Ian Hecox

Ian Andrew Hecox ( ; born November 30, 1987) is an American YouTuber, comedian, filmmaker, and actor. With Anthony Padilla, he co-founded the YouTube-based video production company Smosh. Hecox has written, directed, and starred in the company's sketch comedy videos since 2005.

Early life Ian Andrew Hecox was born on November 30, 1987, in Sacramento, California and grew up in the suburb of Carmichael, California. His parents are Sharon and Stephan Andrew Hecox, and he has an older sister named Megan. His mother appeared as a recurring character in various Smosh sketches. Hecox attended Del Campo High School and did cross-country. He attended American River College where he took screenwriting, film and improv classes, before dropping out to focus on Smosh two years later.

Career Smosh

In 2002, Hecox joined smosh.com, a website created by his friend since sixth grade, Anthony Padilla.

They shifted to making sketch comedy skits, such as the Food Battle and If It Were Real series. The viral videos helped Smosh become the most-subscribed YouTube channel on three separate occasions. Hecox also ventured into feature film with Smosh, co-producing and acting in the films Smosh: The Movie (2015) and Ghostmates (2016).

Despite the growth and expansion the channel had undergone, Hecox continued Smosh in his absence, stating, "I'm really looking forward to taking Smosh to the next phase, and we can't wait for people to see what we have coming up." He and Padilla publicly assured that they had remained friends following the latter's departure, although Hecox would later claim that their friendship was actually strained until they reconnected in 2022. Hecox remained the only original member of Smosh since its inception and was credited for continuing the success of the channel. JJ Rankin of Screen Rant wrote of his role as a comedian that he "balances both exaggerated and muted humor scenes effortlessly and can engage audiences with his self-aware comedy." In February 2019, Smosh was bought by Rhett & Link, who remained the owners until June 20, 2023, when Hecox, alongside freshly returned Padilla, announced that they had reacquired Smosh and would be an independent channel once again. Hecox acted in The Angry Birds Movie (2016) and Hedgehogs (2017). In 2016, Hecox made a guest appearance on an episode of Chelsea. He also hosted a weekly series for the streaming service Crackle in 2017, and starred in the Tastemade cooking series "Sunday at Nana's" in 2019. He will reprise his role in the upcoming The Angry Birds Movie 3 (2026) after being absent from its predecessor due to Anthony's initial departure from Smosh.

Filmography Film

Web YearFilmRoleNotes2005–presentSmoshHimself,