Lots of "likes" have made Amanda Cerny social media's sexiest, funniest star.
Online superstar Amanda Cerny boasts over 24 million Instagram and 2.5 million YouTube followers, has undraped for Playboy and is the face of Guess? campaigns, but her original goal was to be purposely undercover.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be in the CIA!” says Cerny, 27, who studied international finance at Florida State University until 2011, when she submitted bikini photos to Hugh Hefner’s legendary men’s mag. “I was like, ‘They’re not going to choose me; I’m still going down my career path,’” she recalls. Then the call: “‘Hef wants you to fly to LA for a centerfold shoot.’ I was blown away.”
Exposure aplenty followed, but Cerny was drawn more to acting—especially comedy— than modeling. “Every manager and agent I met told me I needed a reel to get work, and I didn’t have one,” she says. Her solution: self-created videos showcasing her obvious physical charms and flair for funny sketches. “I was like, ‘I’m just going to make the type of content that I want to be in and build a reel for myself. I wasn’t even thinking of social media and growing an audience.”
To Cerny’s surprise, a massive online following discovered her sexy yet relatable sense of humor, making her one of the internet’s most engaging—and tirelessly posting—personalities. “I’ve built such a strong relationship with my audience because they see me every day,” she says. “They appreciate me giving them content that makes them smile.” Now film and TV opportunities—she’ll appear in McG’s upcoming Netflix film Rim of the World this year and is developing her own rom-com—will put her on even bigger screens.
Meanwhile, Cerny travels the world on megafan tours for YouTube and for causes like Earth Month. It’s suggested that she may actually be hiding in plain sight, the perfect cover for an international woman of mystery. “No comment,” she deadpans.
Photography by: PHOTO BY MAX THOMPSON
