Popular children’s education show Blippi has had one actor in the person of Stevin John who is also the creator of the show. Since its inception in 2014, the adventures of Blippi have been a game changer for keeping children all over the world entertained and educated while at it. The actor who has made all of this possible is 36-year-old Stevin John, however, he was recently replaced by Clayton Grimm.
Who Is Blippi In Real Life, and What Is His Name?
An actor’s most famous onscreen character often takes over their real-life name so that majority of the time, their fans or fans of the show end up not knowing their given names. This has been the case with the Blippi actor whose real name is Stevin John. He was an Air Force serviceman until he retired and founded the Blippi YouTube channel. Coincidentally, Stevin was born on the 27th day of May, the children’s day of 1988.
During his early life, Stevin had ambitions that he actually lived up to before he made the move to entertain children. He had always wanted to be a fighter pilot and he did not waste time pursuing that dream because as soon as he graduated high school in 2006, he took the bold step and joined the Air Force.
After two grueling years of facing the harsh realities of life in the military, Stevin retired and decided to try his hands on marketing. During this time, he tried his hand on other career options in showBiz with several commercial tryouts that did not pan out. Eventually, he decided he has had enough and created his break by himself. From the memories he has of his fun times with his nephew and the gaps he discovered in quality children’s content, Stevin decided to create a YouTube channel that will educate kids while also entertaining them using a fun and energetic kid-friendly character he named Blippi.
The channel was launched when he made its first post on the 27th day of January 2014. His simplistic method of presentation caught the attention of a lot of people and as he posted more, his viewership began to grow and followership on the channel grew as well. Currently, the Blippi Empire has expanded beyond YouTube to a TV network. There have also been video games, merch, and even a live musical production.
Where is Blippi From?
The original actor of Blippi, Stevin John is a native of Ellensburg in Kittitas County, Washington. His birthplace is famous as an agricultural region which is why it is not surprising that Stevin was raised on a farm. He spent a lot of time with farm animals like cows, horses, goats, and chickens which influenced his content a lot. His realization of how much he enjoyed his interaction with animals and the fact that there wasn’t a lot of animal content for kids to enjoy motivated some of his content. He therefore decided to include it in his act and it proved to be a hit with his young fans.
What is Blippi Like in Real Life?
It might be a bit difficult to tell what Blippi actor Stevin John is like in real life considering the fact that every time we have seen him, he was in character. However, since he is an adult, we believe he is a regular adult and acts just like one, unlike his kid-content character. Stevin has often admitted to being a kid at heart and admitting his massive love for children.
Stevin believes that it is his natural disposition as a big kid at heart that has helped his show become a success. According to him, kids are more intelligent and intuitive than they let on. As such, they trust him because he easily relates with them.
What Happened to the Original Blippi?
Nothing has happened to the original Blippi. The production company simply added another actor to portray the role of Blippi in 2021. Before that time, an actor named Clayton Grimm had also performed the role of Blippi on the live tour, Blippi The Musical. Some parents were not too happy with this and asked for refunds of their ticket prices.
When a new Blippi was also seen on TV, many took to social media to express their displeasure. The fact remains that the original Blippi, Stevin John, has not abandoned the role. He continues performing it alongside others to produce more content for the brand.
Is There a New Blippi Actor?
There is a new Blippi actor and his name is Clayton Grimm. Grimm attended the famous Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. He has participated in several theatrical productions such as the Mile Long Opera, Gross Indecency, The Winter’s Tale, The Merchant of Venice, DC’s Justice League, and Crazy For You.
Clayton Grimm made his debut as Blippi in Blippi The Musical in 2019. He was also featured in some Blippi videos and online content the following year. By 2021, he officially made it to the TV screens as Blippi. Though many have reacted lukewarmly to the new Blippi, Grimm has thus far done a good job portraying the bubbly orange and blue-wearing children’s character.
Why Did Blippi Change?
Blippi changed because a new actor was brought on. However, the original Blippi continues to perform the role, conduct meet and greets with fans, etc. Another Blippi was added so that more Blippi content could be produced, and it would be possible for the much-loved character to be in two different places simultaneously.
Old Blippi vs. New Blippi
The old Blippi is Stevin John, a 36-year-old entertainer from Washington, while the new Blippi, Clayton Grimm, is a professional actor, musician, and singer. While the old Blippi dabbled into entertainment, Grimm has pursued it as a career.
Both actors have played the beloved role well, but fans have still expressed some displeasure over the change. Their displeasure stems more from how the change was implemented and less from Grimm’s performance.
The production network wanted to slip it past the viewers, perhaps believing kids wouldn’t notice. It would have been better if they had been more straightforward about it.
Where Does Blippi Live?
Blippi lives in Washington, his home state. When building his career, Blippi had lived in Los Angeles for about five years. He also spent some time living in Las Vegas as well. Stevin John and his fiancée, Alyssa, live in Washington and welcomed their first child on the 9th day of March 2022.
Blippi has been over the moon about his new role as a father. He has posted several cute pictures of his Son Lochlan Ddavid John. He has also taken his son to see Blippi. The former Air Force serviceman took some time off for paternity leave after the birth of his son.