Stephen He O’Byrne[1] (born 31 December 1996), known online as Steven He, is a Chinese-Irish YouTuber, actor, and comedian, based in the United States. Primarily known for his satirical comedy sketches on YouTube and TikTok, he rose to prominence in the 2020s through his portrayal of a fictionalized version of his father, whose personality parodies East Asian parenting stereotypes. He also popularized the phrase “emotional damage”.[2]
Biography
Stephen He O’Byrne[1] was born on 31 December 1996, in Shenzhen, China. His father originated from Ireland, while his mother is Chinese. He moved to Limerick, Ireland when he was 8 years old and continued to travel between both China and Ireland. He eventually moved to West Covina, California in the United States, intending to become an actor and YouTuber.
He started his YouTube channel in 2019. Before this, he performed short comedy skits on TikTok.[3] Since then, he became known for the Internet meme “emotional damage”, a catchphrase that went viral after the release of his YouTube video, “When ‘Asian’ is a difficulty mode”, and starring in the dramedy series, Groundbreaking.[4] In 2023 he started the Ginormo! series on YouTube.[5][better source needed]
He owns and uploads videos to three YouTube channels: his eponymous channel Steven He, Steven He Live, and Steven He Shorts.[6]
In September 2024, he was announced to making an appearance as a “special guest” in the second episode of the 19th season of the BYU TV sketch-comedy series, Studio C.[7]
In 2023, Steven He filmed the role of Travis, an astronomy student and the love interest of the main character, in the independent film Magnetosphere alongside Colin Mochrie and Tara Strong. The film released in summer 2025.[8][9]
Awards
| Year | Award | Date | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Show Awards | 27 August 2023 | Scripted Series | Won | [10] |
See also
References
- ^ a b He, Steven. “A school friend just found this and I had to share it. A Chinese-Irish boy in Limerick ❤️”. Instagram. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ^ Wu, Julie (12 May 2022). “Celebrating AAPI Influencers Who Are Following Their Passions”. Yahoo Life. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ Salkowitz, Rob (20 April 2022). “YouTube Comedy Star Steven He Is Definitely Not A Failure”. Forbes.com.
- ^ “Press Release: Groundbreaking TV Series Re-frames Hollywood Portrayal of Archaeologists” (Press release). Kiyo Films. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022.
- ^ “Ginormo!”. YouTube. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ^ “Creators On The Rise: Steven He got 3,000 rejections as an actor. So he decided to catch the studios’ attention by going viral on youtube.” Tubefilter. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ BYUtv. “BYUtv’s Viral Comedy “Studio C” Celebrates 3 Billion Views and 20 Seasons with 4 Special Guest Stars and Returning Original Cast Member”. PR Newswire (Press release). Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ^ “Feature film Magnetosphere ready to roll in Sault Ste. Marie”. Playback. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ “Lego’s First Live-Action TV Musical; Freestyle Acquisition; UK Film Festival Launch; Compañía De Cine Sales Pickup; Monkey Founders New Indie; Roel Reiné Thriller – Global Briefs”. Deadline. 9 July 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ “13th Annual Winners”. streamys.org. Retrieved 16 March 2024.