Monique Howard
Feb 11, 2021
Actor, content creator and director King Vader is a rising star known for Hidden Springs, Slasher Party, and the new mini-series Netflix Dreams. His career began with creating popular YouTube videos featuring iconic superheroes and anime characters in comical dance-offs. King Vader's talent for writing, directing, editing, and producing his videos landed him a deal with one of the top streaming companies, Netflix. His latest project Netflix Dreams is available for streaming on the Netflix YouTube channel.
In the mini-series, King Vader wakes up in a parallel universe and discovers he has superpowers. Along with starring in the lead role, he makes his directorial series debut.
King Vader's current partnership with the renowned streaming platform Netflix marks him as one of the youngest African American directors. He sets the bar high as an influential trailblazer and continues to thrive as an emerging talent in the entertainment world.
In an interview with QG, he discusses his journey from successful Youtuber to Netflix series director and more.
When reflecting on his transition from YouTube content creator to becoming a promising director, he remembers an important life lesson about success.
"I feel like it was trial and error," King Vader said. "There were a lot of steps to get to the place [where] I am at now, but a huge part of success is the failure, and each failure is a chance to learn something new."
He acknowledges his unique status as one of the youngest African American directors to partner with Netflix. He hopes to not only inspire others but also create a meaningful legacy.
"I want to let people of all colors know that anything is possible," he said.
“The only limitations are the ones you set on [for] yourself. Never give up. I know chasing your dream isn’t always easy, but if it were, everyone would do it. Always keep moving forward. On this path, there is a lot of doubt, hardship, and pain, but use that pain and throw it into the furnace that fuels your ambition.”
King Vader agreed to share a bit of background on his current series.
"Netflix Dreams is a mini-series where I create revisions of Netflix originals," he explains. "The first two episodes are based on the popular series' Umbrella Academy and Cobra Kai. "
Along with his success as a director, he is also the head of Wolf Graphic.
“Wolf Graphic is a film production team created with a collective of individuals with various talents such as filmmaking, directing, editing, producing, photography, even stand up comedy, and so much more,” he states.
With 86 million views and counting on his YouTube channel, King Vader recognizes how fortunate he is to achieve such a milestone.
"It's unreal," he exclaims. "I never thought I alone could reach a number like that. I am blessed to be able to reach an achievement like that."
Like many sci-fi enthusiasts, he is also a fan of Star Wars. The iconic movie franchise helped shape his identity as a creator, and he remembers how everything fell into place.
"When I was younger I had a huge love for Star Wars (more specifically Darth Vader)," he recalls.
"Because of this, I wanted people to refer to me as Vader. Over time, I hopped over to Vine, and I saw a creator named King Bach. I was inspired by the way he carried himself as a creator, and to me, he looked how a king would. So I told myself, if he could be King Bach, I could be King Vader."
With so much already accomplished, the talented millennial is still on the rise.
"This year, I have an original superhero project dropping, a Power Ranger video, and maybe a sequel to my Matrix project," he said. "And a lot of people want a part 5 for Don’t Disrespect Halloween, so it’s a big possibility that may happen.”
Check out the first episode of Dreams below.
Photographer: Sheri Angeles
Stylist: Raina Silberstein