Zoé Mahfouz’s journey from a shy middle school student to a viral content creator began with a simple class project and an unexpected burst of “creative genius.” 

Leveraging her diverse experiences across Paris, London, and Los Angeles, the French content creator has crafted a multi-platform presence that resonates with a global audience. 

Her recent parody of the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, which went viral within 24 hours, exemplifies her knack for capitalizing on trending events and transforming them into relatable content.

In an exclusive interview with Net Influencer, Zoé details her creative process, strategies for cross-platform success, and vision for the future of online entertainment.

Overcoming Stage Fright

An acting teacher described Zoé as a “likable strangeness.”

Her journey into content creation began in high school, where she discovered her knack for comedy through class projects. 

“I remember unleashing my creative side,” she recalls in the interview. “I told people we would do something similar to a scene I saw on a Disney Channel sitcom, like having a character responding to an interview dead serious in the foreground and having another character making a mess in the background.”

Despite her comedic talents, Zoé admits to being shy outside of her performances. 

“I was terrified of public speaking,” she tells us. “When I had to read poetry in class in middle school, I was not there.”

Her transition to online content creation was gradual. Zoé initially resisted joining TikTok, believing it was for a younger audience. 

“I didn’t want to go on TikTok. I felt too old for this social media!” she explains. 

However, the content creator eventually recognized the platform’s potential for visibility and audience reach. 

“Some of the comedy YouTubers I was following were on TikTok, like Caitlin Reilly or Light Skin Monte.”

Zoé acknowledges the unique opportunities platforms like TikTok provide as she continues to grow her online presence.

“It is a really good app because you have this prospect of going worldwide, going viral in an instant, in 24 hours,” she notes. “You would be surprised by this app’s wide range of content. TikTok is very underrated.” 

Diverse Experiences Fuel Creative Content

Zoé’s diverse training across Paris, London, and Los Angeles has significantly shaped her acting and content creation approach. 

“I would say that it nourishes me,” Zoé explains. “The more you experience, the more you garner some funny stories.”

Her international exposure has led to the creation of compelling screenplays. 

One such work, “Commercial Actress,” draws from her real-life experience auditioning for a Burger King commercial. The screenplay has garnered multiple accolades and is making rounds in film festivals.

“If I write something about this, will people believe it? It sounds so surreal to be true,” she says. And then the people from the industry loved it. It was such a blast, and it encouraged me to write more.”

Zoé’s content often reflects her observations of social media dynamics. Inspired by her experiences with online communities and fan interactions, she’s developed a pilot called “I Follow You.”

“I had someone in particular in my community who was obsessed with me in the sense that that person was trying to find some clues in the background of my videos of where I could be,” Zoé reveals.

Her creative process involves drawing inspiration from everyday encounters and transforming them into relatable content. 

“Pretty much anything can inspire you in real life,” she notes. “For example, if you go to the grocery store and encounter someone with a weird attitude, this could make a character. Or you’ll just hear a glimpse of a stranger’s interaction in the subway, which could inspire you to write an entire fiction.”

Viral Success with Olympic Ceremony Parody

Zoé’s keen eye for satire and quick creative instincts made her parody of the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony a viral hit. 

The content creator’s video, which focused on an overlooked volunteer holding an umbrella during the event, resonated strongly with viewers.

Zoé watched the ceremony live, noting its peculiarities. “The whole show was so odd. And I was like, ‘Is this how it usually is? I’ve never seen anything like it. Maybe that’s because I never watch sports !’” she recalls.

Her inspiration came from an unexpected source.

“At the end of the show, there was this girl, and I felt so empathetic. I saw her with the umbrella and was like, ‘How long is this speech going to last?’” Zoé explains. “I was like, maybe she’s the one I should be embodying.”

After confirming no one else had parodied this specific moment, Zoé quickly produced her video. “I brought my mom and told her we had to do it quickly before anyone else decides to do it,” she says.

The audience reaction was swift and positive. “In the first 300 views, I had a bunch of people putting it in their favorite section, commenting, liking, sharing it, which doesn’t usually happen as fast,” Zoé notes. 

The video went viral within 24 hours.

The content creator was pleased with the response because it highlighted an overlooked aspect of the ceremony. 

“I felt like this girl was not being seen at all,” Zoé tells us. “She was the only one I could remember from the ceremony. She was, to me, the main character.”

Improv Skills Fuel Authentic Content Creation

Zoé credits her background in improvisation as a key factor in her success as a content creator and actress. 

The French influencer believes improv skills are invaluable for actors and content creators. They allow them to adapt quickly and create authentic material.

“I started with improv, and I feel like it has been extremely beneficial,” Zoé explains. “Any actor should do improv because it is the best way to learn to deal with any situation, including daily life.”

She emphasizes how improv techniques enhance her creative process, particularly in sketch writing and auditions. 

“Improv is really about associating ideas with others, like linking stuff together,” she says. “When you have this kind of rhythm and are used to doing that, I feel it’s also easier to create and create pretty much anything.”

Zoé’s improv skills have proven particularly useful in audition scenarios. 

“Sometimes they give you a bunch of text,” she recounts. “And then you show up… and they’ll go, ‘We’re not going to use it. We’re just going to talk. So if you only rely on your lines, you’re doomed.'”

The performer believes her improvisational approach contributes to the authenticity of her content. “Everything that I stand for, everything that I am in my videos, is me. It is not me playing a part or trying to be funny,” Zoé asserts.

Double-Edged Sword of Social Media Visibility

Zoé’s multifaceted career as an actress, writer, and content creator is powered by her ability to adapt across various platforms and mediums. 

She highlights versatility in the entertainment industry: “You must challenge yourself in the way you must be everywhere.”

Her strategy for building an audience on TikTok involves carefully using trending hashtags.

However, she acknowledges that success is never guaranteed: “You just have to keep producing content until that one video explodes and stays in people’s minds. Just like Gary Vee says, attention is the number 1 asset.”

Zoé primarily creates content in English to reach a broader, international audience. 

“When you do something in English, you can appeal to the entire world,” she says. 

Yet, she has also found success with French-language content, citing a video about Parisian stereotypes that garnered over 70,000 views.

The content creator has observed that different platforms often require tailored approaches. “Sometimes I got videos that go crazy on TikTok and that don’t work on YouTube,” she reveals.

Despite her success, Zoé is candid about the challenges of digital content creation, particularly for women. 

“When you’re a woman in this landscape, you know you’re going to be criticized for your physique, skin color, name, or anything,” she states. “Especially if you do something where men could feel emasculated, like weight-lifting, which is also something I do.”

Future Endeavors

Zoé is poised for significant career developments in the near future. The content creator is set to relocate to London, where she’ll pursue a master’s degree in screenwriting. 

Collaborating with a UK-based female director, Zoé is also in the development phase of “Chocolate Gate.” 

“I wrote another short screenplay, about two pages long,” she adds. “It’s like a microfilm, and I took the initiative to make a proof of concept in the form of an AI Music Video to showcase it, with a song tailored to the script. Creating this made me feel like I was in a Spielberg movie.”

The film explores the nuanced relationship between social media, hate, and necessity.

“It’s not a critique to say fuck social media,” Zoé clarifies. “It’s about how we tend to hate social media. But we also do desperately need social media.”

The proof of concept for this project has already gained traction in multiple film festivals.

Alongside these projects, Zoé continues to write fiction, non-fiction, and poetry for literary platforms.