Jake Shane is a comedian, podcaster, and actor who went from reviewing octopus dishes on Instagram to interviewing A-list celebrities on one of the biggest comedy podcasts in the country. Born Jacob Shane Roshkow on October 27, 1999, in Los Angeles, he is 27 years old as of October 2026. He broke through on TikTok in 2023 with anxious, high-energy historical reenactments under the handle @octopusslover8, launched the hit podcast Therapuss with Jake Shane in January 2024, won the 2025 Webby Award for Best Comedy Creator, and landed on Forbes’ 2025 Top Creators list at number 37 with reported earnings of $9 million. In late 2025, Hulu announced a comedy series based on his life. In early 2026, he made his Broadway debut and brought Therapuss to Netflix.
Early Life
Jacob Shane Roshkow was born on October 27, 1999, in Los Angeles, California, and moved to New York City at age two, growing up in Washington Heights. He comes from a family of professional writers: his mother, Helaine Olen, is an author and columnist for The Washington Post, and his father, Matt Roshkow, is a screenwriter.
Shane has described himself as “a closeted kid.” He came out as gay to his parents in fourth grade. He did some acting as a child, performing in his school’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie in sixth grade, but quit after switching schools because of his insecurities. He took improv lessons at Gotham Comedy Club while attending the Calhoun School on the Upper West Side.
At 18, he moved back to Los Angeles, where he worked as an assistant at a record label. He then attended the University of Southern California, graduating in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in public relations. He is a non-religious Jewish person and has been open about his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety, subjects he discusses regularly in his content.
Rise to Fame: Octopus Reviews and Historical Reenactments
Shane started posting in 2021, and his first niche was oddly specific: reviewing octopus dishes. Under the Instagram handle @passthatpuss and the TikTok handle @octopusslover8, he filmed himself tasting octopus preparations at restaurants, delivering dramatic verdicts with the catchphrase “pass that puss.” The bit started as an inside joke among friends and family, but strangers found it funny too.
The real breakthrough came in February 2023, when he started taking requests from followers for scenarios to act out. His first viral skit was an improv of Bill Clinton nonchalantly denying his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. It hit 2 million views and pushed his account past 100,000 followers in under a week. He followed it with more historical reenactments, celebrity impressions, and anxious monologues, all delivered with the same wired, self-deprecating energy. By March 2023, he had over a million followers and had signed with the talent agency WME. That same month, he walked the red carpet at a TikTok and Vanity Fair event.
His formula was simple but hard to copy: take a stressful situation, historical or personal, and act it out at maximum anxiety. His openness about his OCD and anxiety made the comedy feel honest rather than performed, and his audience, largely Gen Z, responded to the authenticity.
The industry noticed fast. In 2023, he was nominated for a Streamy Award, named to TikTok’s inaugural LGBTQ+ Pride Visionary Voices list, and in 2024 he was included on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for social media.
Therapuss with Jake Shane
In January 2024, Shane launched Therapuss with Jake Shane, a comedy interview podcast with a therapy-show framing: guests come on, Shane asks them unhinged questions, and everyone pretends it is therapeutic. The guest list quickly became absurd for a show hosted by a 24-year-old TikToker: Selena Gomez, Lorde, Kerry Washington, Charli XCX, Katy Perry, Glen Powell, Julia Fox, Benny Blanco, Lea Michele, Kaia Gerber, Blackpink’s Rose, and Hilary Duff have all appeared.
The show regularly charts in Spotify and Apple Podcasts’ top comedy lists, reaching number 3 on Spotify’s Top Comedy chart. Shane won the 2025 Webby Award for Best Comedy Creator on the strength of the podcast and his social presence. He took the show on the road twice: a sold-out 21-city tour in 2024, followed by a 36-city “LIVE with Jake Shane” tour in 2025 that included a sold-out Radio City Music Hall date.
In January 2026, Shane announced that season 3 of Therapuss was headed to Netflix, premiering February 18, 2026, with Hailey Bieber as the first guest. His pitch to the streamer was characteristically blunt: “I said, ‘I want to make Therapuss the new late night.'”
He also released a 13-track comedy music album with record producer Alexander 23, a former podcast guest.
Acting: Hacks, Hulu Series, and Broadway
Shane’s acting debut came in season 4 of HBO’s Hacks, where he played a social media manager in a recurring guest role. The part was close to home, and it led directly to his biggest project yet.
In November 2025, Hulu tapped Shane to star in and executive produce a half-hour comedy series based on his life, developed with 20th Television. Shane plays a version of himself, and the show follows him and his best friends as they “navigate the chaotic new world of online fame, the strain it puts on their friendships, and the tension their presence causes in their suburban neighborhood.” Hacks writer Genevieve Aniello writes and executive produces the pilot, with Saturday Night Live alum Paul Briganti directing and executive producing. Alec Berg and Amy Solomon are also attached as executive producers.
Then came Broadway. On February 17, 2026, Shane made his Broadway debut in All Out, starring alongside Jenny Slate, Ray Romano, and Nicholas Braun. For a creator who started filming octopus reviews in his apartment five years earlier, a Broadway stage marked a remarkable leap.
He was also named chief creative officer of Katjes, the German candy company, another sign of how far his personal brand now extends beyond social video.
