Steven He
Stephen He O'Byrne (born 31 December 1996), known online as Steven He, is a Chinese-Irish YouTuber, actor, and comedian, based in the United States. Primarily known for his satirical comedy sketches on YouTube and TikTok, he rose to prominence in the 2020s through his portrayal of a fictionalized version of his father, whose personality parodies East Asian parenting stereotypes. He also popularized the phrase "emotional damage".
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| Steven He |
|---|
| Stephen He O'Byrne (1996-12-31) 31 December 1996Shenzhen, China |
| Ireland |
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| Regent's University London |
| Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater |
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| Social media personality |
| actor |
| comedian |
| pianist |
| Steven He |
| 2019–present |
| Sketch comedy |
| 13.7 million |
| 4.35 billion |
| Last updated: 12 January |
| 2026 |
Stephen He O'Byrne (born 31 December 1996), known online as Steven He, is a Chinese-Irish YouTuber, actor, and comedian, based in the United States. Primarily known for his satirical comedy sketches on YouTube and TikTok, he rose to prominence in the 2020s through his portrayal of a fictionalized version of his father, whose personality parodies East Asian parenting stereotypes. He also popularized the phrase "emotional damage".
Stephen He O'Byrne was born on 31 December 1996, in Shenzhen, China. His father originated from Ireland, while his mother is Chinese. He moved to Limerick, Ireland when he was 8 years old and continued to travel between both China and Ireland. He eventually moved to West Covina, California in the United States, intending to become an actor and YouTuber.
He started his YouTube channel in 2019. Before this, he performed short comedy skits on TikTok. Since then, he became known for the Internet meme "emotional damage", a catchphrase that went viral after the release of his YouTube video, "When 'Asian' is a difficulty mode", and starring in the dramedy series, Groundbreaking. In 2023 he started the Ginormo! series on YouTube.
He owns and uploads videos to three YouTube channels: his eponymous channel Steven He, Steven He Live, and Steven He Shorts.
In September 2024, he was announced to making an appearance as a "special guest" in the second episode of the 19th season of the BYU TV sketch-comedy series, Studio C.
In 2023, Steven He filmed the role of Travis, an astronomy student and the love interest of the main character, in the independent film Magnetosphere alongside Colin Mochrie and Tara Strong. The film released in summer 2025.
| Year | Award | Date | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Show Awards | 27 August 2023 | Scripted Series | Won |
- List of YouTubers
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- Steven He at IMDb
- Steven He YouTube Channel
- Steven He Live YouTube Channel
- Steven He Shorts YouTube Channel
- Ginormo! on ColorTV online
- Ginormo! on YouTube