Whether you know him best for his TikToks and viral Halloween costumes or his years as a Paralympian, Josh Sundquist is no stranger to fame (or if you ask him, semi-fame). And now, years after his rise to viral stardom and with his new book Semi-Famous, he’s ready to take listeners on a journey to define fame and answer the age-old question: Can you really be famous and happy?
Audible: How do you balance your mental health with being in the spotlight?
Josh Sundquist: Not particularly well. Which is what makes me so well-qualified to write this book.
Do you have any go-to tricks that can help us non-famous folks?
Well, for anyone wanting to maximize mental health, I'd definitely recommend remaining non-famous. Fame brings far more mental health challenges than benefits.
How has being internet-famous proven to be different from being known for your writing, skiing, and in-person performances?
Having a social media following is different from other types of fame because it comes with the ability to instantly communicate with or mobilize an audience at will. By contrast, when you decide to write a book, it can be years before anyone hears it on Audible; ski racing doesn't come with a built-in method for interacting with fans; and in-person performances are inherently ephemeral, making communication impossible once the audience has left the room.
Speaking of... you’ve pretty much done it all—you’re a Paralympian, a writer, a comedian, and a motivational speaker. What hobby or profession do you think you’ll want to try next?
I actually just produced, wrote for, and acted in a streaming series inspired by my first book, Just Don’t Fall. It comes out this summer, the same week as Semi-Famous. I've also considered dabbling in fatherhood.
What did you learn while writing this book? Is it possible to be happy and famous?
This is a spoiler for the book, but the conclusion of my investigation was yes, it is possible. But only in the specific case where you become famous as a side effect of doing something you love. If you pursue a career for which you don't have intrinsic passion merely to become famous, even if you succeed in gaining fame, you'll discover fame by itself can't make you happy—and now you're stuck doing a thing you didn't enjoy to begin with.
What goes into making those viral Halloween costumes?
A lot! It's pretty much a year-round hobby. Actually, many of the costume ideas have come from internet followers. So that's definitely a perk of being semi-famous!
