Tyler Blevins, better known to gaming fans as Ninja, has been on the competitive Esports scene since 2017. Having developed a large and loyal following on Twitch thanks to his Fortnite skills, the streamer has since branched out to other areas of entertainment in recent years. He amused audiences as the first internet celebrity to appear on The Masked Singer, then made cameos - both in voice and in person - on the films Free Guy and Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.
Most recently, he became a streamer on the season 3 premiere of Duncanville, a FOX comedy produced by Amy Poehler that is now in its third season. Through that guest spot, he further showcased his innate comedic timing as well as his ability to have fun with the genre of entertainment in which he currently finds himself. Certainly, he's got viewers excited for whatever's coming next.
Ninja spoke to Screen Rant recently to break down how his guest starring spot on Duncanville came about and the opportunities he hopes it leads to, as well as how his streaming career slots into his life today.
Screen Rant: I had so much fun with your stint on Duncanville. How did this voice appearance come about?
Tyler Blevins: I believe the company who works on Duncanville reached out to CAA. They had an episode about a gamer or streamer, and they were wondering if I would love to be in it. I didn't even have to do a reading for it, which was obviously super lucky.
I was like, "Let me see the script just a little bit. Let me read a couple of things." It seemed pretty funny, so I agreed to it. And it was definitely one of my favorite things that I've done outside of gaming.
I noticed that Slayer was referred to as the LeBron James of gaming. How does it feel to be canonized as such?
Tyler Blevins: When I watched the episode for the first time, I was kind of stunned. That is such a an amazing compliment to be compared to someone like LeBron James. Everyone calls him the GOAT because he is, so I'm just honored and blessed. All the above.
What was the experience of recording Duncanville like for you? Did you have to get into character, and did they give you any directions or headcanons for Slayer?
Tyler Blevins: When I read it and they were like, "You're this big streamer," I was like, "Dude, this is easy. This is what I do all day." I've had people charge back donations or accidentally donate more than they were supposed to, and then I would just go into my PayPal account and immediately refund it.
I resonated very much with Slayer, and I thought it was just a genius episode. Super well-written and actually very accurate.
You did not bring them to your private island for public humiliation, though.
Tyler Blevins: Right. That's why I think it's just so funny. I think that no streamer ever wants to be like, "Here, let me give you the money back," but that's just hilarious. I just feel bad, personally, if people accidentally add a zero or something to a donation.
I didn't connect with Slayer bringing them out to the island and pretending to hunt them down, but I think it was a pretty fun spin on it.
One moment I thought was really fun was when Slayer's mom calls him Dennis and he's embarrassed. Do you feel that dichotomy between Tyler and Ninja in your daily life?
Tyler Blevins: No, I usually don't mind if people call me Tyler, even if they're a fan.
But my mom, when we're around other people, will jokingly call me Ninja and stuff. It's because she's a very proud mother, so it's funny. She doesn't call me Tyler; she calls me Ninja when she's trying to be fun. I just smile and let my mom do whatever she wants, because she's worked really hard for it. And I know she's just having fun with her friends or with whoever we're around.
As for other people, or in my life, it's not a sensitive thing for me.
I thought Slayer's hunting game was gonna be a full-on Squid Game situation, which is why it was so funny that Duncan and his friends thought their video game skills were going to save them. Have you ever been in a real-life situation where video game experience seemed like it would help?
Tyler Blevins: I don't think that'll ever be the case. [Laughs] No, I've seen too many shows where it's like, you're just not going to survive at this point. Unless you're an athlete, to be honest.
I don't know, maybe if you have to take over a remote control robot or something like that. If I have to fly something remote or something that I guess you would say is video game-esque, then maybe. Maybe! But when it comes to physically being hunted? No.
Between Free Guy and Duncanville, and even in the years before, you've been climbing upwards and working alongside incredible stars and comedic geniuses. Does it inspire you or make you want to stretch your own comedic muscles?
Tyler Blevins: Oh, man. I think I just want to continue to do voiceover work for anime or cartoons - pretty much anything.
I definitely think I'm funny, but I'm not really inspired to go and do it myself. I know it's a lot of hard work, and I'm happy to be a part of riding on their coattails. I think I'll stay in my lane in that aspect.
I read about you having a moment with your man crush Ryan Reynolds. Are there any other celebrities who have been particularly awesome, or that you hope will be when you meet them?
Tyler Blevins: I've already met Dwayne [Johnson], and I really look up to him just as a human. He was super tight and super nice.
I don't think I have a list of people that I hope are nice, because I've already met so many and haven't been let down yet. My expectations are never really high, and I personally don't ever want to intrude on anyone's evening. I'm the person who doesn't want to go up and say hello to these people, even though I know or admire them.
