@benoftheweek i kept this secret for months… #onepiece #luffy #theendiscomingandwearenotprepared ♬ original sound – Benjamin De Almeida
With more than 22 million followers across his platforms, Benjamin de Almeida has turned surreal humor into an unmistakable creative language. Now, Ben is looking beyond the speed of social media toward fashion, performance, and experiences designed to be consumed more slowly.
“I’d rather swallow a lead pipe than try and Twitch stream.” It is an absurd answer, but absurdity has always been part of Ben de Almeida’s creative language. Better known as BENOFTHEWEEK, the Canadian creator has built a career around surreal humor, unexpected ideas, and a willingness to experiment with whatever catches his attention.
De Almeida has developed an identity that is as peculiar as it is recognizable. His creativity has also taken him far beyond the formats that first made him known online.
Now, as the internet continues to change the way audiences discover and consume creative work, de Almeida is looking beyond the screen. He is interested in making things offline, developing experiences that can be consumed slowly, and surrendering some of the control that has defined his own content to become part of someone else’s creative vision.
That willingness to experiment remains central to Ben. As his career expands across fashion, writing, acting, and voice work, de Almeida continues to follow the ideas that feel natural to him, even when they lead him away from the platforms where millions first discovered him.
Your surreal sense of humor has become your signature. How has your creative process evolved from your earliest videos to the content you create today?
It’s really been the same since I was 10 years old. I throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks. The only difference from my early days and COVID-era videos is I leave my house a bit more.
You’ve built a massive audience without losing a highly recognizable identity. How important is it for you to protect that authenticity as your career continues to grow?
I think I know my strengths now. I’ve tried creative outlets that didn’t serve me and then stopped. For example, I tried streaming and wanted to pour my tea into my computer every single time, so I stopped. I’d rather swallow a lead pipe than try to Twitch stream.
Fashion has become an important part of your public identity, from your relationship with houses like Prada and Sandro to your presence at major fashion weeks. What is it about fashion that complements the way you tell stories?
I’ve always loved subverting an otherwise aesthetically drab video with a unique outfit, and I especially feel grateful for my relationships in that world, as they have allowed me to witness breakthroughs in fashion before my very eyes.
How has your perception of the fashion industry changed after experiencing it from the inside?
I used to work next to this French-Canadian department store called Simons, and it would be my guilty pleasure to stroll through the more cutting-edge section and see things that I had never seen anybody wear before. Now I get to see the entire process that creates these pieces, and it’s so fascinating.
Your work is no longer limited to social media. You’ve acted, written, and most recently made your debut as a voice actor. What did you discover about yourself while working in a format that’s completely different from digital content?
I am such a control freak with my own content, but I love being able to be a puzzle piece in someone else’s vision!
Many creators feel constant pressure to chase the next viral video. How do you balance those expectations with your desire to experiment and explore new ideas?
I don’t think anything is really viral anymore, at least not in the way the word got its meaning a decade ago. No monoculture exists like pre-COVID TikTok or Vine, and now everyone and their mother is on social media. Going viral here and there is actually quite discombobulating now because your work reaches every corner of the world, and suddenly audiences that are a total mismatch with your personality are scared of you, and then I get scared of them.
If you could bring the world of BENOFTHEWEEK to a feature film or a TV series, what elements would be essential to make sure it still felt unmistakably yours?
Travel. I do not want to make anything in a dreary studio.
What do you think the next chapter of your career looks like, and what are you most excited to build?
I’m excited to make things offline that are consumed slowly. That would fill my cup!
CONNECT WITH BEN
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