[At the end of the article there is a complete version in English.]

Els seus vídeos a TikTok van fer a Jonathan Peter (Johannesburg, 1999) conegut internacionalment l'any 2020, quan va aconseguir un milió de seguidors en tan sols nou mesos. Tot i provenir d'una família dedicada als negocis, Peter es va adonar molt aviat que volia perseguir el seu somni de ser actor als Estats Units, on s'hi muda l'any 2019 per estudiar a l'acadèmia de cinema de Nova York. Des de llavors, ha actuat a Days of Resilience (2019) o Poison Ivy (2020). Diumenge era a la gala dels Oscars. 

 

 

 

 

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Una publicación compartida por Jonathan Peter (@iamjonathanpeter)

Malgrat les nou hores de diferència amb Los Angeles, Peter explica al Diari de Barcelona el seu camí a Hollywood i a les xarxes socials, on avui dia el segueixen més de 12 milions de persones. 

Vas començar a crear contingut a TikTok el 2020. Què t'hi va llençar?
Va ser simplement perquè estava a la universitat en aquell moment, i em vaig trobar amb un vídeo de YouTube que deia que les xarxes socials són una bona segona feina. TikTok encara era bastant nou, la gent acabava de començar a utilitzar l'aplicació, i vaig dir: “Espera, puc guanyar diners a les xarxes socials?” El meu company de pis en aquell moment estava tot el dia a TikTok i vaig decidir donar-li una oportunitat. Vaig crear el meu primer vídeo, i tot i que tenia zero seguidors, va tenir prou visualitzacions. Vaig pensar que era genial, així que vaig continuar creant vídeos. Feia contingut de comèdia i em va agradar la resposta de la gent, especialment la gent que no em coneixia personalment. 

Ets actor, podries haver decidit fer contingut més relacionat amb pel·lícules o amb sèries. Per què vas decidir fer-ho sobre comèdia?
És la mateixa raó per la qual vaig decidir convertir-me en actor: volia tenir un impacte en la vida de la gent, i sentia que la comèdia és una gran medicina. Si pots fer que algú rigui encara que sigui un segon, saps que s'oblida dels problemes que està tenint. Vaig pensar que era una bona manera de veure com la gent responia als continguts que publicava. A més, la majoria de contingut en aquell moment a TikTok eren vídeos de ball, la comèdia era una cosa nova i era una oportunitat per entrar-hi. 

Els creadors de contingut de comèdia sou gairebé els fundadors de TikTok…
No m'atreviria a dir que fos el precursor en aquest sentit, de persones que fessin comèdia a TikTok, ja n'hi havia en aquell moment, dels quals vaig rebre molta motivació, però definitivament vaig pujar al tren dels que ja havien començat. 

@iamjonathanpeter First and last day as a construction worker #construction #constructionlife #react ♬ original sound - Jonathan Peter

Com prepares els vídeos?
És curiós. Vaig descobrir que els vídeos amb què la gent es pot sentir identificada funcionen molt bé quan es tracta de comèdia. Molta comèdia ve del dolor: si molta gent té experiències terribles a la feina amb els seus caps, és una cosa amb la qual tothom pot identificar-se, i es converteix en comèdia. 

Així que recopiles aquestes experiències perquè la gent s’hi vegi reflectida…
M'agrada pensar en què voldria enviar la gent als seus amics quan faig el meu contingut. Sempre penso: “Enviaria això a un amic si ho veiés a les xarxes?”. Si acabo de fer un vídeo i dubto si el compartiria, llavors no el publico, perquè no deu ser tan bo. 

És curiós que a molts dels teus vídeos no parles, simplement et disfresses i reacciones gairebé sempre igual. Per què vas apostar per aquesta idea? 
Va ser a partir de veure la reacció de la gent. Abans de fer aquest contingut, reaccionava a altres vídeos i tampoc parlava. Vaig veure que aquests vídeos rebien comentaris en diferents idiomes i tenien centenars de "m'agrada". Significa que els vídeos arribaven a diferents regions i vaig veure que no parlar als vídeos permet que tothom entengui el meu contingut. I també, com que no parlo, els vídeos són molt interpretables. Vaig pensar que era una gran manera d’ampliar la meva comunitat i fer que tothom se senti més implicat. Així, sé que encara que algú parli zero anglès, pot veure'l i entendre’l. 

