Hannah Stocking is one of YouTube's most successful personalities. After gaining
100,000 followers from just one Vine video back in 2013, she successfully transitioned
from the now-defunct Vine to YouTube, where she boasts over 7 million subscribers as of
early 2020. Here are some things you may not know about YouTube superstar Hannah Stocking.
Stocking holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and another in biological sciences,
and she remains convinced her educational background in science is at least partially
responsible for her success on YouTube. In an interview with InLove magazine, she explained,
"I think committing to a double major actually has helped me as a creator.
I'm comfortable editing and filming for a lot of hours because, as a student, I used to spend
all night in the library studying. When I started school, I didn't see being a creator as a possible
career path, but I'm fortunate to have a platform where I can blend science into my comedy."
That led her to partner with video producer ATTN to produce a series of science-based videos,
including one about the effects crash dieting can have on the brain.
According to Tube Filter, ATTN's supervising producer said in a 2018 statement,
"We are excited to partner with Stocking and Shots Studios on this five-part series
that is both funny and informative."
In 2018, Stocking was tapped to create the lyric video for "Hard 2 Face Reality."
Not only did she write and direct the video for the collaboration with rapper Poo Bear,
Justin Bieber, and Jay Electronica, but she also starred in it.
Asked by InLove to determine which of her many videos are her favorites,
she was quick to single out that one, saying,
"I also love the Poo Bear featuring Justin Bieber 'Hard 2 Face Reality' lyric video.
I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to make something so different from my other videos."
Stocking explained that projects like the Poo Bear lyric video are part of her personal development
as a content creator, but also represent the evolution of content itself. She added,
"I think content is constantly evolving, especially as technology evolves,
too. It's hard to predict what will happen, but I think it's good that talented people who
wouldn't have had a platform 10 years ago can now share their work with others all over the world."
In October 2017, Stocking made her movie debut in Tyler Perry's Boo
2! A Madea Movie. Stocking played a partygoer in the Halloween-themed comedy, and told Tube Filter,
"I think it's great to see major studios look to internet creators for roles in their films.
It was a new experience for people like me. [...] It was so much fun to be a part of."
In an interview at the movie's red carpet premiere, Stocking described
the experience of working on the film as "absolutely surreal," revealing
that Perry contacted her after seeing her work on YouTube. She explained,
"I actually never auditioned for this role. Tyler Perry wrote in the part for
me the day before they started shooting because he saw one of my YouTube videos.
And since then, it's literally just been a dream come true. I can't believe that I'm here."
Given the millions of fans who watch her videos, it would be easy to assume Stocking
measures success by how many views her videos receive. While it's true that she keeps close
tabs on viewership numbers and subscriber gains, that's not the only factor involved.
Speaking with Women's Wear Daily, Stocking explained that she actually has other key
criteria for how she determines whether or not she considers a video to be successful. She said,
"I measure my success online mainly when people tell me they haven't laughed that hard
in a while or if my shows help them get through a bad day or a certain bad time in their life."
"A hundred miles per hour wind, torrential rain, these truly are the end of times."
Due to the vast number of eyeballs she attracts to her videos,
she told the publication that she thinks fashion brands should be paying more attention
to YouTubers like her because of the massive reach they can offer them. She pointed out,
"It could actually be really beneficial to the fashion
industry and help them target a different demographic as well."
Stocking has made no secret of her appreciation of fashion, and she revealed in her interview
with InLove magazine what it is about fashion that she loves the most, saying,
"I've always loved the versatility of fashion. There are times when I
want to go big and wear a pretty dress and do something fun with my hair and makeup.
Then there are times where I just want to wear jeans and a t-shirt."
Stocking described how YouTube has given her the opportunity to express herself through her
unique characters with many different clothing styles. She also admitted,
"At the end of the day, regardless of what I'm wearing, my number one priority is always comfort!
As a creator, I love anything that lets me express myself."
The YouTuber views fashion as a way to showcase her personality, and explained,
"I've had fun creating my own line. I didn't want to put something out that I didn't
believe in or connect with, so I worked hard on pinpointing the message I wanted to share."
Stocking might be a superstar to her YouTube subscribers,
but she was starstruck herself when meeting one of her idols.
In an Instagram video, Stocking shared the moment she met Jennifer Aniston — and the Friends star
can be seen giving Stocking a consoling hug when she breaks into tears. Stocking wrote,
"I don't even know where to begin. Ever since I was a kid, I would always get grounded and I
wasn't allowed to do anything except watch DVDs. The only DVDs I had were Friends and
Ace Ventura Pet Detective. After watching Friends religiously,
I grew so fond of Jennifer Aniston and how effortlessly brilliant she is.
She's also Greek! It's safe to say she's incredibly inspiring to me."
Noting that she thought she'd have "everything under control"
after being invited to Variety's Power of Women event, Stocking revealed,
"BUT WHEN I ACTUALLY MET JENNIFER ANISTON FACE TO FACE I couldn't stop crying."
