have your first kiss. You will have your first kiss as a result of media informed you that is the way you’re presupposed to have your first kiss. … And I really feel like performing places you again into being a human. It places you again into once you say these phrases, why are you saying them with this inflection? How do you are feeling about it? And that’s very good for me. It’s like I’m studying find out how to exist form of backwards.
You will have some fairly iconic friendships, corresponding to with Larray and Odessa and Billie Eilish. What’s your response once you see how excited followers get about your private relationships?
We’ve all grown up collectively. I feel the web has by no means existed in every other technology ever. And you’ll suppose our audiences are parasocial; we’re parasocial to one another (Laughs). I’ve had so many parasocial experiences the place I perceive why folks suppose I’m their pal as a result of I’ve been speaking to you because you have been 10 years previous and also you’ve been speaking again to me. So within the human thoughts, which means we’re associates.
I don’t know what the psychological results will probably be sooner or later. Who is aware of? I actually don’t care. All I do know is that if I’m feeling glad and also you’re feeling glad, we’re all glad. So long as me, my friendships, my relationships aren’t negatively impacting my viewers, I don’t see something incorrect with them being glad over seeing me join with my associates as a result of we’re your pals too.
In the event you needed to describe what makes Quenlin Blackwell, Quenlin Blackwell, what would you say?
I feel the place I come from, the folks I really like, the folks that love me, what the kid in me is worked up about, my curiosity and my eager to consistently be in play as a result of it makes life appear price residing to me. That’s what makes me me.
