Who is Octopusslover8, aka Jake Shane? The breakout influencer known for his surreal sketches and famous connections has taken everyone's TikTok FYP by storm
Geoff Weiss
- The TikToker was inescapable on everyone's FYPs this year, gaining 1 million followers within weeks.
- His speedy ascent was greatly helped by his star-studded friendship with Sofia Richie and ties to other famous names.
On TikTok, fleeting bursts of virality are seemingly doled out in endless supply, making it harder for creators to stand out from the pack.
Since Alix Earle became a breakout star last year, however, perhaps no TikToker has reached mass consciousness quite like Octopusslover8, the 23-year-old food reviewer-turned-comedy creator. Known also as Jake Shane, the TikToker, who currently has 2.3 million followers on the platform, is renowned for his sardonic reenactments of famous historical moments.
Earlier this year, Shane was seemingly inescapable on the app's FYP (For You Page) stream, which soon spun into star-studded collaborations with the Jonas Brothers and Sofia Richie Grainge, features in national magazines like GQ and Rolling Stone, and a deal with top talent agency WME.
Here's everything you need to know about TikTok's budding "it boy."
Shane grew up in New York and is the son of two writer parents.
Given his meteoric rise and associations with influencer socialites like Olivia Jade and Sophia Richie before his big break, questions have surrounded Shane's origins and famous connections.
Earlier this week, Shane told People he was born and raised in New York and "grew up in the suburbs as a closeted kid."
According to posts on social media, Shane's mother is Helaine Olen, a Washington Post columnist who has also written several books about personal finance.
According to her Post bio, Olen has two sons and is married to TV and film writer Matt Roshkow. His work includes several episodes of "The Wonderful World of Disney" and TV movies like "Campus Confidential" and "Spring Break Lawyer," per his IMDb page.
His career took off when he pivoted from food reviews of octopus dishes to historical comedy sketches.
Shane attended the University of Southern California and initially began his influencer career reviewing his favorite food, octopus, according to Variety, using a rating scale from 0 to 8 tentacles.
But Shane's career skyrocketed when he pivoted to skits reenacting historical scenes earlier this year. Those TikTok sketches garnered him more than 1 million followers in a matter of weeks, per Variety. His first such foray was "Bill Clinton denying his relationship with Monica Lewinsky."
Other examples include "a dinosaur telling the other dinosaurs that he sees a comment" and "paying the bill at The Last Supper." The videos often come in response to viewer requests, and frequently feature Shane's roommates, Brett Chody and Julia Mervis, giggling along in the background.
Shane has frequently collaborated with a who's-who of Hollywood socialites and celebrities.
Before his big break, Shane had appeared on social media alongside socialite Sofia Richie Grainge, leading to some speculation about his ascent and questions as to whether he was a "nepo baby."
Shane told People he's friends with Alice Grainge, the sister of Elliot Grainge, who is married to Sofia — and whose wedding became a TikTok phenomenon in its own right earlier this year. (Alice and Elliot's father Lucian Griange is the CEO of Universal Music Group.)
Following his breakthrough, Shane has continued to share star-studded collabs at an impressive pace, including with fellow TikTok influencer Alix Earle and, most recently, pop songstress Olivia Rodrigo to promote her new single, "Vampire."
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