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Joey Graceffa

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Joey Graceffa
Graceffa at VidCon
Personal information
Born
Joseph Michael Graceffa

(1991-05-16) May 16, 1991 (age 33)
Marlborough, Massachusetts, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)YouTuber, Actor, Author, Producer
PartnerDaniel Preda
Websitehttp://joeygraceffa.com/
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2007–present
Genre(s)Vlogging, Gaming, How-To, DIY
Subscribers
8.3 million (main)
2.3 million (gaming)
[1]
Total views
1.43 billion (main)
417 million (gaming)
[1]
Associated actsShane Dawson, Miranda Sings, Tyler Oakley, Connor Franta, Gabbie Hanna, Trisha Paytas, JoJo Siwa, Rosanna Pansino, James Charles
100,000 subscribers2012
1,000,000 subscribers2013
Last updated: November 2017

Joseph Michael Graceffa (/ɡrəˈsɛfə/; born May 16, 1991)[2] is an American YouTube personality, actor, author, producer, and singer. He runs two active YouTube channels, both named after him. His main channel is dedicated to vlogging[3] while the second one features video gaming content.[3] They both have a combined total of more than 1.7 billion views. His third YouTube channel, WinterSpringPro,[4] has 60 million views (as of August 2017), but is no longer active. He was a contestant on 22nd and 24th seasons of The Amazing Race, and has appeared in a handful of short films as well as in Escape the Night, a scripted web series, distributed by YouTube via its paid-subscription service YouTube Red.

Early Life and Education

Graceffa was born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, the son of Debbie O'Connor and Joe Graceffa. He has two siblings, an older sister named Nicole and a younger half brother named Jett who has autism, through his mom and his stepfather, Bob. Graceffa endured hardships with his mother when she resorted to alcoholism to cope with troubles in her life. These started when Graceffa was around 12 years old. According to his book "In Real Life"[5] he graduated from Marlborough High School in 2009.[6] Graceffa enrolled in Fitchburg State College intending to major in film, but left after one year. Graceffa initially intended to enroll in Emerson College, a private, liberal arts university in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, but was rejected twice, so he decided to stay at Fitchburg.[7]

Career

2007–13: YouTube and The Amazing Race

At age 16, Graceffa began uploading videos to YouTube on a channel known as WinterSpringPro, with his high school classmate and friend Brittany Joyal in 2007, when Graceffa was in high school.[5][8] In 2009, he started posting videos on his own channel, called, Joey Graceffa. In 2013, he joined the StyleHaul YouTube network.[9] Graceffa posts daily vlogs on his channel. As of August 2017, he has over 8.1 million subscribers and more than 1.43 billion total views on his main YouTube channel.[10] On a second YouTube channel focusing on his gaming, he had more than 2.2 million subscribers and over 417 million views, for a total of over 1.7 billion views.[11] He also has more than 3.7 million Twitter followers[12] and more than 5.5 million Instagram followers.[13]

In 2013, Graceffa and fellow YouTube personality Meghan Camarena were contestants on The Amazing Race 22.[14][15] The two made it to the tenth leg before being eliminated. Graceffa told an interviewer that "There were a lot of bad times but it was definitely good overall. It was an amazing experience, and I'd love to do it again."[16] The two later teamed up again to compete in The Amazing Race: All-Stars.[17]

2013–2015: Films, In Real Life and other projects

In late 2013 and early 2014, Graceffa starred in his own web series titled Storytellers.[18][19] In 2014, Graceffa starred in his own short film titled Eon.[20] The same year Graceffa also starred in Ethereal alongside Joey Pollari. Throughout 2012 to 2014, Graceffa was in various BlackBoxTV short films. He was also a part of the Fine Brothers online series MyMusic throughout 2013 and 2014. Graceffa was nominated for two awards at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards.[21] He won "Best Male Actor in a Dramatic Web Series" at the 2014 Streamy Awards for his portrayal of Hunter Crowley in Storytellers.[22] Graceffa was named by Common Sense Media as one of "10 YouTube Stars Your Kids Love".[23]

In March 2015, Graceffa starred in an episode of the CONtv reality television project Fight of the Living Dead, created by fellow YouTube personality Justine Ezarik.[24][25]

On May 16, 2015 Graceffa released a song with an accompanying music video titled "Don't Wait". It is an unconventional fantasy fairytale story featuring goblins, a witch, and a prince. [26] The video ends with Graceffa, dressed as a prince, kissing his male co-star, now current boyfriend, Daniel Preda. By October 2016, it had received more than 24 million views.[27][28] Graceffa confirmed on YouTube on May 18, 2015 that he is gay.[29] Graceffa stated that the reason he waited so long to come out online was because "there was a lot of hesitation to come out online because of growing up in my town: It wasn't acceptable to be gay; it was looked down upon." He also went on to state that after coming out, "I definitely feel more open and free with who I am, and I think that's inspired a lot of other people to also do the same and have come out to their friends and family."[30]

