Adande Thorne

Adande Thorne (born July 10, 1980),[1][2] better known by his YouTube username Swoozie (stylized as sWooZie), is a Trinidadian-American YouTube personality, animator, comedian, and actor.[3][4][5] As of June 2019, his YouTube channel has over 1.09 billion views.[6] In 2015, he signed with the Creative Artists Agency.[7][8] In January 2016, he was one of three people who interviewed President Barack Obama during a YouTube livestream.[9]

"Swoozie" redirects here. For the actress, see Swoosie Kurtz.

Adande Thorne
Thorne at the White House in 2016
Personal information
Born (1980-07-10) July 10, 1980
Diego Martin, Trinidad and Tobago
NationalityTrinidadian, American
OccupationYouTuber, animator, comedian, actor
YouTube information
Also known assWooZie
Channel
Years active2006–present
GenreComedy, vlogging, animation
Subscribers7.32 million (5 January 2021)
Total views1.198 billion (15 March 2020)
Associated actsMichelle Phan
100,000 subscribers 2007
1,000,000 subscribers 2013
Updated: 27 December 2019

As a professional gamer, he competed in Dead or Alive 4 for the Los Angeles Complexity in the Championship Gaming Series and the reality series WCG Ultimate Gamer.[10]

Early life

Thorne was born in Trinidad and raised in Diego Martin, Trinidad. His parents both attended Pace University. Two years after Thorne was born, his parents had a second child: his younger sister Njideka (deka). He and his family later moved to the United States. During middle school, Thorne attended a religious private school.[11] Thorne transferred back to the public school system in the 10th grade, where he attended West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida, where he grew up.[12] During this time, his friends called him "Swoosh" because of his preference for Nike clothing, whose logo was the Swoosh. This nickname later morphed into "Swoozie".[11]

During high school, Thorne was employed at a Disney theme Park in order to support his gaming hobby.[11]

He applied to Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) and California Institute of the Arts because of his interest in animation but was rejected from both.[11]

Career

Gaming

After he worked at Disney, he was a lifeguard at Hard Rock Hotel. During this time, he became very successful at the video game Dead or Alive 4 and had garnered an online reputation.[11]

Because of his notoriety, Thorne was asked to compete in the Championship Gaming Series (CGS) by DirecTV. He was later drafted by the Los Angeles Complexity team and played for one season but remained on the show as an on-camera personality for season two. His work on the CGS got him work shoutcasting for various events and later got him casted in WCG Ultimate Gamer.[1][13][14]

YouTube

Thorne began uploading vlogs onto YouTube to keep his friend and co-workers updated about his travels while he was competing in CGS.[15][16] Later, he and beauty Youtuber Michelle Phan did a collaborative video, which propelled his subscriber count. They had become acquainted through a mutual acquaintance at RCAD, where Phan was attending.[17] Because of this growth, YouTube sent Thorne a $1500 gift-card to purchase camera equipment.[11]

Thorne ran the gaming YouTube channel "Press Start" with Phan, last active in December 2011 as of December 2020.[18]

In 2017, Thorne hosted the shoe design competition web series, Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge, on YouTube Red.[12][19]

As of December 2020, his YouTube channel sWooZie has over 1.23 billion views.[6]

Acting

Thorne had a minor role in the film The Space Between Us (2017).

Personal life

Thorne's grandmother is Chinese Trinidadian and Tobagonian.[20]

Thorne is a Christian.[20]

Awards and nominations
Year Nominated Award Result
2016 Streamy Awards Animated Won

Further reading

References
  1. Ruby, Aaron (17 June 2007). "Ready to fight to the virtual death". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  2. sWooZie (10 July 2014). "Thanks for all the heart felt birthday wishes guys! When I get back in the country, party at Chuck E Cheese and you're all invited!". @swooz1e. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  3. Busdeker, Jon (27 January 2015). "Catch Up with Busdeker: Swoozie, star twitch streamer". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  4. Watercutter, Angela (27 May 2011). "Slick HTML5 App Muro Animates Super Stick-Figure Videos". Wired. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  5. Sentinel, Orlando. "Catch Up with Busdeker: Swoozie, star YouTube vlogger". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  6. "sWooZie". YouTube. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  7. Jarvey, Natalie (6 April 2015). "CAA Signs YouTube Animator Swoozie (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  8. Gutelle, Sam (6 April 2015). "Adande "Swoozie" Thorne Is Latest YouTube Star To Join CAA". Tubefilter. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  9. Newcomb, Alyssa (15 January 2016). "Meet the YouTube Stars Who Will Interview President Obama". ABC News. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  10. Downie, Heather (16 July 2008). "E3: Pro Gaming. Hopes to Hit Mainstream". ABC News. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  11. Thorne, Adande. "Draw my Life ✎ sWooZie". YouTube. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
  12. Boedeker, Hal (17 November 2017). "YouTube star 'sWoozie' is from Central Florida". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  13. Kurek, Mary (17 November 2010). "Cashing in on Gamer Celebs". Casual Connect. Fall 2010: 20–23 – via Issuu.
  14. Meisner, Andrew (21 January 2010). "sWooZie - Syndicate Interview Series". Complexity Gaming. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  15. Valdez, Chris (1 May 2014). "Local You Tube vlogger Adande Thorne aka ( Swoozie ) hits 2 million subscribers". The Hawkeye. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  16. "Interview with Swoozie - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  17. Michelle Phan and sWooZie (how we met), retrieved 3 February 2020
  18. Michelle, Bijou (8 January 2012). Interview with Swoozie (Video).
  19. Montes, Patrick (7 September 2017). "YouTube Red Announces 'Lace Up: The Ultimate Sneaker Challenge'". HYPEBEAST. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  20. Baluch, Ali; Ali, Asif (22 May 2017). "swoozie talks about intervewing with obama, taking pictures with fans & his work ethic". the apartment with asif and baluch (Podcast). Retrieved 3 February 2020.
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