| Full Name | Colleen Mae Ballinger |
|---|---|
| Age | 36 |
| Birthday | November 21, 1986 |
| Net Worth | $8 million |
| Social Media |
Facebook TikTok YouTube |
Colleen Ballinger is an actress, comedian, singer and wildly popular YouTube personality best known for creating the character Miranda Sings. With her quirky humor and energetic personality, she has amassed over 20 million YouTube subscribers and millions of fans worldwide.
Her Early Life and Discovery of Performing
Colleen Mae Ballinger was born on November 21, 1986 in Santa Barbara, California to parents Tim and Gwen Ballinger. She has one older brother named Chris. Ever since she was young, Colleen loved making home videos and pulling pranks on her family, showing her early passion for performing.
After graduating high school in 2005, Ballinger studied vocal performance at Azusa Pacific University. She created the Miranda Sings character in 2008 while still a student, originally intended to parody the many bad singers she encountered as a vocal major.
The Creation of Miranda Sings
Miranda Sings is a fictional character that Colleen Ballinger portrays on her YouTube channels and live comedy acts. Miranda is an arrogant, untalented singer who believes she was born famous but just doesn‘t know it yet.
Some signature Miranda characteristics include:
- Hilariously over-the-top, nasal singing voice
- Bright red lipstick sloppily drawn far outside her lips
- Delightfully bad mispronunciation of words
- Condescending and misguided advice on everything from singing to life
This lovably oblivious character, confident despite her clear lack of skill, pokes fun at talent show contestants who seriously overestimate their own abilities.
Rise to YouTube Stardom
Ballinger began posting videos as the Miranda character on YouTube in 2008. The earliest videos showed Miranda giving absurdly bad and misguided singing lessons, mangling lyrics, and insisting she was destined for stardom.
The channel took off in popularity after Ballinger posted a viral video titled "Free Voice Lesson" in 2009. It now has over 2 million subscribers and more than 1 billion total views, with some of Miranda‘s most popular videos garnering over 50 million views each.
She also created a personal vlogging channel, Colleen Vlogs, in 2010. This channel has exploded exponentially to over 8 million subscribers.
Taking Miranda Sings to the Stage
Thanks to Miranda‘s online popularity, Ballinger began performing live comedy shows as the character. Her first stage show was in 2009 at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in NYC.
Ballinger has since taken Miranda Sings on tour all over the U.S. and internationally, including notable moments like:
- Appearing in character on America‘s Got Talent in 2010
- Selling out a performance at the legendary London Palladium in 2018
- Collaborating onstage with top YouTubers like Miranda Sings
She had successful off-Broadway runs of her shows in New York in 2013 and 2019. Miranda even got her own Netflix series called "Haters Back Off" starring Ballinger from 2016-2017.
Music, Books and Business Savvy
On top of her comedy, Ballinger has released several pop albums both as herself and in character as Miranda Sings. This shows off her impressive legitimate vocal talents.
She published a bestselling advice book in 2017 called "Selp-Helf" written by Miranda Sings in her signature eccentric tone.
Ballinger has leveraged Miranda into a mini media empire, with lucrative merchandising, TV deals with Netflix, and even signing with major talent agencies like CAA. She has proven herself a savvy businesswoman.
Personal Life
Ballinger met her now husband, actor Erik Stocklin, while filming the Haters Back Off Netflix series. The two married in 2018 in California.
In 2021, Ballinger gave birth to twins with Stocklin. She has a close relationship with family members like her sister Rachel who often appear in her YouTube videos.
Across all social media platforms, Ballinger now has over 30 million followers. She continues to grow her audience by blending comedy, music and lifestyle content.
Colleen Ballinger‘s Net Worth
As of 2023, Ballinger‘s net worth is estimated at around $8 million.
Her income comes primarily from YouTube advertising revenue, touring revenue, merchandise sales, endorsements deals with brands like Target, and other business ventures.
With her online fame only continuing to grow, Ballinger has established herself as a successful entertainer and entrepreneur for the digital age.