Ray William Johnson facts for kids

Raymond William Johnson (born August 14, 1981) is an American internet celebrity. He is famous for his YouTube channel and his web series called Equals Three. In 2013, his main channel had over 10 million subscribers. It also had more than 2 billion views.

For a time, from June 2011 to January 2013, his channel was the most-subscribed YouTube channel. It was also the first channel to reach 5 million subscribers. Johnson stopped hosting Equals Three in March 2014. However, he continued to produce it and other web series.

Later, Johnson started working on other types of projects. His first scripted web series, Riley Rewind, came out on Facebook in 2013. He also created a TV show idea that was bought by FX that same year. He acted in the movie Who's Driving Doug. In 2015, his company, Mom & Pop Empire, worked on a documentary. This film was about big companies in the cable television industry.

Early Life and Education

Ray William Johnson was born and grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He went to Norman North High School and finished in 1999. Later, he attended the Columbia University School of General Studies where he studied history. He wanted to become a lawyer after college.

While in college, he started making videos for YouTube. These were simple video blogs on a channel that is no longer active. About 30 people followed these early videos. Ray says he has Native American family background.

Career Highlights

The Equals Three Series

Johnson started his "Ray William Johnson" YouTube channel in April 2009. By 2011, it was the first YouTube channel to reach five million subscribers. It also had almost two billion total views. At first, Johnson made videos from his apartment in New York City. In 2011, he signed a deal with Maker Studios. This allowed him to make videos on a set in Culver City, California.

While at Maker Studios, Johnson also made a Spanish version of his show, Igual a Tres. He also created funny animated music videos on a separate channel called "Your Favorite Martian."

In October 2012, Johnson announced he was leaving Maker Studios. He said they wanted him to sign a new contract. This contract would limit his access to his earnings. It would also take a large part of his money. The contract would also make him give up rights to his shows.

In November 2012, Johnson started his own company, Equals Three Studios. He kept making Equals Three. The "Your Favorite Martian" series ended that same month.

In December 2013, Johnson shared that he would stop Equals Three soon. He wanted to work on other projects. His last show as host was on March 12, 2014. At that time, his channel had over 10 million subscribers. It also had 2.6 billion total views.

The show came back in July 2014 with a new host, Robby Motz. Robby left in July 2015. Then Kaja Martin, who often worked with Johnson, became the host. Later, Carlos Santos took over as host in December 2015.

Many famous people appeared on Equals Three. These included Robin Williams, Sarah Silverman, and John Cho.

Scripted Shows

In December 2013, Johnson launched his first scripted series, Riley Rewind. It first appeared on Facebook and then moved to YouTube. The show was about a teenager with a special power to change time. It had 5 parts and lasted about 50 minutes in total. In 2015, Johnson said the series had 10 million views on Facebook.

Earlier in 2013, Johnson talked with FX Networks about a scripted show. This show would be based on his own life. The network agreed to develop the script. Mike Gagerman and Andrew Waller were set to write it.

Other Content by Ray William Johnson

After leaving Equals Three, Johnson kept making comedy shows for his main YouTube channel. These shows included Top 6 and Comedians On. Top 6 is a "list show" hosted by Kelly Landry. It talks about 6 items on a different topic in each episode. Top 6 also started in February 2015.

Comedians On began in July 2015. It showed different comedians talking humorously about a chosen topic. Carlos Santos was the host. All these shows are made by Equals Three Studios. Johnson sometimes appears in these shows and in "update vlogs" on the channel.

Music, Acting, and Film Work

Johnson was part of an independent film called Who's Driving Doug in May 2014. He played a new driver for a person with a disability. The film was released in February 2016. Johnson also had a small role in Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie. In January 2016, he appeared in ads for DiGiorno pizzas.

Johnson also helped create a film company called Mom & Pop Empire. He co-created it with Kaja Martin, a former Equals Three host. They are working on a documentary about cable monopolies. Johnson is expected to narrate the film. Mom & Pop Empire also helped make a film called Manson Family Vacation. This movie premiered in 2015. Netflix bought the rights to distribute it.

In music, Johnson released an album called Fat Damon in 2018. It had three songs: "Conspiracy Theory Guy (ft. ..... He also started a virtual band called The Upside Downs.

Recent Work

In 2020, Johnson returned to YouTube after a year away. He started a new series called Svperhvman. Since then, he has been making YouTube Shorts and short comedy videos on Facebook. He also brought back his "Your Favorite Martian" project. He released a new video called "Orphan Tears Part 2," which was the first in over ten years.

Filmography

Discography

Awards and Recognition

Variety magazine named Johnson's scripted web series, Riley Rewind, one of the best web series of 2013. The Hollywood Reporter also included Johnson in their "Comedy Class of 2013." Other YouTubers have said that Johnson's Equals Three inspired their own shows.