“La creació de contingut està molt més a prop de la indústria del cinema de què pots imaginar”

Vas tenir bona rebuda des d’un inici?
Abans feia directes a TikTok. Va ser la primera vegada que vaig tenir interaccions directes amb gent darrere de la pantalla i… mare meva, va ser dur! La gent se'n reia dels meus llavis o del meu nas, de la manera com parlo, el meu accent, de qualsevol cosa. Però com més ho feia, més m’adonava que eren només trols, que no l’únic que volien era fer-me saltar. 

I t’afectava?
Quan et trobes comentaris d’odi… No sabia com tractar-ho, perquè mai m'havia passat abans. Durant una època fins i tot em despertava a mitjanit per mirar els comentaris, em provocava molta ansietat el que la gent deia de mi. Però com vaig continuar creant contingut i cada vegada tenia més èxit, vaig començar a preocupar-me menys. També penso que si estic arribant a aquesta gent que no em coneixia, encara que m'odiïn, significa que estic fent alguna cosa bé. 

Actor i creador de contingut; són carreres que es trepitgen?
Tant quan estàs fent vídeos per xarxes com quan estàs actuant, estàs fent contingut perquè la gent s'entretingui. La creació de contingut està molt més a prop de la indústria del cinema de què pots imaginar. Al final, tots estem intentant entretenir, amb diferents mitjans, per descomptat.

“Un cop la càmera estigui gravant, oblidaran fins i tot que faig contingut a xarxes.”

TikTok t’ha ajudat també com a actor?
M’ha obert portes i definitivament m'ha ajudat a crear relacions amb altres actors amb qui podria acabar treballant. He fet bons amics en general i m'ha ajudat a fer el meu primer pas a aquest món. 

Has temut mai que quan actues per pel·lícules o sèries la gent et reconegui més com “aquell noi de TikTok” que com a actor?
Sí, segur, especialment la gent que mai m'ha vist actuar, però sempre li dic a la gent que un cop la càmera estigui gravant, oblidaran fins i tot que faig contingut a xarxes. És definitivament una por, per exemple, si em consideren com a actor per una pel·lícula romàntica, que s’ho pensin en veure a internet que el contingut que faig és de comèdia i no pas una cosa seriosa. Però, repeteixo, posa’m el guió a la mà, deixa’m gravar l’escena, i llavors en parlem. 

Creus que les xarxes socials i els mòbils són avui tan importants com el cinema o la televisió?
Sento que tots dos tenen els seus propis propòsits. He vist pel·lícules i programes de televisió que m'han inspirat, que m’han fet voler sortir al món real i marcar una diferència, i alhora a Instagram, TikTok o YouTube trobaràs vídeos de 15 o 30 segons que tinguin el mateix impacte. Crec que depèn de cadascú, encara hi ha molta gent gran que no està gaire familiaritzada amb les xarxes socials i que encara va molt al cinema i conec molta gent jove que ha deixat d'anar-hi perquè poden veure-ho tot als seus telèfons o a casa. Però sento que cinema i xarxes continuaran creixent junts i començarem a trobar maneres de combinar-les en el futur. 

Et vas mudar als Estats Units des de Sud-àfrica. Creies que tindries més oportunitats?
Sí, a Sud-àfrica era molt difícil entrar a la indústria perquè els papers eren selectius, no eren impossibles, però aquí vaig trobar que hi havia més oportunitats d'entrar al cinema i la televisió o fins i tot als curtmetratges. Vas a una universitat local i ja pots crear la teva xarxa de contactes. A Sud-àfrica era difícil fins i tot trobar mànagers, o agents en els quals puguis confiar. Així que per a mi, venir a Hollywood era imprescindible, tot es filma aquí.

Com va ser marxar de casa i del teu país?
És graciós, perquè des del moment en què vaig sortir d'aquell aeroport, ja em sentia com a casa. Estava entusiasmat, només volia conèixer a tothom, em sentia com a una pel·lícula de Disney Channel on finalment vaig arribar al lloc on volia estar. Alhora, tinc família que també es va mudar a L.A. per ajudar-me i cosins que vivien a Chicago abans, així que mai vaig sentir que estigués sol.

