PewDiePie Real Name
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (born 24 October 1989), better known as PewDiePie, is a Swedish YouTuber, best known for his gaming videos. Kjellberg’s popularity on YouTube and extensive media coverage have made him one of the most noted online personalities and content creators. Media coverage of him has cited him as a figurehead for YouTube, especially in the gaming genre.
PewDiePie Early life
Born and raised in Gothenburg, Kjellberg registered his YouTube channel “PewDiePie” in 2010, primarily posting Let’s Play videos of horror and action video games. His channel gained a substantial following and was one of the fastest-growing channels in 2012 and 2013, before becoming the most-subscribed on YouTube on 15 August 2013. From 29 December 2014 to 14 February 2017, Kjellberg’s channel was also the most-viewed on the platform.
After becoming the platform’s most-popular creator, he diversified his content, shifting its focus from Let’s Plays and began to frequently include vlogs, comedy shorts, formatted shows, and music videos. For its first foray into original programming as part of the relaunch of its subscription service, YouTube also enlisted Kjellberg to star in a reality web series.
Early life and education
Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg was born on 24 October 1989 in Gothenburg, where he was also raised. He was born to Lotta Kristine Johanna and Ulf Christian Kjellberg, and grew up with his older sister, Fanny. His mother, a former chief information officer, was named the 2010 CIO of the Year in Sweden. His father is a corporate executive.
During his childhood, Kjellberg was interested in art and has detailed that he would draw popular video game characters such as Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as play video games on his Super Nintendo Entertainment System, such as Star Fox and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest. During high school, he frequently played video games in his bedroom and would skip classes to go to an Internet café with friends. During his last year of high school, he bought a computer with the money he made selling artwork through his grandmother’s gallery.
Public image and influence
Since breaking through on YouTube with his Let’s Play-styled videos, Kjellberg has emerged as one of the most noted, influential, and controversial online personalities. He has been cited as largely influential for digital content creation and Internet culture, particularly relating to video gaming subcultures.
Kjellberg has stated that he dislikes being called “famous.” In interviews, he has described the influence he has as “kind of scary” and has admitted to being shocked by his fame, recalling gaming events near his hometown where security had to manage crowds.
He has also commented on his influence, saying that “it’s weird for me to be in this position because I don’t really want to be in this position.” Kjellberg has expressed nostalgia for his early YouTube career, when he had fewer subscribers, and admitted to periodically thinking about giving up the platform altogether. Colleagues and media have described him as normally press shy, quiet, and much more reserved in real life. After moving to Japan, Kjellberg expressed enjoying a lack of recognition while in public.
Media lists and rankings
Kjellberg’s influence has ranked highly on various lists. He was subtitled as the “King of YouTube” on The Verge’s 2014 “Verge 50” list, which called him “a normal person, finding the authentic in games for an audience that are desperate for a little more humanity.”
In 2015, Kjellberg was included on Time’s list of the 30 most influential people on the Internet, with the publication noting that his channel “broadcasts some of the most-watched programs in pop culture.” Later that year, he was featured on the cover of Variety’s “Famechangers” issue, ranking him as the “#1 Famechanger,” or someone whose influence stands head and shoulders above the rest.
The following year, Time included him on their Time 100 list, with South Park co-creator Trey Parker calling him “the most powerful artist” in a new art form. In 2017, Forbes noted that Kjellberg’s brand suffered due to controversial content in some videos but still included him in their “Top Influencers” list in the gaming category. In September 2019, The Sunday Times ranked him first on their list of the UK’s 100 most influential people online.
Appearances in other media
Aside from his own YouTube channel, Kjellberg has made appearances in the videos of other YouTube creators. In April 2013, he made a cameo in an episode of Epic Rap Battles of History, portraying Mikhail Baryshnikov. In July 2013, he starred alongside Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox of Smosh, as well as Jenna Marbles, as guest judges on the second season of Internet Icon. Kjellberg also appeared in YouTube’s annual year-end Rewind series each year from 2013 to 2016 and once again in 2019.
On 3 June 2014, Kjellberg was chosen to host his own episode of the Swedish radio show Sommar i P1. Due to his international popularity, the episode was recorded in both Swedish and English.
In December 2014, Kjellberg guest-starred in two episodes of the 18th season of South Park. The episodes served as a two-part season finale, titled “#REHASH” and “#HappyHolograms.” In them, he parodied himself and other Let’s Play commentators, providing commentary over Call of Duty gameplay in an overly expressive way.
