How Jake Shane's 11-Year-Old Email Signature Manifested His Broadway Debut (Exclusive)
- - How Jake Shane's 11-Year-Old Email Signature Manifested His Broadway Debut (Exclusive)
Luke ChinmanFebruary 14, 2026 at 12:34 AM
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Jake Shane in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Oct. 17, 2025
River Callaway/WWD via Getty
Jake Shane is set to make his Broadway debut in All Out: Comedy About Ambition, opening on Feb. 17
The content creator chats with PEOPLE about preparation for the milestone role and the launch of the third season of his podcast, Therapuss, on Netflix
“I think that if I was standing next to 11-year-old me, he’d s--- his pants and faint at the same time,” he tells PEOPLE
Jake Shane is feeling a bit of imposter syndrome.
The last week alone has seen a flurry of massive announcements for the 26-year-old content creator: PEOPLE exclusively revealed on Feb. 9 that he’ll be making his Broadway debut in All Out: Comedy About Ambition; he was named the chief creative officer of Katjes, a gummy candy company, on Feb. 11; and the trailer for the third season of his hit podcast, Therapuss, which will soon air on Netflix, dropped on Feb. 13. (Not to mention, Shane’s actively developing a Hulu comedy series based on his life.)
“I feel really, really excited, really anxious, and I hope all of it succeeds in the way I dream it to be,” he tells PEOPLE.
For Shane — who gained millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram over the last few years, known for his brand of honest comedy — Broadway is a dream he’s been chasing since the beginning. “I think that if I was standing next to 11-year-old me, he’d s--- his pants and faint at the same time,” he says. “That was his ultimate goal.”
Jake Shane in New York City on Dec. 1, 2025
Jason Mendez/Getty
There’s no better proof than his 11-year-old email signature — “It’s Jake (Soon to Be a Broadway Star)” — which he revealed in an adorable Instagram post after sharing the news that he was joining the All Out cast.
Shane added the six-word manifestation to his sign-off when he was in sixth grade, under the impression that he had to “market” himself to the director to earn the lead role of Jimmy in his middle school’s production of Thoroughly Modern Millie. (He did get the part, for the record.)
“I was determined,” he says. “And then, it just stayed my signature forever.”
When he got the call from his agent that he’d be making his Broadway debut, Shane had just deboarded a plane and was standing in the airport. His agent had been texting him throughout the flight, continually checking to see when he’d be available to hop on the phone.
“I was like, ‘What could this possibly be?’ ” recalls Shane.
Jake Shane in New York City on Sept. 8, 2025
Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty
As soon as he picked up the phone, his agent asked his friend to start recording Shane’s reaction as he learned that he’d be starring alongside Nicholas Braun, Ray Romano and Jenny Slate in the show. In the video, which he later posted to Instagram, Shane’s jaw drops as he is given the news that his middle school dreams are becoming a reality.
In the rush of excitement, his first thought was to apologize to his friend for having to temporarily relocate to New York City for the production, leaving her behind in Los Angeles. And his second thought, he tells PEOPLE, was, “Oh my God, my lines!”
Since getting the news, Shane says he’s connected with bestie and former Therapuss guest, Kaia Gerber, who has done some Off-Broadway stage acting in L.A., for advice before opening night. “I said, ‘Okay, how do I handle this? What do I do?’ ” says Shane. “She really laid it out for me — how to maintain a good work-life balance while doing it. She gave me great advice.”
He’s also traded sweet messages over Instagram with Ashley Park, whose role he’s assuming after she had to drop out of All Out due to scheduling conflicts. (“We follow each other,” notes Shane. “She’s so sweet.”)
Jake Shane in Austin, Texas on March 8, 2025
Robby Klein/Getty
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While Shane is in rehearsals before All Out opens at N.Y.C.'s Nederlander Theatre on Feb. 17, he’s also thinking about the third season of Therapuss. The new episodes themselves are “more or less the same” as before, he tells PEOPLE, but with a redesigned set and a new slate of A-list guests that's more appropriate for Netflix.
As one of the first podcasts to be aired on the streaming platform, Shane says he feels “very determined to have it succeed” to prove the viability of podcasts on Netflix. He adds that he was “freaking out” when he and his manager noticed a banner for the show on the Netflix homepage several days ago.
He’s also still working diligently on his Hulu comedy series, which is in pre-production after the project was first announced in November 2025. He and the other creators “speak every day,” he says, “constantly sending people we think are funny, constantly just talking, talking, talking. I'll tell them stories about my life and what's happening — it's a lot of talking right now, sifting through ideas, and a lot of excitement.”
If it sounds like a lot, it is — especially “creatively and mentally,” admits Shane. But when asked how he possibly balances his packed schedule, he brushes it off. “I remind myself that people work 9-to-5s,” Shane laughs. “I feel very lucky.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
