About Jake Shane
Before fame
Jake Shane was born in Los Angeles but grew up largely in the New York area, including Washington Heights. He developed an interest in theater during childhood and performed in school productions, although he later pulled back from acting because he felt insecure onstage. He also took comedy classes at Gotham Comedy Club in Manhattan.
Shane moved to California to attend the University of Southern California, where he studied public relations and graduated in 2022. While working at a record label, he posted online videos under the username @octopusslover8, initially sharing humorous reviews of octopus dishes.
His friends encouraged him to pursue content creation more seriously. In February 2023, he began improvising comedic reenactments in response to follower suggestions. Those videos quickly attracted a much larger audience and launched his career in digital entertainment.
Trivia and noteworthy facts
Jake's distinctive username, @octopusslover8, grew out of his interest in reviewing octopus dishes on social media.
In February 2023, his humorous historical reenactments helped him gain approximately one million TikTok followers within a month.
He launched Therapuss with Jake Shane in 2024, building a celebrity interview and comedy podcast that became available on Netflix in 2026.
His 2024 comedy album Puss & Poems reached No. 4 on Billboard's Comedy Albums chart.
In 2025, he won a Webby Award in the Individual Creator — Comedy category.
TIME recognized him in its inaugural TIME100 Creators list in July 2025.
He made his television acting debut with a recurring guest appearance in the fourth season of HBO's Hacks in 2025.
On February 17, 2026, he made his Broadway debut in Simon Rich's All Out: Comedy About Ambition, performing alongside Ray Romano, Nicholas Braun, and Jenny Slate.
Family life
Jake Shane's parents are Helaine Olen, a journalist and author, and Matt Roshkow, a film and television screenwriter. Although Shane was born in Los Angeles, his family relocated to New York when he was young.
He spent his formative years in the New York area, including Washington Heights, and has credited his parents with taking his creative interests seriously. In an interview with Teen Vogue, he discussed how his parents accepted him when he came out to them in fourth grade.
Shane has also spoken about his close relationship with his parents, who later relocated to the Los Angeles area.
Associated with
Glen Powell — Actor and celebrity guest on Therapuss with Jake Shane; the two have also spent time together socially.
Lorde — Singer who appeared as a guest on Shane's Therapuss podcast.
Lea Michele — Actress and singer interviewed by Shane on Therapuss.
Sofia Richie Grainge — Fashion personality and longtime friend who has publicly spoken about Shane.
Olivia Rodrigo — Singer who collaborated with Shane on a TikTok comedy skit connected to her song "Vampire."
Jenny Slate — Comedian and actress who performed alongside Shane in the 2026 Broadway production All Out: Comedy About Ambition.
