(Newser) – A century after Charlie Chaplin’s heyday, another man with a gift for no comedy has become a world star. Khaby Lame, who began making videos when he was fired from his factory job in Italy at the start of the pandemic, is now the most watched person in the world’s most downloaded app. His TikTok account surpassed 143 million followers this week, ahead of American dancer Charlie D’Amelio, who currently has 142.5 million followers, according to Mashable.
The 22-year-old Kutz now publishes mostly (silent) comedy sketches, but the publications that made him a star followed a simple formula in which he silently mocks complex or strange “life hacks such as using tape to turn a fork into a spoon.” Verge reports. His expressive reactions have also inspired countless memes. “My face and expressions make people laugh,” Lame told the New York Times last year, describing his reactions as “global language.”
Kutz was born in Senegal and was one year old when his family moved to Italy. He said his main goal was not fame, although he hoped to visit Hollywood. “I don’t care if I’m first, second or fourth in popularity on TikTok. “I started making videos because I wanted to make people laugh during this period of blockage,” he told CNN last year. “And I keep making videos with the same ideals. I’m happy with my accomplishments, but those aren’t my main things.” (Read more stories in TikTok.)
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