Anthony Padilla
He co-created Smosh, a foundational YouTube sketch channel that helped define internet comedy for a generation.
Born 1987 (age 39)·American YouTuber·Birthday: September 16·Millennials
Biography
Anthony Padilla, a Sacramento native, turned a childhood friendship into a digital empire. With Ian Hecox, he started posting silly, low-budget videos to a nascent platform called YouTube in 2005. Their channel, Smosh, quickly became a cultural touchstone, pioneering the format of fast-paced, absurdist sketch comedy tailored for the online audience. As a co-owner, writer, and star, Padilla's manic energy and comedic timing were central to its DNA, helping it become the most-subscribed channel on YouTube for a period. His 2017 departure from the brand he helped build was a seismic event in the creator community. He later reinvented himself with a successful solo channel featuring in-depth, documentary-style interviews, proving his adaptability beyond the sketch format that made him famous.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Anthony was born in 1987, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1987
#1 Movie
Three Men and a Baby
Best Picture
The Last Emperor
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1987Born
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1992Started school
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2000Became a teenager
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2003Could drive
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2005Could vote
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2008Turned 21
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2017Turned 30
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 39 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded Smosh, which became the most-subscribed channel on YouTube in 2013.
- His solo interview series 'I Spent a Day With...' has garnered tens of millions of views.
- Starred in the YouTube Red film 'Smosh: The Movie' in 2015.
Did You Know?
He is a self-taught painter and has sold his original artwork.
Padilla and Hecox met in a sixth-grade drama class.
He voiced the character 'Felipe' in the Disney Channel series 'Phineas and Ferb.'
“We just made videos we thought were funny, and it became a thing.”
