Alan Chikin Chow
Born 1998 · Age 27
American actor, digital creator, producer, writer and influencer; top YouTube Shorts creator and creator of the YouTube series 'Alan's Universe'.
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Life & Career Timeline
Began modeling for JC Penney (early career)
Chow began work as a model for JC Penney before booking TV roles (approximate timing early in his teen acting/modeling career).
Voice roles in anime (One Piece, Soul Eater, Ping Pong)
Credited as a voice actor on anime projects (One Piece credited as Orenami; other anime credits listed in 2014 filmography).
Television guest role — I Didn't Do It
One of Chow's early TV acting credits, appearing on Disney Channel's I Didn't Do It.
Film credit — Absolute Duo
Credit listed (anime/voice) for Absolute Duo in filmography.
Feature film — Internet Famous
Appeared in the film 'Internet Famous' (2016 credit).
Moved to Los Angeles to attend USC (approx.)
Chow moved to LA and enrolled at USC where he studied screenwriting and business administration (typical timeline: entering college at ~18).
Filmography credit — Tales of Titans
Appeared in 'Tales of Titans' (2017 credit).
Guest role — Grey's Anatomy
Chow booked a guest role (Henry) on ABC's Grey's Anatomy in 2018.
Multiple TV credits (13 Reasons Why, Mr. Student Body President, Millennial Mafia, The Thinning: New World Order)
Chow accrued several credits in 2018 including 13 Reasons Why (Mikey Chan), Mr. Student Body President, Millennial Mafia and The Thinning sequel.
Began posting short-form social content (TikTok/YouTube)
Chow started intentionally creating and posting short-form social videos while at USC in 2019; this marks the beginning of his rapid digital growth.
Credit — Into the Dark (2020)
Appeared in Hulu's Into the Dark as Trevor (2020 credit listed).
Estimated USC bachelor's degree completion
Chow earned a Bachelor's degree from USC, studying screenwriting and business administration (USC attendance estimated 2016–2020).
Television credit — Home Economics; VidCon featured creator
Appeared on 'Home Economics' (2022) and was a featured creator at VidCon; he moderated a TikTok panel during VidCon (first VidCon appearance reported in 2022).
Channel charted in Top 50 most-viewed U.S. YouTube channels (week of 10/30/2022)
According to Tubefilter, Chow's channel appeared among the Top 50 most-viewed U.S. YouTube channels (week of Oct 30, 2022).
Forbes Top Creators honoree (2023)
Named an honoree in Forbes' 'Top Creators' list for 2023.
Fortune Magazine — #1 YouTube Shorts Creator (recognition)
Fortune recognized Alan Chikin Chow as the #1 YouTube Shorts Creator (2023).
YouTube NewFronts — #1 YouTube Shorts Creator
Recognized at YouTube NewFronts 2023 as the top Shorts creator.
Brand partnerships (McDonald's, Old Spice, HBO Max, others)
Worked with major brands on campaigns and promotional videos, including McDonald's, Old Spice and HBO Max.
Philanthropy — donated to Act to Change during TikTok's #GivingSzn
Chow donated to Act to Change, a nonprofit supporting AAPI youth and anti-bullying, during TikTok's #GivingSzn campaign.
Launched drama series 'Alan's Universe' (series launch/expansion)
Chow launched 'Alan's Universe', a high-school drama series about love and friendships on his channel and platforms (series amassed large viewership).
Surpassed 50 million subscribers (approx.)
By Oct/Nov 2024 reporting references to 50+ million / 57 million in coverage; he passed the 50M-subscriber milestone in 2024 (estimated timing mid–late 2024).
Broke into Top 50 most-subscribed YouTube channels globally (2024)
In 2024 Chow's channel entered the Top 50 most-subscribed channels worldwide (reported in Wikipedia summary and industry coverage).
Multiple industry honors — Forbes, Rolling Stone, THR, Gold House, Webby (2024)
Honored across multiple industry lists in 2024: Forbes Top Creators (2024), Forbes 30 Under 30 (2024), Rolling Stone Top 25 Most Influential Creators (2024), Hollywood Reporter Creator Class (2024), Gold House A100, and Webby Awards (Best Creator/Best Use of Video).
Feature film cameo — Mean Girls (2024)
Credited as 'Social Media Friend (as himself)' in Mean Girls (2024 credit).
Featured on Good Morning America and CBS News
'Alan's Universe' and Chow's work were featured on Good Morning America and CBS News (articles and segments in April 2024).
Alan's Universe reaches 250M cumulative views (reported)
Deadline reported the series had garnered over 250 million views across episodes as of mid-2024.
Signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
Variety reported Chow signed with talent agency CAA (June 24, 2024).
Most-viewed US YouTube channel (week of 07/14/2024)
Tubefilter listed Chow's channel among the Top 50 most-viewed U.S. YouTube channels and reported it charted as the most-viewed in the U.S. on multiple occasions; week of July 14, 2024 highlighted.
Opened 10,000 sq ft production studio in Burbank, CA
Chow opened a 10,000 square foot production space in Burbank to support content production (reported Nov 2024).
Ranked 17th most-subscribed YouTube channel (May 2025)
As of May 2025 Chow's channel was the 17th most-subscribed channel on YouTube and ranks in the top 50 most-subscribed and most-viewed channels globally.
Casting call launched for HYBE America co-ed pop group (April 2025 announcement)
Variety reported Chow launched a casting call for a co-ed pop group to be formed with HYBE America; the group will be featured in a scripted series on YouTube (April 2025 reporting).
Continued industry recognition and platform expansion
By 2025 Chow maintained top Shorts creator status, high-profile agency representation, major brand deals, a production studio, and partnerships with HYBE and Roku.
Alan's Universe expanded to Roku Channel
Deadline reported 'Alan's Universe' would be available on Roku Channel (announcement March 24, 2025).
Executive role — Exec producer & label co-head for HYBE AMERICA x AU
Chow serves as executive producer and label co-head on the HYBE AMERICA x AU venture alongside Scooter Braun and James Shin.
Joint venture founded — HYBE AMERICA x AU (announcement)
Chow announced a joint venture with HYBE Corporation to create a pop group and streaming series; new label/venture titled 'HYBE AMERICA x AU' (announcement April 3, 2025).
Reached 91 million YouTube subscribers (May 11, 2025)
Wikipedia quick facts list Chow at 91 million subscribers and 51.1 billion views (last updated May 11, 2025).
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