Mark Edward Fischbach, who goes by Markiplier online, is an American YouTuber, actor, podcaster, and filmmaker. He was born on June 28, 1989, in Honolulu, Hawaii. With a career spanning over a decade on YouTube, he has become one of the platform’s most enduring and influential creators, boasting over 38 million subscribers and 23 billion total views as of late 2025.
Life and Background in the Beginning
Fischbach’s father, Cliffton, was a German-American U.S. military officer, and his mother, Sunok, is Korean. These two things had a big impact on his early life. After he was born, the family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Mark grew up. He went to Milford High School, where he was in the marching band, and then he went to the University of Cincinnati to study biomedical engineering. But he dropped out because he loved making content so much that he wanted to do it full-time on YouTube.
Fischbach looked into his mother’s family history in the 2022 documentary Markiplier from North Korea. Personally, he married his longtime partner, artist and animator Amy Nelson (known online as Peebles), on September 20, 2025, after a decade together.
Get Famous on YouTube
Markiplier started his first YouTube channel in 2012. At first, he made comedy sketches where he played different characters. The name “Markiplier” is a combination of “Mark” and “multiplier.” He had to start a new channel, markiplierGAME (later shortened), because of early problems like being banned from AdSense.
He became famous for his Let’s Play videos of scary games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and the Five Nights at Freddy’s series. Mark’s high-energy commentary connected with audiences because he was known for his exaggerated reactions, deep voice, and real excitement (or fear). He had 10 million subscribers by 2015, and by December 2025, his channel had grown to more than 38 million.
Mark did more than just play games; he also made comedy sketches, animations, challenges, and vlogs that made people cry. One of their most famous projects is the channel Unus Annus, which they co-created with Ethan Nestor/CrankGameplays. It uploaded daily videos for exactly one year before deleting everything. The videos were a meditation on death that got a lot of attention.
He has also hosted well-known podcasts like Distractible and Go! My Favorite Sports Team, and he has made lines of merchandise.
Getting into acting and filmmaking
Markiplier wanted more than just YouTube. In 2016, signing with William Morris Endeavor led to bigger projects. He made YouTube Originals that you could interact with:
- A Heist with Markiplier (2019) has 31 different endings.
- In Space with Markiplier (2022) is a science fiction adventure.
In 2025, Mark achieved a major milestone with his feature directorial debut, Iron Lung. Mark wrote, directed, edited, produced, and starred in the movie, which is based on the indie horror game by David Szymanski that came out in 2022. It was set in a cramped submarine in an ocean of blood, and it had to wait for production to finish, but it will be in theaters starting January 30, 2026.
Originally, the movie was only going to be shown in 50 to 100 independent theaters. However, because of fan demand and major chains like AMC, Regal, and Cinemark picking it up, it was shown in over 1,900 locations. This shows how dedicated Mark’s fans are.
Giving and Making a Difference
Markiplier has raised millions for charities through livestreams and campaigns over the course of his career. He often shares personal stories to connect with his fans. His openness about his mental health and health issues has made people like him even more.
As of December 2025, with Iron Lung’s release coming up, Markiplier is changing from a horror gamer who screams to an indie filmmaker and entertainer with many talents. This shows that stories made by creators can do well on the big screen. His story gives a generation of online creators the courage to dream big.
