So Much More Than Lily

In this new biography, John Hamilton uses the popularity of Milana Vayntrub as a case study in the clash between traditional media and new platforms. How can a YouTube star go on to grace a massive international ad campaign? How can an improv comedienne book roles on major TV shows and movies? Vayntrub's career shows how new media has changed the way entertainers sell their brands and do business.

Hamilton focuses on the life and career of Vayntrub, who immigrated to the United States from Uzbekistan. Despite growing up in West Hollywood and working in the industry in her early years, she wasn't your typical spoiled child actor. Instead, Vayntrub worked hard to show her work to a wider audience. This was where YouTube came in. The sudden and dramatic popularity of the platform allowed Vayntrub to bring her comedy to millions of users using only her computer. Many would have been content to stop there, but Vayntrub then leveraged her YouTube fame to land a small role in Ghostbusters, a large role in the hit television drama This Is Us, and the lead in AT&T's latest ad campaign.

This last role would make millions remember her face and show struggling entertainers that, with determination, anything is possible