Logan Paul reflects on “cringe” YouTube beginnings with Russell Brand

Logan Paul recently sat down with Russell Brand for an in-depth discussion on all things celebrity and content creation. Reflecting on his early videos however, Paul couldn’t help but cringe. 

With over 20 million subscribers on YouTube today, Logan Paul is one of the biggest stars on the platform. From selling out the Staples Centre in Los Angeles to starring in feature-length films, the social media celebrity has accomplished a great deal in his years of fame.

However, Paul admitted that while his early content on YouTube got him where he is today, he can’t stand to watch his former self on camera.

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Chatting with Russell Brand throughout a January 19 episode of his ‘Under The Skin’ Podcast, Paul was quick to admit that he’s a different person today. Focusing on different ideas and pursuing new content, he joked that his earlier videos are practically unwatchable.

“I’ve always been a late bloomer, I’ve always been late to mature. My content…when you go back four or five years ago, a lot of it is cringe. It’s high energy, it’s fun, but it’s like this cringe, weird version of myself.”

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Touching on the infamous suicide forest controversy of December 2017 as a specific example, Paul outlined how he’s still young in the game and evolving as he goes. “I’m only 24. The 26-year-old Logan watching this interview will probably not recognize this kid. My evolution over a year, two years, five years…is absolutely mind-boggling.”

For mobile readers, the related segment starts at 7:45.

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Outlining his initial aspirations when moving to Hollywood, Paul explained that he had very similar goals to those of Brand. “I came to Hollywood wanting to do what you did. I wanted to be an actor.”

While the English comedian has been more selective in his roles over the past few years, Brand has appeared in a number of marquee Hollywood comedies. From Forgetting Sarah Marshall to the Despicable Me series, he’s as experienced as they come in the medium. Quickly realizing that he wasn’t a fan of the creative process behind such enormous projects, Paul detailed how “you get on set [and] have absolutely no control.”

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“I became addicted to producing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. That is an undeniable thing that I was attracted to with social media,” he explained, indicating just why he switched his focus and doubled down on his YouTube efforts.

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The conversation continued on as the celebrities touched on all manner of creative and personal woes that they’ve experienced over the years.

There’s no denying however, that the change in direction paid dividends for the Ohio native in Paul. Having amassed over five billion views on his individual content alone, he stands out from the pack as one of the most popular YouTuber stars in the world today.