O’Neil Thomas is truly a comedic force to be reckoned with. O’Neil is a cultural disruptor who established a devoted following by blending laugh-out-loud humor with fearless fashion and sharp social commentary to nail hilariously accurate takes on family dynamics and modern culture. Named one of META’s Creators of Tomorrow, O’Neil was just featured on CNN, NBC and People Magazine for his viral video on learning Spanish ahead of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance. You can view the viral clip here.
O’Neil also turned heads at NYFW, as well as when he teamed up with iconic stylist Mickey Freeman to design an exclusive couture look for Beyoncé: Cowboy Carter Tour.
Check out our interview with O’Neil:
You are a multi-hyphenate talent with acting, comedy, social media, fashion, so on and so forth. When you were growing up, did you ever expect that you would be where you are now?
O’Neil: You know what? That’s honestly such a great question. Yeah, there was a very big part of me in my childhood where I knew that I was so delusional that I can absolutely do what I set myself out to do. It was just a matter of how much work I was willing to put into it. And yeah, I’m so happy that the delusion worked and I’m doing everything that I set out to do.
Who inspires your creativity?
O’Neil: Oh my gosh. Okay, it kind of ebbs and flows, but I have, like, a creative Mount Rushmore. I would have to say Beyonce is number one, Quinta Brunson, Jordan, Peele and Coleman Domingo. Yeah, I think those four, to me, they all offer something so vital to my creativity. Every time I see them do something that they send their heart out to do, like, whatever next project they’re working on, they put so much of themselves into it, and I just can’t help but be inspired. They 1000 percent inspire my creativity.
I love the creative Mount Rushmore visual. Can you explain a little bit of your origin story? Like where you came from and like how you got into all of your creative avenues.
O’Neil: Yeah, so basically, my love for acting sparked in the third grade. I was, like seven, eight years old, and I did my first ever show, a Christmas show, and I was one of the three kings, I had zero lines, and I had stage fright like no other. I got on stage, and I was terrified. I had no lines. I just delivered the gold and I got off. I felt a huge sigh of relief that I was able to do it. And after the show wrapped up, we all got back on stage, did the big current call, and I’m seeing the crowd of people; I’m seeing the parents, the faculty, the staff, they’re all standing, applauding, you know, clapping and everything, and– I kid you not, I always get chills when I think about this, but I had a literal warm feeling in my heart that I think I’m doing the right thing. I just felt like I was in the right place when I was on that stage. So, from that very moment, I never ignored it. I was like, ‘I think this is something I’m supposed to be doing for the rest of my life.’ And ever since then, I started studying. I’m a big Disney and Nickelodeon kid, so I got a lot of my comedy training from just watching the greats do it. The older I got, the more training I got. I got to go to a performing arts high school, and I was an acting major there, so I got four years of really good theatrical training in. Then I went to college. I went to school for theater, and comedy, funny enough, was my concentration. And yeah, I am doing anything I can just to constantly sharpen that tool. So, it started at a young age when I was on stage in the third grade, and I’ve been doing it ever since.
You are also known as a cultural disrupter. What is your definition of disruption?
O’Neil: I think, for me, my definition of disruption is knowing what the norm is and not being afraid to step out of that. It’s really interesting to think that as advanced as we are, we still kind of can’t help but, as a society, know that there are boxes that we kind of create for ourselves, and a lot of people, out of fear, decide to stay in that box, just to not be perceived. So for me, disruption is being fully aware of what we have as a society, what constrains us, and stepping out of that and not being afraid to do it.
I love that definition so much. And you embody that with your sketches, especially when you include themes of identity and mental health and things that are really hard to talk about. Why are bigger messages like these important to you to include in your work?
O’Neil: I think it’s certainly important for me to include in my work because it’s something that almost everyone can relate to, no matter how hard we try to ignore it. It is something that we all deal with on any scope. When I’m creating these sketches and I’m creating all this content, I’m also a consumer of this content. So, I know that we have moments where we’re not feeling our best and we can compare ourselves to others, but knowing that the people that you might be comparing yourself to are actually going through similar things as you is something that is so detrimentally important to be seen and to be understood. Yes, I love comedy and I love making people feel good, but it’s also important for me to be able to reach out to them and let them know that they’re not alone. I’m able to do that with the common themes and the common messaging of comedy and humor and laughter. For me, that is the most healing thing. If people are able to laugh and feel something positive while also being presented with something that they may be struggling with, suddenly it’s not as hard for them to cope with, you know? So I think it’s really important for me to be able to find that fine line and meet people that way, versus shining a really harsh light on them and making them feel like they have to be defensive. It’s something that they can welcome and learn more about.
What I like about your content is that you have a really nice balance of humor and the tough stuff and and we don’t always get that. Like sometimes it feels like we’re being lectured, and other times it feels like we’re kind of being made fun of. So, how do you balance that very intricate dynamic?
O’Neil: I think I put myself in the perspective of the viewer, you know, like, I definitely agree with you on that there have been times where I’m seeing content where people are a lot more direct and that directness can be a lot more harsh,which can turn a lot of people off to even considering what that person is saying. So, I learned to put myself in the shoes of who’s watching. Like, I will tell myself, when I’m making videos, ‘how do I want to feel if I’m a viewer of my content? How do I want to feel when I approach a topic as important as this?’ So, whenever I see people respond to it really well, and they’re able to understand where I’m coming from and they’re able to feel right about it, that’s really what matters most to me. I think it’s all in the delivery. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. I have learned to get my point across in a much nicer way that is more inviting versus, like, a harsh way, because I’ve seen it myself, and I’m not a fan of people making fun of the topic, making fun of the person, or making the person the butt of the joke. I’ve seen it time and time, and I want to be the one to make it different and make people feel understood and not laughed at.