Deies que a Sud-àfrica és difícil ser actor. Quan vas decidir que t’hi volies dedicar? 
Se’m va encendre la bombeta a l’institut. Tenia un professor que actuava en un anunci i ens el va mostrar a classe. Va ser la primera vegada que em vaig adonar que podia ser actor i estar a la televisió. A Sud-àfrica gairebé sembla impossible entrar al món del cinema i la televisió, ningú pensa en això, està massa lluny. Però quan vaig veure algú al meu voltant que estava en un anunci, vaig decidir parlar amb ell. Llavors també vaig veure Els jocs de la fam aquell any i en veure joves actuant en una pel·lícula vaig pensar que podria fer-ho.

Et vas sentir insegur per començar tan jove?
Sí, és clar, era com saltar a l'abisme. No tenia ni idea de què esperar, però també vaig ser molt pacient. Molts dels meus actors preferits com Morgan Freeman, en són un gran exemple, l'èxit a la seva carrera va començar a una edat molt avançada. Vaig haver de forçar-me a ser pacient i fer-me entendre que està bé si no et truquen per cap paper durant un parell d'anys, ningú pot triar la seva carrera. Però definitivament sé què fer per modelar la meva carrera i arribar on vull arribar.
 

@iamjonathanpeter #fyp #security ♬ The Fallen - Slowed - Caleb Bryant

His TikTok content made Jonathan Peter (Johannesburg, 1999) internationally known on 2020, when he got a million followers on the app in only nine months. Even though his family is dedicated to bussiness, Peter realised early on life that he wanted to persue his dream of becoming an actor in the USA, where he moved on 2019 to study on the New York Film Academy. From that day, he appeared on films such as Days of Resilience (2019) or Poison Ivy (2020). Last sunday he attended the Oscars. 

 

 

 

 

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Una publicación compartida por Jonathan Peter (@iamjonathanpeter)

Despite the nine hour difference between Los Angeles and Barcelona, Peter shares with Diari de Barcelona his experience in Hollywood ​and his evolution on social media, where he has more than 12 million followers.

You started creating content on TikTok in 2020. What inspired you to do it?
I was in college at the time, and I came across a YouTube video that said social media is a great side hustle. By that time, TikTok was still fairly new, people had just started using the app and I thought: “Wow, can I make money on social media?” My roommate was constantly on TikTok, so I decided to give it a shot. I created my first video, and although I had zero followers, it had enough views. I thought it was cool, so I continued to create content. I made comedy content at first and I liked people's response, especially of those who didn't know me personally.

As an actor, you might have considered creating content related to cinema or television. Why did you decide to do comedy videos?
It comes together with becoming an actor: I wanted to have an impact on people's lives, and I feel that comedy is a great and free medicine. If you can get someone to laugh, even for a second, they will probably forget about the problems they are going through. I thought it was a good way to see how people responded to the content I published. It was also because most of the content at that time on TikTok was dance videos, whereas the comedy was something new and I saw the opportunity to enter the market.

Comedy content creators can be considered the founders of TikTok...
I would not consider myself one of the first comedy content creators. There were creators I got a lot of inspiration and motivation from. However, I definitely hopped on the train of those who had already started. I just went along with the ride.

@iamjonathanpeter First and last day as a construction worker #construction #constructionlife #react ♬ original sound - Jonathan Peter

How do you prepare your videos?
I found out that videos that are relatable work very well when it comes to comedy. A lot of comedy comes from pain. For instance, if many people have terrible experiences at work with their bosses, that is something that everyone can identify with, and that turns into comedy because they realize that more people are going through the same.

So you pick those experiences in which people can see themselves reflected in.
I like to think about what people would want to send their friends when I make my content. I always ask myself: “Would you send this to a friend if you saw it on TikTok?”. If the answer is “no” then it means it is not good enough to post it.

It's curious that in many of your videos you don't even talk, you just dress up and react almost always the same. Why did you bet on this idea?
Funny you should ask. It was as a result of seeing people’s reaction. Before making this content, I reacted to other videos and didn’t speak. I saw these videos receiving comments in different languages and they had hundreds of “likes”, meaning that videos arrived to different regions and I saw that not talking to videos allows everyone to understand my content, even if they don’t speak the same language. And also, as I don’t talk, the videos are up for interpretation. I thought it was a great way to expand my community and make everyone feel more involved. So, I know that even if someone speaks zero English, they can see it and understand it. It’s a great way to expand my community and have everybody feel more involved.

