Hollywood Isn’t Just Discovering Creators — It’s Hiring Them

One of the biggest shifts I’m seeing is the way Hollywood now treats digital creators. What used to be a separate universe — online content and traditional entertainment — is rapidly becoming a single ecosystem.

Major agencies like Creative Artists Agency have fully built-out creator divisions, representing digital-native talent alongside actors, writers, comedians, and showrunners. That alone signals where the industry is heading: creators are no longer “alternative” talent. They’re mainstream.

And we’re seeing the results everywhere.

Creators aren’t just landing brand deals, they’re landing shows:

• Lilly Singh – YouTube star → NBC talk show → Netflix comedy special.

• Bo Burnham – YouTube musician/comedian → multiple Netflix specials (what., Make Happy) → award-winning filmmaker.

• Colleen Ballinger (Miranda Sings) – YouTube character → Netflix scripted series (Haters Back Off).

• Michelle Khare – YouTube challenge creator → premium series across major digital and streaming partners.

• The Try Guys – YouTube creators → long-form series, streaming partnerships, and studio development deals.

• Mo Gilligan – Social-platform breakout → Netflix special → BAFTA-winning host.

And yes, even long-standing institutions like Saturday Night Live are now recruiting directly from TikTok and YouTube, which is something that would have been unthinkable ten years ago.

What we’re seeing now is just the beginning. AI, new distribution models, and the rise of creator-driven IP are accelerating the overlap between these worlds. The talent pipeline has changed, and it’s not going back.

If you’re a creator, the message is simple: Keep making your content.

Hollywood is actively watching — and actively hiring — from your world.