Miss Benny

Benny Jean Pierce (born February 19, 1999), known professionally as Miss Benny, is an American actress, singer and YouTuber.

Early life

Benny was born on February 19, 1999, and grew up in Denton, Texas.^[2] She lived as a closeted teenager before coming out. As she began posting on YouTube, she found an outlet with similar individuals in the online community. She befriended fellow YouTube artists Troye Sivan and Tyler Oakley.^[1] She is of Latin American descent.^[3]

Career

Benny began posting on YouTube using various channels when she was 11 years old in 2010 as a way to feel less isolated and lonely.^[4] In 2012, she began posting under the YouTube channel, KidPOV. She began posting under her own name in 2016.^[5] She frequently discusses gender and identity. Benny has done makeup tutorials and collaborated with other media personalities including Tyler Oakley and James Charles.^[6][7] Her YouTube channel also includes humorous skits.^[8]

Music

In 2014, Benny released the song "Little Game". She wrote the lyrics and directed and produced the music video with assistance from Tumi Mphahlele. The song and video rebuff forcing children into traditional gender roles.^[9]

In 2016, Benny was cast as Smiley in season 2 of go90's Guidance.^[8] Also in 2016, Benny released the single "Boys Will Be Boys", which is about toxic masculinity.^[8] It features melodic tones, smooth vocals, and drum beats.^[8] Music critic Nic Kelly reviewed the song positively, describing its style as somewhere between Odesza and Drumaq.^[10] The song's music video was filmed and edited by YouTuber and filmmaker Chase vs Everything, and featured Kalama Epstein.

In 2017, Benny released the R&B single "Never Apart".^[11] She directed the video which was shot by Chase vs Everything.

Style

Benny names Bob Mizer as one of her aesthetic influences.^[1] She strives to create music that is glittery synth-pop, bubbly, and "very gay and very queer." Benny listens to pop musicians Charli XCX and Carly Rae Jepsen. She also listens to rap and hip hop.^[1]

Acting

In 2018, Benny appeared in the sitcom Fuller House as Casey, the show's first openly gay character.^[12] In 2023, she indirectly claimed in a TikTok video that Fuller House star Candace Cameron Bure had campaigned for her character's removal from the show due to her character's queer identity. Bure denied the claims.^[13] She was cast in the series Reverie in 2019.^[14]

In 2019, she was cast as the lead for The CW pilot Glamorous playing Marco, an "ambitious and creative gender-nonconforming teenager who uses makeup and fashion to let his queer self bloom."^[15] The show was then dropped and picked up by Netflix after the coronavirus pandemic. It premiered June 22, 2023. In an essay published in Time magazine, Benny revealed that the character will transition, alongside her own transition in real life.^[16][17]

Benny has been the voice of Angel in Craig of the Creek since season 4.

Personal life

As of June 2023 , Benny lives in Los Angeles, California.^[17] Benny is a transgender woman.^[16][17] She uses she/her pronouns.^[18] She has three older siblings who assist with aspects of video production, including crafting props and designing hair and makeup.^[19]

Discography

Singles

• "Little Game" (2014)^[9]
• "Boys Will Be Boys" (2016)^{[10][unreliable source?]}
• "Never Apart" (2017)^{[20][unreliable source?]}
• "Rendezvous" (2019)
• "Every Boy" (2019)
• "That's My Man" (2019)
• "One Damn Good Mistake" (2019)
• "Break Away" (2023)

Filmography

See also

• LGBT culture in Dallas–Fort Worth
• LGBT culture in Los Angeles
• List of LGBT YouTubers

References

1. ^ Geiger, JJ (November 28, 2018). "Get Ready — Miss Benny Is Making Gay Glitter Pop Music About Kissing Boys". Them. Archived January 14, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
2. ^ ""Glamorous" Star Miss Benny Writes Heartfelt Letter Announcing Her Transition: "My Pronouns Are She/Her"". Seventeen. 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
3. ^ Novogratz, Narciso (September 11, 2023). "Transformed by Heartbreak, Miss Benny Has Arrived". Latina. Archived January 9, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
4. ^ Alexander, Julia (June 26, 2018). "Four YouTube stars on being young, lonely, then wildly successful". Polygon. Archived January 16, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
5. ^ Low, Celine (November 13, 2016). "YouTuber of the Week: Ben J. Pierce". CelebMix. Archived January 16, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
6. ^ Santiago, Sean (January 3, 2017). "Why You Should Follow Beauty YouTuber Ben J. Pierce". Teen Vogue. Archived January 16, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
7. ^ Votta, Rae (January 1, 2016). "9 underrated YouTube channels to watch in 2016". The Daily Dot. Archived November 14, 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
8. ^ Low, Celine (December 10, 2016). "Ben J. Pierce releases new single "Boys Will Be Boys"". CelebMix. Archived January 16, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
9. ^ Cueto, Emma (November 12, 2014). "15-Year-Old Ben J. Pierce's "Little Games" Music Video Takes on Gender Roles In an Epic Way". Bustle. Archived January 16, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
10. ^ Kelley, Nic (December 10, 2016). "Benny's 'Boys Will Be Boys' is a carefully considered triumph". Project U. Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
11. ^ Kelley, Nic (June 2, 2017). "Benny's put out a plodding R&B song called 'Never Apart'". Project U. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
12. ^ Broverman, Neal (December 18, 2018). "A Gay 'Fuller House' Writer Dishes on the Show's Queer Characters". Advocate. Archived January 15, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
13. ^ Nolfi, Joey. "Candace Cameron Bure refutes Miss Benny's claim that she tried to remove queer character from Fuller House". ew.com. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
14. ^ Cooper, Mariah (February 28, 2019). "YouTuber Ben J. Pierce cast as gender non-conforming lead on CW series". Washington Blade. Archived March 1, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 26, 2019). "The CW Pilot 'Glamorous' Finds Its Gender-Nonconforming Teen Lead In Ben J. Pierce, Casts Pierson Fodé, Adds EP". Deadline. Archived June 2, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
16. ^ "'Glamorous' Star Miss Benny Comes Out as Transgender in Candid Essay: 'I'm a Proud Person'". People Magazine. 26 June 2023. Archived June 27, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
17. ^ "Miss Benny Is Glamorous— And Transgender". TIME. 2023-06-26. Archived June 26, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
18. ^ "Miss benny (@missbenny) • Instagram photos and videos". Archived August 3, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
19. ^ Votta, Rae (November 12, 2014). "This 15-year-old created a hauntingly good music video about gender roles". The Daily Dot. Archived January 16, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
20. ^ Jake, Nathan (June 16, 2017). "Benny's 'Never Apart' video is so cute". Project U. Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
21. ^ Vognar, Chris (June 22, 2023). "With 'Glamorous,' Miss Benny Gets a Platform Makeover". The New York Times. Archived June 22, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 22, 2023.