"Content creation is much closer to the film industry than you can imagine"

You’ve been talking about how you started seeing reactions from people on social media. Have you been well received by the community?
It was the first time I had direct interactions with people behind the screen and... it was hard. People would make fun of my lips or nose, the way I spoke, my accent, whatever it was. But the more I kept doing it, the more I realized that these were just trolls, that the only thing they wanted was a reaction out of me. However, most of the people have been surprisingly wholesome and receptive.

Did the negative feedback affect you?
I didn't know how to deal with it at first, as it never happened to me before. There was a time I even woke up at midnight to look at the comments, I had so much anxiety of what people were saying about me. But the more I started creating content and the more successful I became, the less I worried. At the same time, if my content is getting to all those people, even if they hate me, it means I am doing something right.

Actor and creator of content; do both of your careers resemble?
Both when you are creating content and when you are acting you are making forms of media that people consume to entertain themselves. Content creation is much closer to the film industry than you can imagine. At the end of the day, we are all trying to entertain, under different means, of course, but it is all entertainment.

"Once the camera is rolling, they will even forget that I do social media"

Has TikTok helped you as an actor as well?
It has helped me get into doors and has definitely helped me to create relationships with other actors with whom I could end up working. I have made good friends and helped me make my first step into this world.

Have you ever feared that when you act for movies or series people might recognize you more as “that TikTok guy” than as an actor?
For sure, especially people who have never seen me perform, but I always tell people that once the camera is rolling, they will even forget that I do social media. It becomes a problem, for example, if I'm pretending to be in a romantic film but you’re seeing me in my content creator role as a comedic guy instead of something more serious.

Do you think that these days social media is as important as cinema or television?
I feel that both have their own purposes. I have seen films and television programs that have inspired me, which made me want to go out to the real world and make a difference, and at the same time on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube you will find 15 or 30 seconds videos that have the same impact. I think it depends on everyone, there are still a lot of elderly people who are not very familiar with social media and who still go to the cinema. There's also young people who have stopped going because they can see everything on their phones or at home. Even so, I feel that cinema and social media will continue to grow together and we will begin to find ways to combine them in the future.

You moved from South Africa to the United States. Did you feel that you would have more opportunities in the EEUU?
Definitely. In South Africa it was very difficult to break into the industry because the roles were selective…not impossible, but in the EEUU I found that there were more opportunities to get into cinema and television or even short films. You go to a local university and you can already create your network. In South Africa, conversely, it was difficult even to find managers, or acting coaches you could trust. So for me, coming to Hollywood was a no brainer, everything is filmed here.

Was it hard to leave home and your country?
Actually, from the moment I left that airport, I already felt at home. I was excited, I just wanted to meet everyone, I felt like i was in a Disney Channel movie where I finally got to where I wanted to be. At the same time, I have a family who also moved to L.A. to help me and cousins who lived in Chicago before, so I never felt alone.

You said it's hard to be an actor in South Africa. When did you decide you wanted to become one?
The switch flipped for me back in high school. I had a teacher who was in a commercial and he showed us it in class. It was the first time I realized that I could be on television. In South Africa it seems impossible to get into cinema and television, no one even thinks about it, it is too far-fetched. But when I saw someone around me who was in an ad, I thought: “I could really do this, I’m going to pursue this career". I also watched The Hunger Games that year and when I saw young people performing there I thought I could do it.

Did you feel insecure to start so young?
Of course, it was like jumping in at the deep end. I had no idea what to expect, but I was also very patient. Many of my favorite actors, like Morgan Freeman, are a great example, their career got very big at a very old age. I had to teach myself patience and made myself
understand that it's OK if they don't call me to give me a paper in a couple of years, you might find that your typecast comes in at some other time. I just have to be patient with myself and things will fall into place.

[Adaptació de l'anglès: Emma Porta]

@iamjonathanpeter #fyp #security ♬ The Fallen - Slowed - Caleb Bryant