The Cult of Kevin
Following a career spanning more than 35 years across film, TV and Broadway, Kevin Chamberlin has found new fame on TikTok. We spoke to ‘Bertram the butler’ about how his life has been flipped upside down through social media.
Photography Christian Trippe Production Sam Kite
Hi Kevin, thank you so much for sitting down with us to chat. First of all, let’s talk about TikTok. You started your account just over a year ago. You have gained a massive cult following (seven million!) in such a short amount of time. How do you think has this happened? What’s your secret?
I’m still a bit gobsmacked that I’ve accumulated so many followers. The number is actually 7.1 million (editor’s note – now 7.3 million!). When I first started the account I had many fans from a Disney Channel show I did back in 2011-2016 called ‘Jessie’. I played a “lazy butler named Bertram”. The show has since been a huge hit on Disney Plus and in reruns on the channel. So when I posted my first TikTok, my initial audience was kids who were Bertram fans. I also have a big Broadway following from my many years in NYC. I’ve done 11 Broadway shows and have been fortunate enough to garner three Tony Award nominations. So – between those two worlds, and adult fans of my movie/TV career that has spanned over 35 years – I amassed a big following.
Tell us a bit about your TikToks. How do you create them and what inspired you to make them?
I was working at Kristin Chenoweth’s Musical Theatre Boot Camp a few summers ago when TikTok first came out. One of the kids there filmed a video of me doing one of my famous ‘Bertram’ lines. She showed me the video one hour after she posted it – and it had over one million hits. I was blown away by the reach of the app in such a short amount of time. I knew right then and there that I should open an account and tap into this new trend. It took another two years for me to get motivated. My friend and collaborator Sam Kite, a director/producer and digital advertising creative – came up with my first TikTok idea, which was singing to the tune of ‘Jessie’ – a song of congratulations to Biden and Harris after the election night win. We were in the middle of lockdown and I felt like I needed an outlet to perform and flex my artistic muscles – so Sam and I went into overdrive, creating content for the app. It really exploded when the ‘Ratatouille Musical’ trend started on TikTok. I wrote and made a video of a song called ‘Anyone Can Cook’. That song was one of ten chosen by a NY Theatre Producer to be included in the first crowdsourced musical produced by TikTok. Sam filmed me performing the song in his friend’s kitchen, with choreography, costumes and props. It streamed on New Years Day. The cast also included the wonderful Titus Burgess, Adam Lambert, Wayne Brady – and we raised over 2 million dollars for The Actors Fund! It was an incredible, ground-breaking project to be a part of.
“She showed me the video one hour after she posted it – and it had over one million hits. I was blown away by the reach of the app in such a short amount of time.”
Has it helped you with your career and how important is the social following for you at the moment? It’s not just TikTok – you are also very popular on Instagram.
I’m trying to stay relevant as a 58 year old actor – and with Sam’s help, I’ve reinvigorated my career during a pandemic lockdown. It’s so easy to slip away into oblivion. To stay current, you have to stay on top of trends, music, humour, politics, etc. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok make it so simple to promote projects, express myself artistically and just be a goof.
“Broadway will always be my first love.”
During the pandemic you also started Cameo. Why did you decide to join there and how has it been so far?
There were no employment opportunities – and a friend, Adam Pascal from ‘Rent’ – asked if I was interested in signing up. It’s been a wonderful way to connect with fans. I make a really good happy birthday video for kids. I’ve made video messages for kids running for student council, sent opening night congratulations to kids doing shows that I originated on Broadway (Seussical and The Addams Family) – and it was a nice way to bring in some money when there were no jobs during the pandemic.
What was the weirdest, most unusual request yet?
Someone asked me to run away from the camera, say something really weird that I can’t put in print…then run quickly towards the camera and say it again with my face really close to the camera lens. It was exhausting.
Behind the scenes – Kevin filming a new TikTok with Sam during our shoot.
Throughout your career you worked in many different parts of the industry, from TV series like ‘Jessie’ to films to Broadway musicals. What’s closest to your heart and why?
Broadway will always be my first love. The NYC theatre community is so tight. All of the Broadway actors work between 41st Street and 54th Street and you’re all on this weird vampire schedule of sleeping days and working nights, so your circle of friends are usually people in shows. There’s a lot of fundraising for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS and The Actors Fund and those events are quite bonding. Actors have much more control over their final performance in theatre. There are no edits, no cuts. In a Broadway theatre, you have a live interaction every night with 1,200 people. It’s palpable. There’s history there in that room, electricity – a give and take that’s different every night. In film and TV, you’re usually still wondering what your next line is. And a lot of my performances have ended up on the editing room floor. Broadway may not pay as much as TV, but it has far more long lasting dividends.
“Platforms like Instagram and TikTok make it so simple to promote projects, express myself artistically and just be a goof. ”
In one of your recent TikToks you hinted on possibly getting casted for the new Wicked movie. I hope Warner Brothers have been in touch! Is this a dream role you’d like to play?
I played the Wizard in ‘Wicked’ for a year on Broadway. It’s a great role – and I figured I could use social media to get the word out that I’m ready, willing and available for the movie!
You recently started filming ‘Duster’ for HBO and ‘Outer Range’ for Amazon. What can you tell us about these and when will they be released?
I’m excited about both of these projects. ‘Duster’ is a series produced and written by JJ Abrams and LaToya Johnson and it takes place in the 70’s and will premiere on HBO Max sometime in 2022. ‘Outer Range’ is a series that stars Josh Brolin and Lily Taylor and will also premiere on Amazon in 2022. I had a blast filming both of these in Arizona and New Mexico – and I expect them both to be big hits!
No doubt they will be. We are excited to see them!
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