Ray William Johnson facts for kids

Raymond "Ray" William Johnson (born August 14, 1981) is an American internet celebrity and comedian. He is best known for his popular YouTube channel and his funny web series called Equals Three. In 2013, his channel had over 10 million subscribers and more than 2 billion views. This made it one of the most-watched channels at the time. For a long period from 2011 to 2013, his channel was the most-subscribed YouTube channel on the platform. It was also the first channel to reach 5 million subscribers. Ray left the Equals Three series in March 2014. However, he continued to create other web series like Comedians On and Top 6.

Ray William Johnson also started working on other 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 with RJ Mitte from Breaking Bad. In 2015, his company, Mom & Pop Empire, worked on a documentary 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 These were simple video blogs on a channel that is no longer active.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.

Ray's YouTube Journey

The Equals Three Series

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

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

In October 2012, Ray announced he was leaving Maker Studios. He said they were trying to make him sign a new contract. This contract would have limited his access to his earnings and taken a large part of his money. It also would have made him give up half of his rights to Equals Three and Your Favorite Martian. In November 2012, Ray started his own company, Equals Three Studios. He continued making Equals Three videos. The "Your Favorite Martian" series ended that same month.

In December 2013, Ray said he would soon stop hosting Equals Three to work on other things. His last show as the host was on March 12, 2014. At that time, his channel had over 10 million subscribers and 2.6 billion total views. The show returned in July 2014 with new hosts, including Robby Motz, Kaja Martin, and Carlos Santos.

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

Other Shows and Projects

After leaving Equals Three, Ray William Johnson kept making comedy shows for his main YouTube channel. These included Top 6 and Comedians On. Top 6 is a "list show" that talks about 6 interesting things on a topic. Comedians On features different comedians talking about a chosen topic in a funny way.

In December 2013, Ray launched his first scripted series, Riley Rewind. It first appeared on Facebook and then moved to YouTube. The series was about a teenager who could change time. It had 5 parts and was about 50 minutes long in total. By 2015, Riley Rewind had 10 million views on Facebook.

Earlier in 2013, Ray also talked with FX Networks about a TV show based on his life. They agreed to develop a script for the show.

Music, Acting, and Film Production

Ray William 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, played by RJ Mitte. The movie was released in February 2016. Ray also had a small role in Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie. In 2016, he appeared in ads for DiGiorno pizzas.

Ray is also the co-creator of a film company called Mom & Pop Empire. They are working on a documentary about big companies that control cable television. Ray is expected to narrate the film. Mom & Pop Empire also helped produce a movie called Manson Family Vacation. This film was bought by Netflix after it premiered in 2015.

In music, Ray released an album called Fat Damon in 2018. He also started a virtual band called The Upside Downs.

Recent Work

In 2020, Ray William Johnson returned to YouTube after a year-long break with a new series called Svperhvman. He now mostly creates short, funny videos called YouTube Shorts and sketches on Facebook. He also brought back his music project "Your Favorite Martian," releasing a new video called "Orphan Tears Part 2" after more than ten years.

Film and TV Appearances

Music Projects

Ray William Johnson has released music under different names.

Your Favorite Martian

This project features animated music videos.

Fat Damon

This is another musical project by Ray.

The Upside Downs

This is a virtual band created by Ray.

Awards and Recognition

Variety magazine named Ray Johnson's scripted web series, Riley Rewind, as the 7th best web series of 2013. The Hollywood Reporter also included Ray in their "Comedy Class of 2013." Other YouTubers, like Antoine Daniel and Mathieu Sommet, have said that Ray's Equals Three show inspired their own work.

See also

In Spanish: Ray William Johnson para niños