WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Have you seen Landen Alft’s TikTok video? Comedian Howie Mandel and rapper Doja Cat.
The Wisconsin Rapids-based content creator has more than 700,000 followers on TikTok, a video-based social network. He also has a following on Instagram and YouTube, and recently launched a podcast with his brother Jordyn.
Alf, 25, performed in school musicals while attending Lincoln High School and after graduating in 2016, he double majored in music education and musical theater at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. During pandemic restrictions in 2020, Alft turned to TikTok as a channel for creativity. What started as reviews of various Kwik Trip dishes evolved into “fit testing”, showing off his work uniform and eventually dance videos.
People noticed
It was those dance videos that caught the attention of Howie Mandel, Doja Cat, the Rockettes, two “High School Musical” actors and hundreds of thousands of others, Alft said. One of his most popular and widely shared videos is of him dancing outside of the Stevens Point Kwik Trip tour to the song “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”. Howie Mandel added his reaction to the video.
“Landen, you are the reason I love TikTok,” Mandel says in a video posted in May. “You make me smile every day. You’re a joy, buddy. You should be on America’s Got Talent. I’m a big fan. Just be happy, people.”
Mandel’s video received 200 comments, including from Kwik Trip’s TikTok account.
“Couldn’t have said it better,” Kwik Trip commented.
Alt’s parents, Jim and Rhonda Alft, also shared the video on Facebook. On the Positively Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin Facebook group, the post received nearly 300 reactions, 25 comments and 19 shares.
This isn’t the only reaction video that surprised Alft. In August, he posted a video of him dancing to Doja Cat’s “Paint the Town Red,” which the artist noticed and shared on social networks.
The unexpected appearance of followers
When he started, gaining a large following was not his goal. He simply loved the process of making videos, often spending some time in the car when he finished work, scrolling through TikTok to find a dance he wanted to try, and then going out to record it.
Attention followed him offline as well. Alft said he was recognized several times in central Wisconsin while shopping with friends or while he was working. People will ask him if he is on TikTok and sometimes ask him to take a selfie with him. Alft said the first time it happened was wild, but it’s nice to see people recognize him.
Natural artist
Alt’s love for entertainment extends beyond the TikTok app. He also posts on Instagram, YouTube and has a Cameo account. He and his brother launched the PhatBoy and Friends podcast, moving from their popular dance videos to a platform where he and his brother talk about anything and everything.
Alft said his humor runs in the family and Alfts are naturally funny people who can find humor in almost anything. This makes creating content and performing on camera feel natural.
What’s next?
Alft wants to continue growing his TikTok following and expanding his podcast. He said he plans to move to Chicago in the spring and try to get into musical theater and perform there.
For more entertainment, visit linktr.ee/landenalft or follow Alft as phatboylandy on TikTok or the PhatBoy and Friends podcast on Youtube.
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Contact Caitlin at cshuda@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinSuda.