Intoduction
Zach King as real name Zachary Michael (born February 4, 1990) is an American internet personality and filmmaker known for creating short videos featuring visual effects that appear as magic. He began posting content on YouTube in 2008 and gained widespread recognition on Vine in 2013 for his six-second “magic vines.” King later expanded his presence to TikTok, where he has amassed tens of millions of followers for his digitally edited videos, which he describes as “digital sleight of hand.”
Early life and education
ing was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He is of mixed heritage — half Chinese from his father’s side, and part Austrian and Nicaraguan from his mother’s side. He was homeschooled by his mother along with his three sisters, including one adopted sister, while his father worked from their home office.
King created his very first film at the age of seven using a home video camera. By the time he was fourteen, he had purchased his own video equipment, including a Mac computer, cameras, and a tripod, and began making and editing videos more seriously.
He later studied film and music, with a minor in worship, at Biola University, graduating in December 2012.
Career
Early work and YouTube
King launched his website FinalCutKing.com in 2008 to share training and tips for using the editing software Final Cut Pro, because he could not find helpful tutorials online at that time. Alongside this, he began using his YouTube channel to post visual-effects tutorials. As his audience grew, he started selling training seminars, and the income helped him pay for his college tuition. In 2012, he appeared as a contestant on an episode of the show Viral Video Showdown on Syfy.
In 2011, King posted a video titled Jedi Kittens on YouTube, created with a college friend under the name FinalCutKing. The video featured two kittens fighting with lightsabers and went viral, reaching over a million views within a few days and continuing to grow over the years. He later released two sequels, both of which also became highly popular.
In 2013, YouTube recognized King as one of the most promising young filmmakers in the United States. Through the Next Up Creators program, he received funding and was invited to a creator camp in New York City. Over time, his YouTube channel expanded massively, reaching tens of millions of subscribers and billions of views across hundreds of uploaded videos.
King also found major success on YouTube Shorts, where one of his short videos surpassed a billion views, further boosting his presence as a leading online creator.
Vine
King created his Vine account on September 9, 2013, and challenged himself to post one Vine every day for thirty days. His short videos gained attention very quickly. By 2014, he was creating content on Vine full-time and working from his garage studio.
His Vines drew widespread media attention, earning him features across several major platforms. He appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in early 2014, where he also created several Vines with the show’s crew. Many writers and critics praised his work, noting how his smooth editing and creative visual tricks made his six-second videos feel like real magic. Publications described his style as clever, innovative, and far ahead of what most creators were doing on Vine at the time.
TikTok
King posted his first video on the short-form platform TikTok on February 28, 2016. By November 2024, he had grown his audience to more than 82 million followers, making him one of the most-followed creators on the platform. He now works with a team of about 25 people who help him write, film, and produce his highly edited videos. Each video can take up to two weeks to complete, and his goal is usually to release two videos every week.
On December 9, 2019, he shared a clip titled Zach King’s Magic Broomstick. The video went massively viral, reaching nearly 2 billion views and becoming the most-watched video on TikTok for that day. In December 2022, Guinness World Records officially recognized it as the most-viewed TikTok video, surpassing 2.2 billion views.
Writing career
Zach King has also built a career as a children’s book author, starting in 2016. He has written two different book series: one based on the world of Minecraft and another inspired by his own life, written in a fantasy style.
His first published book, My Minecraft Escapades, came out in January 2016. Soon after, he released two more Minecraft-themed titles — Minecraft Mathematicians in March 2016 and A Minecraft Wish Granted in April 2016. These books were written for younger readers and followed fun, imaginative stories built around the Minecraft universe.
After completing the Minecraft series, King shifted his attention to creating a fantasy trilogy based on his own life experiences. This became known as his Magic Life series. The first book, Zach King: My Magical Life, was published in September 2017. He followed it with Zach King: The Magical Mix-Up in May 2018, and concluded the trilogy with Zach King: Mirror Magic.
Each book in the series was designed with an interactive experience, including a companion app that allowed readers to engage with parts of the story digitally.
Personal life
Zach King often talks about how important his faith is to him. When he was seven years old, his family became Christian, and he has described it as one of the most meaningful changes in his life. He considers himself a devoted Christian and tries to read from the Bible every morning. His faith is a big part of who he is, and he has even incorporated it into some of his videos. While studying at Biola University, a Christian institution, he also led youth groups at different Christian camps.
Zach proposed to his girlfriend, Rachel Holm, in a creative way — he pretended they were filming an advertisement for one of her brands, and surprised her with the proposal. The two got married in 2014. In 2016, they appeared together on The Amazing Race 28, where they finished in 6th place.
By 2017, the couple was living in Rossmoor, Orange County, California.
Both Zach and Rachel grew up with adopted siblings, which inspired Rachel to later work as a case manager for adoption and foster care. Together, they have fostered several children. They are parents to an adopted son named Mason and a biological son named Liam. In 2023, they announced through YouTube that they had welcomed another child — a baby girl named Emerson.
Controversies and legal issues
A former producer named Elisabeth Logan filed a lawsuit against Zach King and his company, King Studio LLC, accusing them of wrongful termination, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, retaliation, wage discrimination, and several labor code violations.
According to statements made during the trial, Logan claimed that Zach King allegedly belittled her, raised his voice over minor issues, and treated her more harshly than male coworkers, whose serious mistakes were allegedly overlooked.
As of now, Zach King has not released any public statement addressing the lawsuit.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Zootopia | No | Muzzled Wolf | Voice only |
| 2018 | Would You Fire Me For This? | Co-director | Zach King | Short film |
| 2018 | Magic Duel: Jack Black vs Zach King | Yes | Zach King | Short film featuring Jack Black |
| 2018 | A Magician Home Alone | Co-director | Zach King | Short film featuring Jamie Costa |
| 2019 | Viking Academy | Co-director | Zach King | Short film |
| 2019 | Stranded on Treasure Island | No | Zach King | Short film |
| 2019 | Zach King’s the Magical Night Before Christmas | Co-director | Zach King | Short film |
| 2020 | Zach King’s Day Off | Co-director | Zach King | Short film featuring Brian Patrick Butler & Nicholas Downs |
| 2021 | The Time Traveling Sheriff | No | Zach King | Short film |
| 2021 | Pete the Cat | No | Kawow the Magician | Voice only |
| 2022 | First to the Gate | Co-director | Zach King | Short film |
| 2022 | Stranded Part 2 | No | Zach King | Short film |
| 2023 | How I Got Cast in Shazam! Fury of the Gods | No | Zach King | Short film featuring Zachary Levi |
| 2023 | Stranded 3 | No | Zach King | Short film featuring Terry Crews |
| 2024 | Zach King vs Porch Pirates | No | Zach King | Short film featuring Mark Rober & Wayne Brady |
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered | Himself | Episode: “This DJ is Bananas!” |
| 2021 | Dave | Himself | Episode: “Somebody Date Me” |
Awards and Honors
- 2009 – First place in a student film festival for an HP advertisement
- 2009 – Critic’s Choice Award at Bridgestone Tires Safety Scholars Teen Driver Video Contest
- 2010 – First place at the London Film Festival for Heartbrand Ad
- 2010 – Bridgestone Safety Scholar Winner
- 2012 – VidCon Golden Poop Award
- 2013 – YouTube NextUp Creators Contest
- 2016 – Shorty Award for Best Vine Artist
- 2023 – Streamy Award for Visual and Special Effects
For more
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