When Madison Humphrey ('21) was finally convinced to download TikTok at the end of 2021, she didn't realize it would lead her to fulfilling her lifelong goal of becoming an actress.

A year after earning a bachelor's in broadcast journalism from the Mayborn School of Journalism with a theatre minor from the Department of Dance and Theatre, Humphrey began making videos on the platform for fun while working as a college football sideline reporter.

"I was scrolling and I was like, 'Wait, people are making skits on here,'" Humphrey says. "'That's kind of cool. I want to try it, too.' So I started making videos in my room."

Humphrey never expected to strike gold with one of her first videos going mega-viral, leading her to amass over one billion collective views.

The satirical skit features Humphrey acting in a point-of-view scenario based on real-life experiences and stereotypes, marking the beginning of the famous series depicting characters like a suburban mother and her most popular, an apartment leasing agent.

"People say to me all the time, 'I thought you were a real leasing manager,'" Humphrey says. "That was the one who helped me realize, 'Oh wait, I could do this as a career.'"

Humphrey has been a full-time content creator for over two years and since first going viral, she gained a loyal audience of more than four million followers and 500 million likes on TikTok. She also boasts 1.2 million followers from reels on Instagram.

Most of Humphrey's videos only star herself, with the rare appearance of friends or her husband who occasionally assists with filming, but otherwise it is a one woman show.

"I really enjoy what I get to do," says Humphrey. "It's helping open doors for other projects."

This August, years of planning, writing, directing and editing skits finally paid off as Humphrey celebrated her birthday alongside co-stars on the set of off-site, her debut feature film.

Trusting the Process

Humphrey grew up horseback riding in Fort Worth with her athletic and artistic family and participated in volleyball and theater, sticking with them both until graduating from high school.

Her senior year, Humphrey was cast as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz alongside her two younger siblings, who played roles as Munchkins and the Wicked Witch's flying monkeys.

"My parents really encouraged us to be involved in the arts," says Humphrey. "They wanted us to try everything, which is how I was able to realize I really love theater and acting."

Before becoming an Eagle, Humphrey moved to Virginia and went to film school for a year, but moved back to Texas and transferred to UNT – realizing a degree in sports broadcast journalism with a minor in theater could better tie together both of her interests.

During her time as a Mayborn student, Humphrey toured the Dallas Cowboys facilities with Joe Trahan, adjunct professor and former communications and public relations coordinator for the NFL team.

Humphrey then applied to intern with the Cowboys but was turned down and – converting rejection into redirection – reapplied after graduating, later landing the reporting position.

"Trust the process," says Humphrey. "It will all end up to be for the best."

This experience proved to her that she was in the right place and, once the contract ended, Humphrey continued to work in sports before downloading an app that would change her life forever.

Founded by Followers

With no public release date for her current project, Humphrey looks forward to what the future has in store and is eager to get her acting career off the sideline and into serious roles.

"It would be a fun challenge to push me outside of my comfort zone," says Humphrey. "I think a role like that would be a lot of fun for fans to see and I'm always open to anything."

As a content creator, Humphrey has met, collaborated or partnered with brands and people, including Raising Cane's with Post Malone and Jake from State Farm, and recently made an elaborate skit with the help of Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Arlington.

"There were so many moving pieces," Humphrey says. "I really felt like a film director."

Having been an online personality for some time, Humphrey is ready to keep growing and take her talents to the next level, but will never move on from the fans and friends she's made on social media who continue to show up after each and every upload.

"People on the internet can sniff out if you're being disingenuous so quickly," Humphrey says. "I have a great audience and a supportive following; I wouldn't be where I am without them."