On May 19, 2015, Graceffa released a memoir titled In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World, published by Keywords Press.[31] In the book, he discusses being bullied and feeling lonely in school, his mother's alcoholism, his brother's autism, the beginnings of his YouTube career and his road to self-acceptance, among other topics.[32][33] His book was a New York Times Best Seller on the "celebrities" list in July 2015[34] and the cover was updated to acknowledge this achievement.[35]

2016–present: Escape the Night, literature, and jewelry line

On February 14, 2016, Graceffa announced that he has been in a relationship with Daniel Preda since July 2014 in a video titled "OUR LOVE STORY!" [36][37]

On June 21, 2016, Graceffa announced in his YouTube video, titled "I HAVE A SURPRISE!", that he's starting a crystal-based jewelry line called "Crystal Wolf".[38][39] On June 7, 2017, Crystal Wolf Co released their Summer Solstice Collection[40] with new jewelry and including the Crystal nail polish[41] for the overall Summer Collection.[42]

On June 22, 2016, Graceffa started, starred, and uploaded the first episode of a YouTube Red mini-web series called Escape the Night with other YouTubers like Shane Dawson, MyLifeAsEva, Glozell, Oli White, Timothy Delaghetto, Andrea Brooks, Matthew Hagg, Justine Ezarik (iJustine), Sierra Furtado, and one Viner, Lele Pons. The first episode has over 9,000,000 views.[43] On June 22, 2017 Graceffa started, starred, and uploaded the first episode his YouTube Red web series Escape the Night's season 2. The season stars himself and includes Liza Koshy, Alex Wassabi, Lauren Riihimaki, DeStorm Power, Gabbie Hanna, Jesse Wellens, Andrea Russett, Tyler Oakley, and Tana Mongeau.[44]

On October 4, 2016, Graceffa, along with co-author Laura L. Sullivan, released a young adult novel titled Children of Eden, published by Keywords Press.[45] The book follows a Second child named Rowen, who is marked with death due to Eden's population control and recklessly escapes for an adventure after sixteen years of hiding.[45] His book was a New York Times Best Seller on the "Young Adult Hardcover" list in the week of October 23, 2016.[34] The book has received positive reactions from readers on Goodreads and Amazon, with four and five star reviews predominating.[citation needed] Critics have not been universally positive, although Rachel Hyland of Geek Speak Magazine wrote, "Graceffa knows a lot about YA dystopian conventions, and they are all present and accounted for here. This is by no means a bad thing — an enjoyable romp through this genre doesn’t necessarily require too much divergence (no pun intended) from the established norms — but it is worth noting that most everything in his Eden has pretty much happened before, in one way or another. Still, it is fun to see just how those ever-trusty elements are put together, and there is a nice twist on the almost essential love triangle that is actually pretty awesome."[46]

On January 6, 2017, Graceffa announced that he would be playing an extra in the full-length feature film, The Space Between Us. The movie originally released in the United States on February 3, 2017, follows a teenage boy (Asa Butterfield), born on Mars, who travels to Earth. After uniting with his long-distant friend (Britt Robertson), the duo soon form a new relationship with each other.

On May 16, 2017, Graceffa announced in his YouTube video, titled "MOST INSANE BIRTHDAY SURPRISE EVER!" the sequel to his young adult novel Children of Eden.[45] The sequel, entitled, Elites of Eden,[47] follows an Elite and a lilac-haired girl – Yarrow and Lark. When these two girls discover the thread that binds them together, the collision of memories means that their lives may change drastically – and that Eden may never be the same. Rowan - captured by the government, her fate is uncertain. The novel's official release date is October 3, 2017.[48]

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes
2014
Eon Drifter Short film; also served as producer
Ethereal Zane Short film; also served as executive producer
Haunting Ian Ian Short film; also served as writer and executive producer
Storytellers Hunter TV mini series; also served as writer and executive producer
2016 Absolute Peril Jake Filming
Children of Eden Ash Short film; also served as writer and producer.
2017 The Space Between Us Student Full-length feature film

Television

Year Film Role Notes
2013–
14 		The Amazing Race Himself Season 22 (10 episodes), Season 24 (3 episodes)
2015 Huge on the Tube Episode: "Joey Graceffa"
Influencer Journeys

