By India McCarty
BLIPPI actor Clayton Grimm recently shared footage from the audition that changed everything for the actor.
“He doesn’t know it yet, but this audition will change his life,” he captioned a video of his audition for the mega-popular kids’ character.
The character of Blippi originated with Stevin John, but the YouTube channel’s massive success led to the need for another actor to take on the role alongside John.
“It all started in 2019,” Grimm shared in a video recounting how he became Blippi. “I was living in New York as an actor. There was an audition for a show called BLIPPI THE MUSICAL, and I thought to myself, ‘What on earth is a Blippi?’”
He continued, “My fiancée said, ‘You have to audition for this’…so I did. Four auditions later, Stevin John decided I would be playing Blippi in BLIPPI THE MUSICAL.”
However, the COVID-19 pandemic hit soon after, and Grimm’s run as Blippi came to an abrupt end. But then, the actor heard that John was looking for a second Blippi.
“I made a video in my home doing a fruit salad, improvised BLIPPI video, and I sent it in, and they liked it so much that they thought it would be worth it to fly me out to LA [for an in-person audition],” Grimm shared. “Four months later, I became Blippi on YouTube.”
Grimm went on to portray Blippi in content for Netflix, Hulu and HBO Max. He also played the character in BLIPPI’S BIG DINO ADVENTURE, which premiered in theaters. Movieguide® praised the kids’ movie for its “moral worldview and wholesome, child-friendly content.”
BLIPPI has now become so massive, a third actor is joining the crew — Ben Mayer.
“We decided to introduce a new Blippi actor because the demand for Blippi content has grown so much that it’s simply too much for one person to cover,” BLIPPI general manager Mike Katzman told Parents.com. “With more exciting themes and adventures to explore, having another actor allows us to continue delivering high-quality, engaging content at the pace our fans love.”
He added, “This also lets us dive deeper into the Blippi-verse, creating fresh experiences that embody the fun and curiosity our audience expects. We’re thrilled to have an incredible performer join the team, and fans can look forward to seeing Clayton Grimm continue to bring Blippi to life in many more adventures as well.”
“When Clayton was introduced as Blippi, we also saw increased viewership across all Blippi episodes,” Katzman concluded. “Audiences grew up with and fell in love with Clayton. We’re excited to introduce fans to Ben — he’s a very energetic and passionate addition to the franchise and allows us to bring more adventures and learning to our fans around the world.”
No matter who’s playing the character, it looks like audiences around the world can’t get enough of Blippi.
Read Next: There’s Another Blippi — Here’s What Parents Need to Know
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