Mark Edward Fischbach (born June 28, 1989 [Age 29]) is a Twitch and YouTube streamer most famously known for videos surrounding his love for horror games. He provides hours of laughs through his video game commentaries. Instead of swears, he uses verbal autocorrect by choosing rhyming words such as “duck” or “itch.” Since blowing up on Twitch and YouTube, the man behind Markiplier now travels across the globe during improv shows.
Beginnings for Markiplier
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, the future star began his YouTube page back on March 6, 2012. From the start, he used the named Markiplier. He started unloading a series of videos on April 4th of the same year. At the time, he was creating content following Amnesia: The Dark Descent. After catching fire with commentaries on Dead Penumbra and Dead Space, YouTube suspended Markiplier’s AdSense account. Following a losing battle against the streaming giant, Markiplier made a brand-new account, MarkiplierGAME.
By 2014, MarkiplierGAME had become a huge internet sensation. YouTube content creators caught wind of the potential of this star, getting the gamer to move from Hawaii to LA. This move got the star onto the Tonight Show with Jimmy Kimmel. Here, he defended fans of Let’s Play. His appearance earned the star as the sixth of Top 20 Most Influential Celebrities Among Teenagers.
Using His Fame as a Platform
With his stock and influence rising, Markiplier started to speak out about issues that were dear to his heart. After being hospitalized for a transient ischemic attack, the influencer took to his YouTube page and announced he was quitting alcohol. Viewers learned that the star had a digestive enzyme deficiency. Due to this condition, Mark couldn’t properly break down alcohol. These complications caused the internet sensation to quit alcohol and raise awareness for the condition.
To further his reach, Markiplier teamed with YouTube sensation, Jacksepticeye. The twosome infamously dyed their hair pink for charity. A few months later, he’d switch up to red for another cause, before returning to his natural state of black by 2017.
In June of 2018, Markiplier’s step-niece, Miranda, died in a car accident. She was only nineteen years old. After announcing he was going to stop making videos for a while, the star posted an update two days later. In the video, he thanked his fans for their outpouring of support. He also shared the GoFundMe link to cover his step-niece’s funeral expenses. By the time the GoFundMe ended, the star had raised over double the $15,000 goal.
Success Past YouTube and Twitch
With his popularity growing, Markiplier looked for other ways to continue his success. He started to hone his improv skills and began taking acting courses. One of his forays during this time was to release a video that followed a “Choose Your Adventure” style of storytelling. The piece was known as “A Date with Markiplier” and received a lot of positive feedback from fans.
Knowing that he might be onto something, Markiplier signed on with a subdivision of Maker Studios known as Revelmode. Infamously, Maker Studios recently parted ways with famous internet star, PewDiePie. The reason for this breakup was over controversial comments the star made in the past resurfacing. When Maker Studios parted ways with its biggest cash cows, they had to make cuts. As a result, Revelmode was disbanded.
With Revelmode no longer in existence, stars such as Markiplier and Jacksepticeye needed to find new homes. Luckily for Markiplier, he partnered with another subdivision of Maker Studios. He now creates content under their Polaris wing.
Continuing his meteoric rise, co-hosted the South by Southwest (SXSW) 2015 Gaming Awards. From there, he started his mini production team. Known as Teamplier, Mark now has a group that helps him come up with content for his various channels. They also strategize some of the next steps for his brand.
The Future for Markiplier
While YouTube and Twitch are his primary breadwinners, Markiplier is looking to branch out toward touring. He has started to take his improv shows on the road. His first was known as the “You’re Welcome Tour.”
This four-night stint turned into a year-long tour. The lineup included performances from YouTube and Twitch luminaries including:
- Ethan Nestor (CrankGameplays)
- Wade Barnes (LordMinion777)
- Tyler Scheid (Apocalypto12)
- Bob Muskens (muyskerm)
In addition, Markiplier has also gotten into the comic book business. Back in 2014, the star partnered with Red Giant Entertainment. With this base knowledge, he was placed to host a panel for action figures at the San Diego Comic Con. Further fleshing this fan base out, Markiplier had started taking on voiceover rules. He currently provides the voice of 5.0.5 on the Cartoon Network show, Villainous.