Web

Year Film Role Notes
BlackBoxTV Hotel Employee #2 Episode: Silverwood: The Perfect Night
Adrian White Episode: Zombie
Not announced Episode: The Babysitter
Aaron Episode: The Fourth Door
2013–
14 		MyMusic Vampire Temp Recurring role; 6 episodes
2013 Storytellers Hunter Crowley Main role; 6 episodes
Also executive producer, writer, and co-creator
Streamy Award for Best Actor in A Drama
Nominated—Streamy Award for Best Drama
2015 Fight of the Living Dead Himself Episode: "Pilot"
2016 Children of Eden Ash Short film; also served as writer and producer
2016–present Escape the Night The Savant/Himself Host; YouTube Red series
2017 Haters Back Off Himself Episode: “my 1rst bae”

Discography

Extended plays

  • Panem's Best (2012)
  • Good Songs (2014)
  • Cheese is Creamy (2015)

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album Ref.
UK D/L
[49] 		UK Indie
[50]
"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
(solo or duet with Luke Conard) 		2012 — — — [51]
"Kiss You"
(solo or duet with Luke Conard) 		2013 — — [52]
"Anna Sun" — — [53]
"Story of My Life"
(with Luke Conard) 		— — [54]
"Collar Full" 2014 — — [55]
"Silver Lining" — — [56]
"Don't Wait" 2015 64 7 [57]
"—" denotes a recording that failed to chart or was not released to that country.

Bibliography

Personal life

On February 14, 2016, Graceffa confirmed that he is in a relationship with Daniel Preda.[58][59] The pair have been together since July 2014. He lives in Los Angeles, California[60] along with Daniel, Daniel’s mother Maria and their three Siberian Husky dogs - Wolf, Storm and Lark. [61][62]

Awards and Nominations

Year Nominated Award Result
2014 Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star: Male Nominated
Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star: Gaming Nominated
Streamy Awards Best Male Actor in a Dramatic Web Series – Storytellers Won
Best Drama Series - Storytellers Nominated
2015 Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star: Male Nominated
Streamy Awards Best Lifestyle Series Nominated
2016 Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Award for Choice Web Star: Male Nominated
Streamy Awards Best Ensemble Cast - Escape The Night Won

