Popularly known as the face behind the viral “Damn, Daniel” video, he quickly became a household name thanks to the clever edits of Snapchat clips posted by his close friend, Joshua Holz. The video, which featured repeated exclamations of “Damn, Daniel,” took the internet by storm and played a major role in boosting his social media presence. As a result, his Instagram following soared to over 390,000 in a short span of time.
Before the sudden wave of fame, Joshua Holz had been filming these casual Snapchat clips while attending Riverside Polytechnic High School. Growing up in Los Angeles, California, he lived a relatively normal life like any other teenager. On his Instagram profile, he has shared a few personal moments with his family, including pictures of his sister and his mother, giving fans a glimpse into his everyday life.
He got a lifetime supply of Vans shoes from the company, which was a pretty wild moment that really put him on the map. Over time, he showed his generous side by donating pairs of shoes to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital in California—just one way he gave back after his sudden rise to fame. He and his friend Holz even made a fun cameo appearance in Weezer’s music video for their track “California Kids,” adding another cool highlight to his story. And of course, if you ever scroll through his Instagram page, you’ll see it’s absolutely flooded with comments from fans saying, “Damn, Daniel”—a phrase that stuck and became kind of iconic all on its own. Yeah, life changed fast for Daniel, but he’s handled it with style and a bit of humor.