Jessii Vee is an actress and social media star from Brampton, Canada most notably known for being a YouTube sensation with over 2.5 million subscribers to date and a TikTok influencer with over 3.5 million followers. As an advocate for creating safe spaces for young adults, Jessii has worked with popular digital platforms to create and provide animated content for teens and children addressing important topics such as bullying, anxiety and depression, and divorce. We caught up with Jessi to found out more about her and the exciting projects she works on.
You have always been artistic, growing up dancing ballet, playing the piano, and performing on stage at The Rose Theatre in Brampton. What was it like growing up with much exposure to the arts during your childhood and how did this lead to the career path you’re in now?
Since I was young, I’ve always loved expressing myself in different ways like dance, music, and art. Believe it or not, I’ve always been a very shy person, so these were the main ways that I was able to communicate my emotions.
This definitely translated to my career now. Youtube became another great outlet for me to be creative and to tell my life stories. I love that it’s a place that I can be myself and create videos that I’m so passionate about!
Your resume includes working on several television productions including the Canadian web series Running With Violet and 90-Year-old Roommate (CBC). What have been your most memorable projects, how have they shaped your career and approach to working in the arts and entertainment industries?
Running With Violet was definitely my most memorable project to work on. I was asked to be a part of it back in 2016 and I had never done acting before, so I was very nervous but so excited to try something new.
I played a teenager named Frankie who was super edgy, rebellious, and had some psychic tendencies- it was so much fun! The acting was an amazing experience and I’m excited to pursue more of it in my future. It has made me more open to new opportunities!
Are you still working as an actor?
At the moment I’m very focused on my YouTube channel. Especially this last year with the pandemic and being immune-compromised due to my Lyme Disease diagnosis, I’ve mainly been home working on making content. I’ve been so happy entertaining kids during these times – If my videos can be a good distraction for someone, I’ve done my job!
Working with the digital platform ‘Story Booth’ you have been involved in creating content for teens and children addressing important topics such as bullying, anxiety and depression, and divorce. This is close to your heart. From your experience working in the industry, do you think filmmakers, distributors, and media channels do enough to highlight and address such issues?
I definitely think these important topics need to be spoken about more, especially in the media. Growing up is hard, school is hard, and I want to have conversations about this whenever I can. Movies and social media can make life seem so perfect when it’s really not.
Since I started my channel I’ve been telling kids stories about my life like my struggle with anxiety, depression, being bullied, illness, etc. When people see others talking about things like this, they feel less alone and comforted.
Please tell us more about YANA and the ‘Jess Checking In’ initiative.
YANA stands for “You Are Not Alone” and it’s a group created in schools where people come together and reach out to others that are feeling isolated or bullied. It’s a place to feel safe and make friends. Due to the pandemic, we’ve had to move these groups online. To check in with all my followers during this isolating time, I’m doing monthly “Jess Checking In” live streams to talk about different subjects that many people struggle with, such as mental health.
Are there any other related projects we should expect from you on the horizon?
I’m currently partnered with the G.Magnotta Foundation which is a research lab at the University of Guelph that will change how Lyme Disease is being tested and treated in Canada. I was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in 2017 and since then it’s been so important to me to spread awareness about it. So I have a lot of exciting projects coming up in May because it’s Lyme Disease awareness month!
Where can people find out more about you?
- Instagram: @jessiivee
- Twitter: @JessiiVee
- YANA Instagram: @yana_group
- YouTube: Jessii Vee
- TikTok: @officialjessiivee
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