Influencer
Stephen Hart: Comedian Turned Social Media Star Rises To Success With Viral Videos
Los Angeles-based actor and content creator Stephen Hart has leveraged viral sketches and impressions on TikTok and Instagram to build a full-time career as a social media influencer.
Stephen Hart initially moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. During his journey of auditioning and taking acting classes, he shared that “teachers always encourage students to create their own content.” In the process of seeking creative outlets while working to find a consistent source of income from acting jobs, Stephen Hart started posting short comedic videos on TikTok in April 2020. He reflects, “It was an effort to stay creative in the midst of auditions, and helped me stay motivated and inspired.”
Stephen Hart: Comedian Turned Social Media Star Rises To Success With Viral Videos
Drawing inspiration from his own life, Stephen Hart says, “A lot [of my content] is observational. Just what I observe in the world. I love to laugh and talk with my friends so every once in a while, we’ll be joking around, and someone will suggest that I take what I just said and turn it into a video.”
One of Stephen’s earliest viral hits was a video reenacting a scene parodying the Nickelodeon show “Drake and Josh.” He explains “I can do an impression of Josh from Drake and Josh, and it was the first video that went viral.” Reflecting on how that initial taste of viral success changed his outlook, he says, “I remember my first time collaborating with a brand. It was in that moment I thought, oh wow, people can actually build a career out of this.”
When asked to characterize his content style, Stephen says, “I mostly create comedic content in the form of POVs, vignettes, and sketches.” Over time, he says he has focused more on producing original sketches, sharing, “I’m really excited about creating characters and exploring different worlds that I’ve created.”
Discussing challenges he has faced building his career as a full time content creator and actor, Stephen highlights navigating an oversaturated space. Rather than following trends, he aims to stay grounded in his initial motivations: “For me personally, I’ve just tried to be true to myself. I play characters and write jokes that I think are funny first and then hopefully, that creativity and humor will be appreciated by others.”
Stephen also emphasizes the difficulties of maintaining creative integrity amid pressure to adapt one’s content for growth and monetization. As he puts it, “The hardest part has probably been trying to evolve as a creator while staying true to myself. I’m learning slowly that growing as a content creator doesn’t mean that you have to leave your roots or leave why you started posting in the first place.”
To aspiring creators facing disappointments, Stephen offers encouragement: “I’ve always had the mindset that eventually your content will find the right audience. I think a few videos might get pushed in the wrong direction, but I’ve always thought that if I keep at it, the right people who enjoy my content will eventually find me, regardless of algorithms, timing, and oversaturation.”
Offering advice to others looking to turn social media content creation into a full-time job like his own, Stephen emphasizes authenticity above all else. As he puts it: “I would say be true to yourself. The creators I see who do well are people with personality and they feel like they’re your friend. So if you just get online and be yourself, I think you’ll do really well.”
