Why Hollywood Wants to Be in the Druski Business

Sketch comedy aficionado Druski has built a brand around the notion of “could have.” There’s Coulda Been Records, the parody talent-scouting show he started on Instagram Live during the pandemic; the Coulda Been House YouTube reality web series it spawned — which premiered in February with guest stars Snoop Dogg and Chris Brown; and Coulda Fest, his 17,000-person sold-out comedy and music festival held at State Farm Arena in Atlanta in September. But in real life, the comedian, born Drew Desbordes, doesn’t believe in what could have been.

“Nothing is a mistake,” says Druski. “Everything happens for a reason. My whole life is like that.”

Such has been the case for the 30-year-old who has amassed a following of more than 15 million across TikTok and Instagram with his hilariously relatable skits portraying everything from airport debacles to relationship squabbles and athletic fanaticism — the latter of which led to him starring in a joint NBA and Google Pixel commercial last year and the launch of his own sports agency, 4Lifers, with 2025 NFL draft prospect Princely Umanmielen as his first signee. His internet fame has risen to the level of viral controversy, with model Rubi Rose recently claiming he paid her to publicly be in a relationship with him, which he denies: “I don’t think I would ever need or have to pay for PR,” he says.

Among his fans and now friends are a number of A-listers: Odell Beckham Jr., who let him crash at his L.A. mansion for months during the 2020 pandemic after simply watching his early sketches online; Drake, who asked Druski to be in his music video for “Laugh Now, Cry Later” that same year; and Kevin Hart, who has become a mentor of sorts as well as a comedic partner to the budding entertainer. His joint Twitch livestream with fellow internet personality Kai Cenat and Hart in June broke the platform’s North American viewership record with more than 712,000 concurrent views.

“He’s one of the people that I’ve met who will help me with any questions I have about the industry, about comedy, what’s the next move, how did you do this?” Druski says of Hart. “It’s very rare that you get an older comedian to actually support the youth. He’s really all in, like, ‘I want to bring you into this company that I’m working with, and I’m going to coach you and teach you how you can do it for yourself and your brand.’ ”

Druski’s taken a page from the business playbooks of celebrities around him, partnering with such brands as Nike, Beats by Dre, AT&T and Mountain Dew. His relationships helped him create Coulda Been House, which will return for a second season in November, under his 4Lifers Entertainment company, as well as the upcoming satirical relationship competition spinoff Coulda Been Love, set to debut on YouTube before Valentine’s Day. “I self-fund everything, and we 100 percent own all of the IP for any shows that we do,” says Druski, whose next move is to solidify his transition from comedian to comedic actor.

In 2023, the Gwinnett County, Georgia, native landed his first acting role on Kenya Barris’ Freeform sitcom Grown-ish after being brought to the attention of the show’s creator by an executive on his team. “There’s just something about him, a star quality, that thing you can’t describe,” says Barris. “Executives, casting directors and writers have done a really bad job of bringing up the next crop of stars. Druski can be that for this group because he is the guy who believes in the craft.”

That same year, Druski landed a leading role in the Peacock musical comedy Praise This — an opportunity for which he was personally handpicked by producer Will Packer. “I am sometimes hesitant to reach out to folks who have primarily a brand and a following that is social media-based,” admits Packer. “With Druski, we saw so much talent, so much of a connection and so much personality that it made us want to explore. And Druski made sure when he came in to Praise This that we didn’t regret that one second. He took it seriously. He was ready to play, and by play, I mean work. That’s not always the case with folks from that world, but he made me a believer.” 

Druski currently has an untitled show based on his airport skits in early stages of development at Netflix, but true to form, he’s not waiting to be handed his next opportunity. He recently shot an unofficial trailer for a movie with comics Shane Gillis and Theo Von that they’re shopping around. Though a TV show on a major network or platform is the next big goal following the success of Coulda Fest, which featured acts like 21 Savage, GloRilla and DC Young Fly — a feat he plans to repeat next year — the up-and-comer isn’t plotting a relocation to Hollywood just yet. “Being and living in Atlanta helps keep my comedic voice fresh,” says Druski. “I’m close to real life. With comedy, you can’t be too out of touch, too far away from real.” 

This story appeared in the Oct. 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.