Ever since Lilly Singh was young, she wanted to defy expectations. “I’m addicted to the idea of accomplishing all the things that seem impossible,” Singh says. And over the last decade, it seems she has done just that. Working her way from bedroom YouTube videos to sold-out world tours, Singh has found ways to not just create, but to thrive, both on the internet and offline. From TV and movie roles to TED Talks to hosting a late-night television show, and even starting her own nonprofit, Unicorn Island Fund, which tackles the taboo topic of shame that limits the educational and financial opportunities of girls and women, there’s really no telling where Singh will go next.
Singh started on YouTube under the moniker of IISuperwomanII, back in 2010, when the now-thriving video platform was still growing. Influenced by the comedy of Bollywood films, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and Russell Peters, she made videos with the simple hope of making people laugh. She experimented with different bits and sketches in those early days, going viral more than a few times along the way. Eventually, she landed on her famed niche: videos about growing up with immigrant parents. It’s all based on her personal experience, she states, leaning in close before admitting, “My parents are really funny. I don’t think I realized my parents were funny until I became an adult.”
But Singh personally thinks the reason her videos became so popular is because of her hometown. “Because I’m from Toronto, I’m able to make a lot of cultural references that are specific to different communities. I think that’s why my comedy hits hard and feels relatable to a lot of people.” She explains, “It has allowed me to know lots of cultures and so when people watch my videos, even if they weren’t South Asian, they’d be like ‘I totally vibe with this because you’re still hitting on culturally specific things for me.’”
Over time, however,…
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