"My mom tells me I look like Jennifer Aniston and that
really gets me going, that really makes me happy."
Stocking's YouTube videos are viewed by millions, but they don't take all that long to make.
As Stocking told Women's Wear Daily, a typical video takes three days to conceive,
film, and then edit. She explained,
"I try to incorporate [the topic] in very relatable concepts,
whether it's a school or a doctor or relationship style. I try to integrate it throughout the video
so it's not information after information, like a lecture almost — it'll never be that. But I
still make it into a skit and have friends involved and we're all having so much fun.
I also try not to use big words. I try to explain it in the most easy way possible."
She told InLove that most of her ideas come from her "everyday life," adding,
"I find inspiration in my experiences,
and then I exaggerate them for my videos. I like using my creative freedom to share
current trending topics that are relevant to all of us in a funny and relatable way."
Stocking and fellow YouTube personality Lele Pons often work together on videos,
and, in addition to being collaborators, they're also best friends. Stocking told InLove,
"Lele is like a sister to me. I love her so much. We love collaborating and seeing each other grow;
we uplift each other and push each other closer to our goals.
I think that we both understand the impact we can have with our platforms, especially
on young women, so we do our best — as strong, hardworking women — to support each other."
According to Stocking, both she and Pons share a similar work ethic — she describes herself
as "very driven" and "work-oriented" and said the same about Pons. Stocking went on to say,
"We're constantly bouncing ideas off each other and coming up with new creative projects."
She noted that it can be difficult to know which friendships are true in the entertainment
business, but she and Pons have been close "since the beginning," according to her. She added,
"We've seen each other grow and to see each other reach new milestones each year is inspiring."
Stocking's journey from school to Vine to YouTube stardom is certainly not a typical career path,
but she has nonetheless picked up a lot of knowledge about creating successful
videos that will attract an audience. Speaking with Galore, Stocking shared
her advice for anyone looking to follow in her footsteps as an online content creator, saying,
"The most important thing is to always be yourself and not care about what people
think or say about you. Don't worry about what people you don't even know think about you,
only focus on what your loved ones think about you. Always be respectful and nice to others,
and kind. And always tell your parents you love them."
Talking to InLove, she said she hopes for her videos to be "entertaining and educational,"
and she loves hearing when viewers learn new information from her work.
"So we're gonna head out now, any more questions?
"...Surprisingly no."
"You guys are thorough."
Before finding success as a content creator,
Stocking was following a very different career path. She told Galore,
"Before Vine, I was double majoring in Biology and Chemistry. I was conducting embryonic stem
cell research and differentiating them into neurotransmitters, looking at their different gene
expression levels. So I was a huge nerd, and I'm actually still trying to do that in my future."
When she first began creating content,
she admitted that she received a lot of hate. She explained,
"I noticed that it's a lot easier for guys to become content creators and to be funny,
people kind of latch on to them. But when a girl tries to be funny
it's looked down upon like 'what is she even doing, that's not funny.'"
However, those days are long gone. She admitted,
"I had a breakthrough and before I knew it, everybody really started loving my content."
She went on to say that she doesn't have too much "hate" thrown her way these days, and added,
"I think it's like, you have to endure the struggle
and then you reach a breakthrough. It's almost like a respect level."
When it comes to her romantic relationships, Stocking appears to have a type — and that type
plays basketball in the NBA. In fact, Stocking has apparently dated not one but two NBA stars.
Back in 2014, Stocking was reported to be dating Kyrie Irving, who was formerly with the Cleveland
Cavaliers. He once posted a since-deleted photo of himself with Stocking on Instagram.
After that relationship ended, Stocking reportedly began dating Golden State
Warriors guard Klay Thompson. According to the New York Post,
Thompson and Stocking dated for almost a year until something happened between the two that
caused the relationship to crash and burn in spectacularly scandalous fashion. While Stocking
hasn't commented on what happened publicly — other than a few particularly scathing tweets — a video
she filmed called "Dating a Pathological Liar" may offer a few clues as to what took place.
"Why would my best friend be teaching you CPR?"
"She is an undercover top secret FBI agent."
In October 2015, Stocking alleged she had busted then-boyfriend Klay Thompson
cheating on her. According to the Daily mail,
she publicly called him out in a series of since-deleted tweets, writing,
"When you catch ur man [...] in bed with a groupie... lol [Klay Thompson]."
She followed that up with another tweet,
explaining why she'd tagged him with his Twitter handle. She wrote,
"I told him I'd @ ["at"] him if he kept harassing me."
In a third tweet, she said,
"So I guess he really wanted that tag to get his number up."
She also posted a few tweets that didn't tag Thompson,
but can certainly be interpreted as referencing him. In one, she asked,
"How is 'I want you to be my baby mama' the new way to compliment a woman?"
In another, she added,
"And when these men tell u that they want u to be their baby mama
they act like they just dropped a bomb Shakespeare love soliloquy."
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