In July 2015, Kjellberg was announced as a voice actor in the Vimeo fantasy series Oscar’s Hotel for Fantastical Creatures. In October of the same year, he appeared as a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where Colbert referred to him as “Emperor of the Internet.” In February 2016, he appeared on Conan, playing Far Cry Primal as part of the show’s Clueless Gamer segment. In 2019, he was a guest on the Cold Ones YouTube podcast.
Personal life
Kjellberg married his long-term Italian girlfriend Marzia Bisognin on 19 August 2019. The couple have one son, born 11 July 2023.
Kjellberg and Bisognin were introduced to each other through a friend of Bisognin’s in 2011, and after establishing an online relationship, Kjellberg flew to Italy to meet her. The pair shuffled between Sweden and Italy before settling in Brighton, England. Kjellberg explained that they moved to the UK in July 2013 because they preferred to live close to the sea and for better Internet connectivity. He said he enjoyed the general anonymity that living in Brighton granted him.
A 2018 trip to Japan inspired Kjellberg to move to the country. Announcing their intention to permanently move there, Kjellberg and his wife bought a home in Japan in 2019. The home was burgled later that year, and the couple’s move was delayed due to Japan restricting relocation regulations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2022, Kjellberg and his wife moved to their home in Japan with a 5-year business visa.
Regarding his political beliefs, Kjellberg stated in October 2019 that he is “more apolitical than anything”, and that he was “somewhere in between” left-wing and right-wing. In June 2014, Kjellberg stated that he is an agnostic atheist.
Kjellberg has frequently mentioned in videos that he adheres to a pescetarian diet for various reasons. To deal with stress stemming from his content creation workload, Kjellberg developed a daily whiskey-drinking habit. During a podcast interview in July 2019, Kjellberg shared that a book on Buddhism inspired him to drop the habit.
Filmography
Television
| Year | Series | Role | Network | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | South Park | Himself | Comedy Central | Cameo; 2 episodes | [309] |
Web
| Year(s) | Title | Role | Episodes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Epic Rap Battles of History | Mikhail Baryshnikov | 1 | [298] |
| Internet Icon | Himself | 1 | [299] | |
| 2013, 2015 | Smosh Babies | Baby Pewds | 2 | [g] |
| 2013–2016, 2019 | YouTube Rewind | Himself | 5 | [h] |
| 2014 | Good Mythical Morning | Himself | 1 | [342] |
| asdfmovie | Lonely Guy / Magician | 1 | [343] | |
| 2015 | Oscar’s Hotel for Fantastical Creatures | Brock | 6 | [311] |
| Pugatory | Edgar | 6 | [344] | |
| 2016 | Scare PewDiePie | Himself | 10 (All) | [345] |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Artist(s) | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | “Asian Jake Paul” | iDubbbz featuring Boyinaband | Himself | [346] |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Pinstripe | Himself | Cameo | [347] |
| 2021 | YouTubers Life 2 | Himself | Cameo | [348] |
Ludography
| Year | Game | Type | Platform(s) | Developer | Role / Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist | Platform game | iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, macOS | Outerminds Inc. | Himself (voice) | [288] |
| 2016 | PewDiePie’s Tuber Simulator | Simulation game | iOS, Android | [290] | ||
| 2018 | Animal Super Squad | Physics puzzle game | Microsoft Windows, iOS, macOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One | Doublemoose Games | Voice role | [291] |
| 2019 | PewDiePie’s Pixelings | Strategy game | Android, iOS | Outerminds Inc. | Himself (voice) | [292] |
| Poopdie | Dungeon crawler | Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch | Bulbware | Voice role | [293] |
Discography
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWE Heat. [349] | NZ Hot [350] | SCO [351] | US Com. [352] | |||
| “Bitch Lasagna” (with Party in Backyard) | 2018 | — | — | — | — | [111] |
| “Rewind Time” (with Party in Backyard) | — | — | — | — | [353] | |
| “Congratulations” (with Roomie and Boyinaband) | 2019 | 8 | 27 | 77 | 1 | [126] |
| “Mine All Day” (with Party in Backyard) | — | — | — | 3 | [354] | |
| “Coco” | 2021 | — | — | — | — | [160] |
See also
- Internet in Sweden
- List of most-subscribed YouTube channels
- List of YouTubers