Content Style and Brand Work
Shane’s content works because it feels unproduced even when it is clearly thought through. His TikToks are often filmed in his apartment, feature his real friends, and run on nervous energy rather than punchlines. He popularized a specific Gen Z comedy register: anxious, self-aware, celebrity-adjacent but never sycophantic. His catchphrase “pass that puss,” born from the octopus reviews, became merch and a brand in itself, with his website passthatpuss.com selling into the joke.
Brands noticed the engagement rates. He has collaborated with Taco Bell, promoted Poppi soda, and worked with a string of lifestyle and food companies that fit his persona.
His openness about mental health is a deliberate part of the brand. He discusses his OCD and anxiety in videos, on the podcast, and in interviews, framing them as facts of his life rather than inspirational content. For an audience fluent in therapy language, the honesty reads as respect.
Forbes, Earnings, and Industry Standing
Forbes has been tracking Shane’s rise closely. After the 30 Under 30 nod, he landed at number 37 on Forbes’ 2025 Top Creators list, with the magazine reporting earnings of $9 million. He was profiled as the hot new celebrity podcaster, with noted friendships with Kaia Gerber, Sofia Richie Grainge, and Glen Powell. He spoke at Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Summit in Columbus, Ohio.
The Webby Awards named him one of the judges for its 31st annual awards in 2026, describing him as a comedian and digital entertainer reaching more than 5 million followers across platforms. Rolling Stone, People, and The Hollywood Reporter have all profiled him. He is part of a wave of comedian podcasters that includes Caleb Hearon and Brittany Broski, both of whom built podcasts out of viral social followings.
Tours and Live Shows
Shane’s live career has grown as fast as his online one. His first Therapuss tour sold out 21 cities in 2024. He followed it with the 36-city “LIVE with Jake Shane” tour in 2025, which included a sold-out date at Radio City Music Hall in New York, a venue most podcasters never touch. The live shows blend stand-up, audience Q&A, and the chaotic interview energy of the podcast, and they have become a major revenue driver alongside his brand deals.
He has also spoken at industry events, including Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Summit in Columbus, Ohio, where he discussed the creator economy with the polish of someone twice his age.
Personal Life
Shane is gay and came out to his parents in fourth grade. He is open about his OCD and anxiety, discussing both in his videos and interviews as a way to normalize mental health struggles for his young audience. He has said little publicly about his dating life; in a 2026 interview he joked, “I still don’t have a boyfriend. Really, not much has changed.”
He remains close with his best friends, who appear regularly in his content, and with his family. His mother Helaine Olen’s journalism career and his father Matt Roshkow’s screenwriting gave him an early education in media, though he has built his fame on being the opposite of polished.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Real name | Jacob Shane Roshkow |
| Born | October 27, 1999, Los Angeles, California |
| Age (Oct 2026) | 27 |
| Education | USC, public relations (2022) |
| Breakthrough | Historical reenactment TikToks, Feb 2023 |
| TikTok | ~3.9M followers (@octopusslover8) |
| Podcast | Therapuss with Jake Shane (Jan 2024; Netflix season 3, Feb 2026) |
| Awards | 2025 Webby (Best Comedy Creator), Forbes 30 Under 30, Forbes Top Creators 2025 (#37) |
| Acting | Hacks S4, Hulu comedy series (in development), Broadway’s All Out (Feb 2026) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Jake Shane?
Jake Shane was born Jacob Shane Roshkow on October 27, 1999, in Los Angeles. He is 27 years old as of October 2026.
What is the Therapuss podcast?
Therapuss with Jake Shane is his comedy interview podcast, launched in January 2024. Guests including Selena Gomez, Lorde, Kerry Washington, Glen Powell, Katy Perry, and Hilary Duff have appeared. It won Shane the 2025 Webby Award for Best Comedy Creator, reached number 3 on Spotify’s Top Comedy chart, and its third season premiered on Netflix on February 18, 2026.
How did Jake Shane become famous?
He started in 2021 posting octopus dish reviews on Instagram (@passthatpuss) and TikTok (@octopusslover8). His breakthrough came in February 2023 with improvised historical reenactments, starting with a viral Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky skit that hit 2 million views. He passed a million TikTok followers by March 2023.
Is Jake Shane getting a TV show?
Yes. In November 2025, Hulu announced Shane would star in and executive produce a half-hour comedy based on his life, developed with 20th Television. He plays a version of himself navigating online fame with his best friends. Hacks writer Genevieve Aniello writes the pilot.
Did Jake Shane go to Broadway?
Yes. He made his Broadway debut on February 17, 2026, in All Out, starring alongside Jenny Slate, Ray Romano, and Nicholas Braun.
Who are Jake Shane’s parents?
His mother is Helaine Olen, an author and Washington Post columnist. His father is Matt Roshkow, a screenwriter. Shane grew up in New York City after the family moved there when he was two.
What is Jake Shane’s net worth?
No reliable outlet has published a verified net worth figure for Shane. Forbes reported his 2025 earnings at $9 million as part of its Top Creators list, where he ranked 37th, but earnings and net worth are different measures.
What was Jake Shane’s first viral video?
His first major viral hit was a February 2023 TikTok improv of Bill Clinton nonchalantly denying his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. It earned 2 million views and pushed his account past 100,000 followers in under a week. He had been posting octopus restaurant reviews since 2021 before pivoting to comedy skits.
Is Jake Shane gay?
Yes. Shane came out as gay to his parents in fourth grade. He has discussed his sexuality openly in interviews, including with Teen Vogue, and was named to TikTok’s inaugural LGBTQ+ Pride Visionary Voices list in 2023.
