Pau Ferrero, born and raised in Barcelona, has had four surgeries to fix the cleft lip he was born with. At 16, he is also a model (discovered via Instagram in the way that is de rigueur now) who’s shot for magazines like Cake and Solar and had a national TV spot in Spain. The aforementioned are fairly atypical for your average teenager, but to watch Ferrero’s videos on Instagram, he is also very much a 16-year-old who wants to have fun with his friends and make videos that involve picking noses, losing phones, and riding in shopping carts. And thank goodness for that, because everyone should have the chance to do silly things with friends—even models.
Below, Ferrero chats with COOLS about growing up in Barcelona, how he’s honed his sense of humor on Instagram and YouTube, and, of course, his love of Stranger Things.
Are you originally from Barcelona? How is life growing up in paradise?
“Yes, I was born and I grew up in Barcelona. I think I had a very good childhood and quality of life. In Barcelona, you live very well; there is everything to do.”
What made you pick up your Instagram for the first time and create a sketch comedy video?
“I had always wanted to be a YouTuber, but when I discovered humor on Instagram I decided to start there.”
Have you always had a strong sense of humor?
“Since I was little. I’ve always been the funny guy who comes up with bad jokes about everything. I like to make others laugh.”
How do you think humor from people your age that grew up on the internet differs from older people? Do you think there’s a higher bar because younger people are overexposed to content?
“I think that each person has a style of humor, so I think there is no competition. There are not many people in Spain doing the same content as me.”
And now you have this new modeling career beginning. How did that come about? Is fashion or identity interesting to you?
“Thanks to my Instagram, [agent] Jordan Morris discovered me, and I signed a contract with New York Model Management. Fashion is not something that interests me too much, but it’s fun and entertaining.”
Do you have any favorite brands you like to wear?
“I usually wear all kinds of brands, but I particularly like Nike, Jack & Jones, and Vans.”
You have hundreds of thousands of likes and views on Instagram. Do you see yourself as part of a global community online? Are many of your friends also internet famous?
“Yes, I know almost all the Spanish Instagram community. Thanks to that, I have met many people who, over time, have become friends.”
How do you and your friends express themselves? What do you do for fun?
“As you can see, I express myself through videos, usually with absurd humor. For fun, I like to meet my friends to talk—I really like to talk about things that interest me.”
What kind of movies, films, YouTubers, comedians, books, and art are you interested in?
“I like all kinds of movies, although lately I am more into TV shows. Stranger Things is my favorite series, and Rick and Morty too. AuronPlay is the YouTuber at whom I laugh the most, and my favorite comedians are [David] Broncano, Berto Romero, Dani Rovira, and Leo Harlem, in that order.”
In five years time, how do you think the world will be different? How will it be the same?
“I think it will be quite the same, although technology advances very quickly, so I cannot imagine how it will be.”
What would you most like to see changed or to stay the same?
“I would like people not to be offended so much [by] humor in the future. Lately, people are offended by everything.”