Ever since their time at BuzzFeed, the Try Guys have been a near-constant presence on YouTube and across social media, but times change and so too are The Try Guys, so let’s look at what exactly this change entails.
One of the internet’s favorite groups, they’re having a little bit of a shuffle around—one we saw coming from a mile off. The Try Guys started over on BuzzFeed when four colleagues got together to make a video, “Guys Try Ladies’ Underwear for the First Time.” The video was enormously popular for the site, and the four guys, Eugene Lee Yang, Ned Fulmer, Keith Habersberger, and Zach Kornfeld became one of BuzzFeed’s first recurring groups, launching themselves as The Try Guys on the channel. Eventually, their time at BuzzFeed came to an end, and they moved away to start their very own channel.
Though the group hit some bumps in the road, mainly the controversial removal of co-founder Ned Fulmer from the group after he was caught having an affair with one of their employees, the channel has remained strong. The Try Guys consistently put out television-level production-quality videos on their channel, though fans have not been oblivious to the fact that another member of the (now) trio has been less present over the years. Eugene Lee Yang stepped back from onscreen work with the group over the last few years, taking on personal projects such as voice acting in the Oscar-nominated animated film Nimona, among others.
The announcement that Yang will be leaving the channel fully was of no surprise, though no less painful to fans. Yang released a goodbye video stating just how much he loves his friends and the company, but that it’s time for him to pursue other interests. With Yang now gone, that only leaves Habersberger and Kornfeld as original members, but they are not going it alone. The company is evolving and adding some new permanent faces—nine, in fact—and these are faces that fans will have gotten very used to seeing over the last few years on the channel. Let’s say a fond farewell to Yang and look at the new, official Try Guys members.
Jonny Manganello
Otherwise known as Jonny Cakes, Jonny Manganello has been on the channel for quite some time now, appearing as a judge on the channel’s hit show “Without a Recipe.” His presence grew from there, becoming a recurring judge on the show and then appearing on other videos the channel put out, such as “Phoning It In.” Much of what The Try Guys do revolves around food and baking, so having a skilled baker on the team is a no-brainer, especially one that can put up with, or often add to, the antics of Kornfeld and Haberberger.
Joyce Louise Jean
An old friend from their BuzzFeed days, film producer Joyce Louise Jean has guest starred with The Try Guys and other former BuzzFeed channels, such as Watcher Entertainment, over the last few years. Jean has an infectiously bubbly personality, and she uses her videos as a way to raise awareness of social issues such as trying to live a zero-waste lifestyle.
Miles Bonsignore
Miles Bonsignore is no stranger to fans of The Try Guys given that he helmed the Try Guys podcast, The TryPod. He became a fan favorite on the podcast with his wacky out-of-pocket thoughts and contributions. The funny thing is that Bonsignore left the Try Guys to pursue his own creative endeavors, and now he’s back. This irony is not lost on him, as he posted a video about why he’s back as a Try Guy after leaving The Try Guys. Bonsignore’s (sometimes) unhinged energy is a great addition to the overall cast, and with a firm fan following, it’s a smart move to keep him on the channel.
Ryan Garcia
“Not the boxer, but almost as beefy” is the quote used in the official marketing for Ryan Garcia. An actor and writer, Garcia has appeared in numerous shows, including four episodes of The Lincoln Lawyer, as well as in Jordan Peele’s film Nope. Garcia has been a fairly regular guest on The Try Guys channel, having shown up as a friend of Habersberger’s “Eat The Menu” series before gradually appearing in more shows on the channel.
YB Chang Biste
YB Chang Biste has been a firm fixture at The Try Guys since they left BuzzFeed. Working as senior editor, she would also make some on-camera appearances, making a name for herself with fans as a Food Baby, eating up much of the food that Habersberger could not get through on some of his food challenges. It looks as if her on-camera presence will increase with her latest role, but she will still be working as a full-time senior editor alongside this.
Marissa Rivera
Marissa Rivera, like Garcia, is an actress having appeared on shows like Lucifer and 9-1-1, as well as in several commercials. She has made a number of guest appearances on The Try Guys channel, such as competing on shows like “Phoning It In” and “Without a Recipe.” Rivera met Habersberger while he was working at BuzzFeed, though the two also have a mutual connection, which is how they got to know each other better. Her appearances have gone down well with fans who like her bubbly, yet sometimes dark personality.
Jared Popkin
Fans will be thrilled to hear that the lovable Jared Popkin will continue to feature heavily on the channel, bringing his golden retriever-like energy to fans’ screens. He has been a big hit with fans of The Try Guys thanks to his enthusiastic positivity even in the face of complete abject failure. Popkin was often featured as a guest on “Eat The Menu” and eventually graduated up to regular guest, taking part in series like “Phoning It In” and “Without a Recipe.” Popkin also works as an actor.
Ash Perez
Fans of the BuzzFeed days of old were thrilled to hear that Ash Perez would be joining the group given that the last time she worked with The Try Guys was back during their shared time at the company. Ash has since worked on many projects as a producer, writer, and director, even working on the Biden/Harris campaign as a senior producer. In 2020, he published a book titled Read This for Inspiration and is currently working on writing a pilot script with ABC.
Kwesi James
Kwesi James was one of the first people who fans thought might replace Fulmer to become the fourth Try Guy. Though this did not happen exactly, James’ presence on the channel only grew, likely in order to cover for Fulmer’s exit. James made himself very popular with fans with his bright energy and is a no-brainer to become a Try Guy and an official member of the 2nd Try cast. He is also the co-founder and creative director of his own company, TribeToTribe.
You can discover more about the new direction The Try Guys are taking as well as see more of their new cast roster over on their new streaming service, 2nd Try.