References

  1. ^ a b "About JoeyGraceffa". YouTube.
  2. ^ "Famous Birthdays Today, May 16: Megan Fox, Joey Graceffa, Janet Jackson, Pierce Brosnan, Kelly Hyland, Tori Spelling". Yareah Magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Joey Graceffa". YouTube. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  4. ^ "WinterSpringPro". YouTube. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Marlborough teens are a hit on YouTube". Wicked Local. October 29, 2009. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  6. ^ "Marlborough High School Class of 2009". MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA.
  7. ^ Graceffa, Joey. "Draw My Life – Joey Graceffa". YouTube.com. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  8. ^ Blattberg, Eric. "Meet the YouTube 1 percent". Digiday. Retrieved January 2, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ "YouTube Star Joey Graceffa Joins StyleHaul". Tubefilter. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  10. ^ Graceffa, Joey. JoeyGraceffa, YouTube, accessed January 9, 2016
  11. ^ Graceffa, Joey. JoeyGraceffa, YouTube, accessed January 9, 2016; and Graceffa, Joey. "Joey Graceffa", YouTube, accessed January 9, 2016.
  12. ^ Graceffa, Joey. Joey Graceffa, Twitter, accessed January 9, 2016
  13. ^ Graceffa, Joey. JoeyGraceffa, Instagram, accessed January 9, 2016
  14. ^ "YouTube personality Joey Graceffa to compete in 'The Amazing Race'". Hypable. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  15. ^ CBS. "The Amazing Race – Meet Joey and Meghan". YouTube.com. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  16. ^ "'Amazing Race': Joey and Meghan on Their Elimination". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  17. ^ "Amazing Race 24: All-Stars Cast". CBS. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  18. ^ Wilken, Selina. "Featured web series: Storytellers is high-tension, imaginative storytelling". Hypable. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  19. ^ Varrati, Michael. "Storytelling with a Superstar: A Conversation with Joey Graceffa". The Video Ink. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  20. ^ Patel, Sahil. "Joey Graceffa Stars in New Short Film 'Eon'". The Video Ink. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  21. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly. "Teen Choice Awards: The Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  22. ^ "Winners Announced for the 4th Annual Streamy Awards". Streamys.org. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  23. ^ Knorr, Caroline. "10 YouTube Stars Your Kids Love". Common Sense Media. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  24. ^ Vejoda, Jim. "Fight of the Living Dead Trailer Debut". IGN. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  25. ^ Beard, Lanford. "iJustine Previews Zombie Reality Competition Fight of the Living Dead". People. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  26. ^ Pittman, Taylor. "YouTube Star Joey Graceffa Comes Out As Gay In Magical Music Video", The Huffington Post, May 18, 2015
  27. ^ Graceffa, Joey (May 16, 2015). "Don't Wait – Official Music Video". Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  28. ^ DeSimone, Evan. "Joey Graceffa Comes Out In New Music Video". New Media Rockstars. Retrieved May 17, 2015.; and Lord, Emma. "Joey Graceffa Came Out In His Music Video For "Don't Wait," And It Is Basically the Millennial Fairy Tale We've All Been Waiting For". Bustle. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  29. ^ Graceffa, Joey. Graceffa stated that he planned on coming out through his book, but decided to be more open to his whole audience rather than only the people who purchased the book. "Yes I'm Gay", YouTube, May 18, 2015
  30. ^ Nelson, Jeff. "YouTube Star Joey Graceffa on Coming Out: 'I Felt Like I Was Hiding Such a Big Part of My Life'". People. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  31. ^ a b "In Real Life - Joey Graceffa". JoeyGraceffa.com. Keywords Press. October 14, 2016.
  32. ^ "Authors: Joey Graceffa". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
  33. ^ Laurence, Emily. "Joey Graceffa comes out as gay in new memoir", Metro International, May 19, 2015; Kowalski, Kristine Hope. "Joey Graceffa Shares How He Found Self-Acceptance", Twist magazine, May 19, 2015
  34. ^ a b "Best Sellers - The New York Times". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  35. ^ "Joey Graceffa on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
  36. ^ "Our Love Story!". YouTube. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  37. ^ Pearl, Diana (February 14, 2016). "YouTube's Joey Graceffa Introduces His Boyfriend for the First Time". People. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
  38. ^ "I Have A Surprise!". YouTube. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
  39. ^ "Crystal Wolf". Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  40. ^ "Summer Solstice Collection". crystalwolf. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  41. ^ "Crystal Polish". crystalwolf. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  42. ^ "Shop All". crystalwolf. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
  43. ^ Weiss, Geoff. "YouTube Red Renews Joey Graceffa's 'Escape The Night' As Service Reports Steady Growth". tubefilter. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  44. ^ Spangler, Todd (May 25, 2017). "YouTube Red's 'Escape the Night' With Joey Graceffa Season 2 Adds Tyler Oakley, Liza Koshy, Other Digital Stars to Cast". Variety. Retrieved May 25, 2017. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  45. ^ a b c d "Children Of Eden - Joey Graceffa". JoeyGraceffa.com. Keywords Press. October 13, 2016.
  46. ^ Hyland, Rachel. "BOOK REVIEW: Children of Eden by Joey Graceffa". Geek Speak Magazine. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  47. ^ a b Graceffa, Joey (2017). Elites of Eden. Atria/Keywords Press.
  48. ^ Graceffa, Joey. "Elites of Eden book". JoeyGraceffa.com. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  49. ^ Peak positions on the UK Singles Downloads Chart:
  50. ^ Peak positions on the UK Independent Singles Chart:
  51. ^ "iTunes - Music - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Single by Luke Conard & Joey Graceffa". iTunes.
  52. ^ "iTunes - Music - Kiss You - Single by Luke Conard & Joey Graceffa". iTunes.
  53. ^ "iTunes - Music - Anna Sun - Single by Joey Graceffa". iTunes.
  54. ^ "iTunes - Music - Story of My Life - Single by Joey Graceffa & Luke Conard". iTunes.
  55. ^ "iTunes - Music - Collar Full - Single by Joey Graceffa". iTunes.
  56. ^ "iTunes - Music - Silver Lining - Single by Joey Graceffa". iTunes.
  57. ^ "iTunes - Music - Don't Wait - Single by Joey Graceffa". iTunes.
  58. ^ OUR LOVE STORY!. February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016 – via YouTube.
  59. ^ "Joey Graceffa on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  60. ^ Joey Graceffa (January 10, 2013), MY MOVE TO LOS ANGELES!, retrieved July 9, 2016
  61. ^ Phillips, Hedy (March 4, 2016). "Joey Graceffa and His Rescue Pup Have the Most Adorable Bond". www.popsugar.com. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  62. ^ "WE GOT A NEW PUPPY!". YouTube. Retrieved June 6, 2017.

Further reading

  • Graceffa JM (2015), In Real Life: My Journey to a Pixelated World. New York: Atria/Keywords Press. ISBN 978-1476794303
  • Graceffa JM (2016), Children of Eden: A Novel. New York: Atria/Keywords Press. ISBN 978-1501146558
  • Graceffa JM (2017), Elites of Eden: A Novel. New York: Atria/Keywords Press. ISBN 978-1501174537

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