I love that approach, because that informs the authenticity that I feel when I see your content. I’ve started to notice that there is a strong temptation to kind of move away from your authentic self and kind of do what your audience expects of you. So, now that you have a very healthy following, how do you navigate staying true to yourself and your messages and your comedy while balancing what the audience expects?
O’Neil: Great question. I think for me, it’s having a healthy balance of your real life and your social life, in a sense. So, I’m super close with my family, like we’re very tight knit, and I love spending as much time with them as I can. While I do love creating things online for everyone to consume, over consumption on any scale can be really bad for your health or your mental health as well. So, I make sure to have healthy breaks with my phone and spend time with my family, my close friends, and my amazing team of people. They’re the ones who help keep me grounded, because they’ve been with me before all the other eyes have been on me. That really helps. And regarding the content that I create online, it’s important for me to remember my why, and that’s always been able to help me, kind of have my longevity for doing this for so long. I constantly remember my why. I constantly go back to my old videos and I have such a good time. It reminds me of how much fun I had, and how many people to this day are still going back and seeing my older videos. That really fuels my why. I’m like, ‘oh, wait. This is the whole point. I’m supposed to be having fun. I don’t want to veer away from something that platformed me, because this was what got me here in the first place.’ So, it’s having a healthy mix. I don’t have to constantly do the same thing that my audience expects of me. I do a healthy mix of what they will like and things that I like so I can stay authentic to myself, instead of falling into the hole of not being authentic anymore.
I want to talk about you learning Spanish in time for the Super Bowl, because you kind of started a trend there with your video. Did you expect that video to take off?
O’Neil: Literally, not in the slightest. I was in a hotel room in Boston on a work trip, and I remember the Bad Bunny news came out, and I got so excited. Like, I know Bad Bunny. I know his songs, and I know he is a very, very fast, fluent Spanish speaker. And I suffer from severe FOMO, and I love having fun with everyone, so I want to be in the mix and have fun. I was like, let me pop my camera, and literally one take. I thought nothing of it. It blew up and, I kid you not, I was in shock. It was so cool and it really made me so happy for humanity, because it taught me, in real time, just how beautiful community is. And I mean, thousands of people from all platforms, from all walks of life, were rallying behind me and supporting me, and it was just a beautiful, beautiful thing to see in the climate that we’re in. So, I was really happy with how it turned out, and I’m happy that everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did.
So, how is your Spanish coming?
O’Neil: I know it doesn’t happen overnight, but we are learning as we go. I’m feeling a lot more confident with the songs that I posted. I’ve been listening to those non-stop and fun fact: I have Just Dance on my Nintendo Switch, and they have so many Bad Bunny songs, so I’m also gonna get my dancing up too. I gotta get ready. Who knows what’ll happen, but in case Mr. Bunny wants to put me on stage, I’m ready. I’m ready for anything.
Obviously that’s not your only viral moment, and I doubt the virality will stop. So, if you had to narrow down your career into kind of like three major highlights, what would they be?
O’Neil: Okay, I would have to say, number one would have to be something that happened this year. I got to go to South Korea for the first time with Netflix. That was my first time in Asia ever and it was just the most surreal thing to experience and see. It was amazing, a lovely culture shock. So, definitely going to South Korea with Netflix in celebration of the “Squid Game” season three finale. Another would have to be speaking on panels. I think I’ve always had an interest in talking and kind of sharing my story and everything, and being able to have that opportunity to speak on panels, in the South of France and San Francisco, was a really, really fun thing. I got to meet so many people who are so eager to learn more about this world that we’re in now. And another one would just have to be, honestly, it’s just the content that I create. I think, for me, and as an actor as well, it’s very powerful to be the artist and not necessarily have to feel like you have to wait constantly for that approval. It’s nice to be able to reinforce that in myself and know that what I’m doing is right and I’m capable of creating something that the masses can really enjoy. So, being able to share my art and have it be so widely received, that’s probably the best thing for me. The biggest highlight.
Getting to celebrate the “Squid Game” season three finale is huge!
O’Neil: Oh my gosh, it was insane. It was the best thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life.
Did you get to try out any of the games?
O’Neil: Yes! They literally had, like, a whole humongous activation involved. We got to play Red Light, Green Light, we got to play the Pentathlon, and the Ring Around The Rosie game. I think my best was Red Light, Green Light. I was very, very good at that one. The Pentathlon, that’s another conversation… the minute I got to, like, the little ball kick thing, I was done for. I was like, ‘Well, I know what I’m not good at…’ but yeah, playing the games was so much fun.
So, you’ve had so many successes so far. What are some goals that you have for the future?
O’Neil: Yeah, honestly, like, again, I’m still doing my acting thing. I was just in LA for about a week and a half, getting some work done, and I got my headshots redone, and I’m feeling really excited about that. So, right now I’m in grind, grind, grind mode. I’m using the next two months to really just kind of fine tune everything that I need so when the next season starts, I’m auditioning with so much more confidence. I’m just really excited to see what comes next.
I’m guessing that you’re going to keep posting on social media and creating your sketches in the meantime, right?
O’Neil: 100 percent.
To follow and learn more about O’Neil Thomas follow him on TikTok at @oneilthomas97, on Instagram at @oneilthomas, and on YouTube at @oneilthomas.