It is not far-fetched to say that the old days of actors being almost completely private and shying away from the general public are behind us. With social media becoming an inescapable part of everyday life, no matter the age, having a steady presence as a content creator can really make an aspiring actor stand out amongst their competition. Learn below about how video-based social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube have enabled kids to launch acting careers, and how they have succeeded.
- Social media can be a tool. When making long-term plans for acting, TikTok and YouTube Shorts can serve as a launchpad
- These platforms can guide the kid. Youngsters may not be sure about which path to take at first, but they can discover their passion through social media.
- It is important to know how to transition smoothly. Chasing viral social media trends can only go so far when also looking for acting gigs.
Can Kids Use Social Media For Their Acting Aspirations And End Up Becoming A Disney Star?
American teenage star Walker Scobell has successfully leveraged TikTok to boost his overall entertainer’s prominence, with his follower count on this platform reaching nearly 800 thousand. While already having a drama class background and school play experience, the teenager from Pennsylvania quickly got serious about his acting aspirations.
While working with a manager and acting agency from nearly the very beginning, Scobell’s fun and comedic content, which often featured his family, quickly caught the eye of not only fellow TikTok users but entertainment industry professionals, as he was discovered by a scouting casting director.
In 2020, Walker auditioned for a role in the Netflix science fiction film The Adam Project, where he had quite big shoes to fill, as he was to portray a younger version of Ryan Reynolds’ lead character. Despite huge competition from hundreds of other hopeful kid actors, the 11-year-old Scobell was a fan of the Hollywood stars' movies and already had learnt to mimic them. He ended up getting his first big screen role and later received praise for his performance.
Even before The Adam Project got released, in 2022, Scobell also auditioned for the titular role in the fantasy series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Author of the novels that the series is based on, Rick Riordan, was among those who were very impressed by the teen actor’s audition tapes. And just like that, Scobell ended up becoming the face of a Disney franchise.
While he continues to use TikTok to primarily post content in relation to films and acting, Scobell has appeared in more roles, as well as branched out as a voice actor, too, becoming a bright example for the possible benefits of the usage of this social media platform for aspiring kid actors.
How To Launch A Kid Acting Career Through Social Media
Step 1: Promote the child on their platforms as an actor, not just a content creator.
Step 2: Focus on a single lane as the primary image for the aspiring actors' channels.
Step 3: Avoid artificial enhancements such as filters for TikTok and YouTube content.
Step 4: Consistently publish a few new videos per week, while also avoiding content oversaturation.
Step 5: If a post gains traction successfully, it should be built upon with more of a similar theme.
Step 6: Use top-performing content to create a demo reel for the acting portfolio.
Step 7: When applying to casting calls, make the results on social media a part of the child’s pitch.
Step 8: Start to shift away from chasing social media trends towards more grounded and rarer appearances.
Is It Possible For Teens To Leverage Platforms Like TikTok To Launch A Successful Show Business Career?
Unlike Scobell, Addison Rae did not particularly dream of becoming an actress while growing up in her hometown, Lafayette, Louisiana. Yet she did start to dance competitively early on, thus setting the foundation for what later ended up becoming a career in performance arts. Before becoming a teen star, Rae was actually aspiring to work in a different field, as a sports broadcaster.
Shortly after TikTok blew up for users in the U.S., Rae joined the social media platform and showcased her dancing skills to trending songs at the time. Her content quickly went viral, and she reached the mark of one million followers in just a few months, ending up changing her mind about pursuing sports broadcasting and choosing the route to the entertainment industry instead. Addison soon branched out from being associated only as a viral TikTok star by creating her own podcast series, which aired exclusively through the streaming platform Spotify. The American star also made her debut as a singer with the release of her first music single, as well as starting even more new business ventures, including themed cosmetics and fragrance lines.
Yet her viral social media success transitioned arguably the best through acting. In 2020, she was cast for her very first film role in the Netflix remake of the classic 1999 romantic teen comedy She’s All That, which is actually one of Rae’s favorite movies. The 2021 remake, He’s All That, gender swapped the story, with Addison Rae debuting as an actress in the lead role as Padgett Sawyer, a social media influencer who is hiding a secret from her fellow high school teens. Following the casting, her own viral online success was later integrated into the story for the character. The film ended up being the streaming giant’s top-watched content of the week, and allowed her to also significantly improve the audience’s interest in her music.
Rae has shown the world how one can succeed in multiple showbiz fields, as she embarked on a world tour as a singer in 2025, and added even more film and television roles to her resume, including voice acting, all while continuing to be a TikTok superstar with over 88.3 million followers and counting.
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