I just want everything to be super natural. If we just casually meet while we're ordering drinks or something like that, that's cool. And they maybe they'll say hi or something. But, of course, PR loves doing that. They'll walk over and talk to their PR, and then be like, "Hey, man. You want to do a quick little photo?"
And then you have to.
Tyler Blevins: And then I have to, and then it's fine. But I'm just like, "Let's not ruin their [day.]" Because if you go up to somebody to say hello, and they don't want to say hello back, then it's a weird thing. Then you have that awkward moment, and I like to avoid those.
You've been at this for a couple of years now, and you've already begun pivoting from just gaming into a wider array of entertainment. How prepared or unprepared do you feel for what comes next?
Tyler Blevins: I'm prepared for anything. I've been on The Masked Singer, which was probably my most nerve-wracking experience. First off, singing, but also that you really only get one shot at it. That was definitely stepping the most outside of my comfort zone in everything that I've done.
Being on TV shows, doing live interviews, and voice acting... I'm passionate about all this stuff. I've been on camera so much of my life, so I don't think I'm [unprepared]. I still get butterflies, but I think that, surprisingly, it's prepared me for pretty much everything.
What would you like to branch out into next, or what are you working on outside of streaming now?
Tyler Blevins: Well, I'm trying to start a specific company that I can't really talk about, because we're still trying to figure it out. But it's in the product space, which I'm really excited about. We're just trying to find the right partners.
And then I'm just continuing to do voiceover stuff. I recently was in a poker tournament that actually went surprisingly well, and I might have a knack for that. So, I might dive a little bit more into playing some poker.
You've said that television is one way to unwind for you. What are some of your favorite shows right now?
Tyler Blevins: Well, I'm watching this anime called Fairy Tail. I'm enjoying it; it's very pleasant. My wife and I just finished the season finale of RuPaul's Drag Race, and I actually love that show. It's really fun. We just have such a blast watching it. It's so entertaining.
We just watched the season finale of Ozark. My God, it's phenomenal. I mean, I wouldn't say I relax watching that show, but it's such a good show.
You’ve also spoken about getting to let loose more while gaming now that you're not so focused on just, say, Fortnite. What games are you kicking back most with now?
Tyler Blevins: I'm playing a game that is, like, 20 years old. It's about to have its 20 year anniversary, called Final Fantasy XI. It's one of my favorite MMOs of all time. I'm on a private server with my brother and a lot of my friends, and I've met a lot of new friends on this server. That's usually what I'm playing off-stream, if I'm just relaxing.
Speaking of Fortnite, how would you describe your continuing relationship to that game?
Tyler Blevins: Just everlasting. I love that game so much right now. They added a Zero Build mode, which has just reignited my spark and my desire to really stream a lot more. I'm excited to be home for the next month without really having to travel, so I'll just be grinding and streaming.
They did a great job with this update, and I really think they're bringing back a lot of OG players. People like Summit1g and CDNThe3rd are playing the game, and they were the ones who originally started playing Fortnite with me. I think they're going in the right direction, and I'm just super happy.
As we're seeing the increase in OG streamers, the space is also being filled with new streamers coming in. Are there any that you have your eye on now, or do you have any advice for people who are just getting started?
Tyler Blevins: I know that there are two big streamers right now, and they're working really hard. Ranger and Ship are doing a lot of Crown wins, trying to be the number one crowned player per season. It's this new thing that they've implemented, and I think it's a great way for new streamers to get recognized and noticed. They're doing both doing a great job, and they're getting a lot more viewers because of that.
My advice for newer streamers, really, would just be that the easiest thing to do is just try to be super talented at the game and make a splash in the competitive scene. For some of the Zero Build cups that are going on, there's literally a leaderboard that millions of people will look at. If your name is on there, that could be a good way to get some viewers.
Of course, being super personable and knowing a lot of references helps. The more you know about the world, the more you can connect with people. And that is very important. Making a connection with a viewer is how you can keep them coming back forever.
I know that you, in the past, have been very open about your views or personal thoughts. Do you draw the line now more as you become more of a public figure? How much do you choose to share versus keep to yourself now?
Tyler Blevins: I pretty much just don't like talking about anything anymore. Unless it's groundbreaking, and I need to say something about it, because maybe people just don't have the right takes or I want to guide my audience in the right way. But even then, there hasn't been a topic that I felt like I've needed to touch on for the last two years.
I've been burned too many times, where a clip just gets cut in half and I get my words twisted. It's not worth it. I'd rather just play video games and not talk about anything.
Check out our previous interview with Ninja, breaking down his appearance in Free Guy.
New episodes of Duncanville season 3 air Sundays at 7:30pm ET on FOX. Ninja's livestream schedule can be found on Twitch.