Inbetweeners star James Buckley reveals eye-watering SEVEN-figure amount he collected by sending fans personalized videos
James Buckley has revealed that he has made an eye-watering seven-figure sum from sending personalized videos to fans.
The Inbetweeners star, 35, joined the Cameo app in March 2020 and became the first non-US celebrity to earn $1 million (£930,000) last year.
In a new interview on Wednesday, James explained how he’s now “recorded forty thousand clips” at £40 each, which works out to £1.6 million.
Joining host Spencer Matthews on his Big Fish Podcast, the actor described his initial misgivings about joining the platform, adding that he feared no one would want him to message them.
He admitted, “I kept saying ‘this is going to be very, very embarrassing – my little fragile ego. I’m not the most confident person, this is going to send me to dark places.”
Success: James Buckley, 35, has revealed he made an eye-watering seven-figure sum by sending fans personalized videos (pictured on Cameo)
“I’m going to sign up for this thing and nobody’s going to want a video of me,” and it turns out everyone did!”
James explained that he ‘didn’t want to “burp people out” so opted to charge fans £40.
He continued, “I’ve done tens of thousands. Tens and tens of thousands, maybe thirty, forty thousand, something like that.
“Financially it was a godsend. But I never wanted to pee. I’m in the business to make people happy. I don’t want to rip people off.’
Last year, James became the first British celebrity to become a Cameo millionaire.
According to the platform’s founder, Martin Blencowe, James “takes it very seriously” and is “ready to do the job” after it was reported that he had responded to 37 video requests per day by 2021.
Martin responded to the claims, affirming that James has gained financial freedom through his “accessible award” on Cameo and is able to explore other career options.
He said: ‘James was incredibly popular from the start, but he remained committed to his fans, always kept an accessible price (even during his busiest periods) and gave his all to make each Cameo special.
Requests: The Inbetweeners star joined Cameo in March 2020 and last year became the first non-US celebrity to earn $1 million (£930,000) (pictured in The Inbetweeners Movie 2011)
Astonishing: In a new interview on Wednesday, James explained how he’s now ‘recorded forty thousand clips’ at £40 a pop, collecting £1.6 million (pictured in June)
In return, he has been given the financial freedom and overwhelming fan support to pursue the projects he is most passionate about, such as 2:22 – A Ghost Story, the West End play and the YouTube channel of his family, At Home With The Buckleys.’
James also documents his family life with his wife, Scottish Mussel star Clair Meek, 33, with whom he shares sons Harrison, 10, and nine-year-old Jude.
Cameo’s biggest stars worldwide include Brian Baumgartner, the American actor of The Office, Didi Conn, the star of Grease, and the actor Michael Rapaport.
Since launching five years ago, Cameo has connected fans with their heroes by allowing them to purchase messages directly from the celebrities themselves for birthdays, anniversaries or other special occasions.