Disney taps social media sensation Jake Paul for new series
LOS ANGELES – The Disney Company has consistently found new, young talent to star on its programs. Generally that talent hasn’t had much exposure before taking on their TV role.
Jake Paul, one of the stars of the new Disney Channel series “Bizaardvark,” is an exception. Even before he showed up to play Dirk Man, Paul was known to millions through his online appearances.
The Cleveland native has a social media fan base of more than 14 million, and that number continues to grow. The comedic videos he makes for Vine, YouTube, Instagram and other social media sites have racked up 3.5 billion views.
He’s the first Internet sensation to be hired by Disney.
Casting Paul makes sense for the series, which focuses on young people who produce their own online videos. The stories revolve around Paige (Olivia Rodrigo) and Frankie (Madison Hu), who write funny songs and create music comedy videos for the internet.
Paul’s large internet presence started when he was 10 and his father gave him a small video camera. Paul and his brother started making short films. He says the quality of his online work is varied.
“Some of it is really bad. All those videos are still online and you can still look them up,” Paul says.
Once he gained a following, Paul was approached to move into acting. He decided that since he had been in front of the camera for years, there was no reason he shouldn’t try his hand in Hollywood.
Being cast on “Bizaardvark” is a big change. He spent years coming up with his own ideas and putting the results online at his leisure. Now he’s working under the tight confines of a TV show.
“When I was making my own videos I was the actor, the writer, the director, the editor. Now, being just the actor is a little bit different and I have to adapt to doing what I’m told,” Paul says. “I always want to put my own creative twist on it but there’s someone else here who is in charge and they know what they are doing. I just end up doing what they say.”
The 19-year-old is not only appearing on the Disney Channel series, but he is also working on a movie he wrote with his brother, Logan. His work in social media helps with his work on the Disney series. Because the series is about those who make products for websites, the possibilities for story ideas are massive.
“I think the beauty of social media is that you never know what you are going to get,” Paul says.
And Paul now can use his social media platforms to push his series, which he did when the show had its special debut in June after the broadcast of the original film “Adventures in Babysitting.”
The show officially launches Sunday, and all of the cast members have been spending time promoting the show through digital outlets. Paul already has an audience.