Meet the Creator: Leenda Dong

April 4, 2023 | Cat Elliott
Photo credit: Mark Marilla

Leenda Dong may have reached the impressive status known as the mega-influencer, but the creator was nothing short of relatable when she virtually sat down with Casting Networks. Dong shared that she actually keeps that quality in mind when brainstorming new ideas to write and perform within the digital space. Keep reading for a window into the creator’s journey that took her from YouTube shorts to accumulating more than 17 million followers on TikTok and 1 million followers on Instagram.

It’s great to meet you via Zoom, Leenda. Can you share a bit of the @yoleendadong “origin story” that led to your current status as a mega-influencer?

First of all, thank you for doing the article. This is really cool. So, I originally started making dramatic and comedic skits for about eight years. Then in 2020, I decided to take a break from making longer-form content and try something else. I was making two videos a week and writing all the scripts for them, casting everybody, and editing all the videos. So, it was a bit draining, doing all that for eight years. I wanted to try something new, and my friends suggested TikTok. I was like, “What is that?” Then I looked at it, and everyone there was Gen Z and also dancing. I’m a Millennial and can’t dance. So, I didn’t know how it was going to work for me. I tested a couple of things, and they weren’t really biting. I actually got a lot of negativity when I first started and even some hate comments. That really discouraged me from creating more content, and I stopped for three months.

What made you start again?

A friend encouraged me to get back on TikTok. The pandemic had hit by then, and everyone was just sitting at home. It felt sad that the whole world had closed down, and I wanted to make videos that were happy and sassy and positive. So, I started making up some really silly skits about me being at home and just talking about random things from other people’s videos. From there, it just blew up, which was kind of crazy. My following got to 10 million in a year. I think people were relating to the fact that I wasn’t glammed up in my videos. I was always in my sweatpants and pajamas with a messy bun, just chilling at home. I think people connected with the videos because they were in a similar situation, so it maybe felt like they were watching a friend.

Definitely! And your work also ranges from comedy to drama. Can you tell us about your journey as an actor/performer through the process of creating your own content?

I was 21 when I started creating content online for YouTube. But, I’d always loved comedy and was that theater kid — the one who’s kind of silly and weird — in high school. Theater was really an outlet for me to express comedy. I just enjoy making people laugh, and I get happy when I see others happy and having fun. That’s probably related to my dad always making jokes when I was growing up. I also remember watching Mad TV and Disney Channel — I loved Lizzie McGuire and That’s So Raven, and they both have really funny characters. Shows like that made me want to do comedy. And then on the drama side of things, I’ve always been into the arts and photography, especially the more emotional and darker color pieces. There’s this interest to express emotions and sensitivity and mental health. So, there are two sides to me, and when people meet me in person, they’re sometimes surprised at how calm I am compared to my comedic videos.

That makes sense.

And as far as my journey as a creator, I’ve been pretty consistently pumping out content since I started. That involves researching and trying to figure out what the best thing is to make. I like to do a mix of drama and comedy. The former can feel more like a short film and has some sort of message I want to share. And then for comedy, I like those videos to have a lighter note to them. I’ll add that writing for comedy inspired me to try stand-up. A lot of people suggested it, including one friend, in particular. I told him no because it sounded terrifying, but he was persistent. Eventually, he told me he had an open set, and I’d have a month to prepare if I wanted to perform. That pushed me to try it because I’d been thinking about doing it for so long. I watched a bunch of stand-up comics to try and understand the formula of writing a set. It’s really completely different from writing scripted comedy sketches. And when I went to perform, there were some jokes that didn’t hit. The ones that did work surprised me because I thought they were just okay. So, it was a bit confusing — stand-up comedy is really so different than creating content and acting in skits. But, it was a great experience and really fun. I feel like you should always try something once, even if it’s terrifying, just so you know.

I feel inspired! And I’d love to hear about your process as a creator, including how you come up with and execute ideas.

A lot of my ideas come from talking with my friends — there are just so many funny things that happen to us. Or, when I’m going about my day and have an awkward encounter, I’ll note it. And if I feel like something is relatable, I’ll write it down. I usually do that first on just my iPad or iPhone. From there, I’ll move to my laptop and write out a script for the idea in Google Docs. Usually, I have the whole video played out already in my head once I think of the title for it. So, I just write what I’ve envisioned and then have someone look over the script. Or, I just go over it myself. Then I make the video.

Thanks for pulling back the curtain on your process. And before we wrap, can you share what you hope people take away from the work you create?

I went to an event recently, and this girl told me she really enjoyed my videos. “They show me it’s okay for me to be awkward,” she said. And that made me very happy. I want my videos to reinforce that it’s okay to not always be polished and put together — no one’s perfect. I hope people watching them are encouraged to embrace who they are.

Dong’s performances in the digital space offer an alternative to the picture-perfect content often found on social media. And she left us with one more insight before the interview wrapped. “I want people to be inspired to do what makes them happy,” Dong shared. “Do what you want to do, and be yourself.”

This interview has been edited and condensed.

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