Internet Star Thomas Sanders Swings His ‘Vine’ Over To Disney Channel For First-Ever Sitcom Stint [Video]
Vine king Thomas Sanders continues to shine and build his impressive resume following the popular app’s semi-demise in 2016.
The 27-year-old Florida native, like many from the now somewhat defunct video site, jumped ship to other online venues, including YouTube and Instagram, full-time after it was revealed that Vine would no longer accept new content from users this year (all new Vine recordings are now transported to Twitter through the renamed “Vine Camera”).
Luckily for Thomas, that move has been mostly smooth thanks to his followers, known as “Fanders,” being well-informed about his every move on the world wide web, as well as Sanders himself, who continues to find ways to grow out of the box of online entertainment.
“Before Vine was ever around, one of my long-time dreams was to somehow perform on Broadway,” Thomas explained to We The Unicorns right before the launch of his Ultimate Storytime musical tour. “It was [just] one of those dreams where I thought, ‘Well, it’s never gonna happen, but it would be so cool.'”
Fast forward to the current time, and Thomas, although not named on any Broadway marquees just yet, has come pretty close to achieving that goal.
“I’ve been able to interact with several members of the Broadway community [including] Adam Pascal [from] RENT, Leslie Odom Jr. [from] Hamilton and [musician] Seth Rudetsky [even] invited me onto his show!”
Now, thanks to his Vine status and talent, another door has opened up for the self-proclaimed Disney fanboy with his first-ever appearance on a major TV sitcom!
As reported by Twist, Thomas will make his debut on the Disney Channel sitcom Bizaardvark as it marks the end of its first season. In the episode, entitled “In Your Space!,” main characters Paige and Frankie, played by Olivia Rodrigo and Madison Hu respectively, are invited to participate in an increasingly peculiar reality competition, In Your Space, hosted by an equally peculiar and exuberant presenter, Ian, who is played by the one and only Thomas Sanders himself!
Proving the old edict that there are no such things as small roles, Thomas couldn’t help but rightfully gush about his big appearance on Bizaardvark in a sweet and hilarious YouTube video that he shot not too long ago, where he explains the process of working on a television set and also how well he got along with some of the show’s players, including another well-known internet personality, Jake Paul.
Thomas got a little deeper with his full-circle turn from “Vine Disney prankster” to “actual Disney Channel performer” with a fan on his Tumblr a few days ago.
“As a kid, I had always aspired to be in one of those [Disney Channel] shows,” he revealed. “All the kids on those shows seemed so cool and [they were] everything I aspired to be. It was absolutely surreal to be on the other side of the screen at last. I thought I had missed my chance!”
Thomas has often displayed his love for Disney in both fiercely dedicated and interestingly inquisitive ways, going as far as to release another YouTube offering, “The Dark Side of Disney,” that illustrates how many Disney classics, such as Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs and The Little Mermaid, and more recent releases, including Frozen and Toy Story, actually possess both positive and negative moral viewpoints.
Keep an eye out for the latest addition to Thomas’ traits; the dark but oddly relatable Anxiety (yes, Thomas plays this character as well), whom many fans have taken quite a strong liking to.
— Jin Jerrelle (@RobLives4Love) January 27, 2017
Thomas Sanders’ Bizaardvark episode airs this Friday night, January 27, at 6:30 p.m./5: 30 c. on the Disney Channel. Check your local listings for future replays.
[Featured Image by Disney Channel]
