“ I ’ m not going to be a passive citizen anymore . I want to be a force for good .”
Beyond the documentary , Vayntrub sees # CantDoNothing as a movement with two messages — creating awareness and action for refugees , and calling on the public to recognize what issues are important to them . So whatever the cause is — from regulating gun laws , to advocating for women ’ s rights and beyond — Vayntrub hopes she will make others think about what matters to them and ask , “ How bad does an issue need to get before you take action ?”
AS A POP CULTURAL FIGURE with a strong following on social media , Vayntrub has a unique opportunity to inspire others on a grand scale — but one doesn ’ t become such an influencer overnight . Vayntrub ’ s trajectory into our homes started at UC San Diego , where the communication major found herself gravitating more toward the Student Cabaret program in the Department of Theatre and Dance . The program allowed students to put on a show in a little black box theater in Galbraith Hall , with access to the props and costumes at
# CantDoNothing Vayntrub travelled to the Greek island of Lesbos to help aid Syrian refugees . the La Jolla Playhouse . Working within a small budget , students would self‐produce a show of their own . Vayntrub immediately connected with the can‐do spirit it fostered . “ It created a real love for creative collaboration , for getting together with people and saying ‘ Okay ! We ’ re going to do something together ’… and then we ’ d really run with it .” This experience at UC San Diego also taught her to create her own opportunities , an ethos that truly shaped her career to come . With only so many plays per quarter , not everyone could be cast in each and every production . “ When we weren ’ t [ cast ], it was never a rejection , it was always , ‘ Okay , well now we ’ re taking this as an opportunity to create our own work .’”
This attitude served her well after graduation . Upon moving to Los Angeles , she found herself frustrated when the casting process yielded few opportunities that she believed in . Recalling the spirit of her UC San Diego cabaret days , Vayntrub gathered together friends and , with just a few cameras and the drive to learn skills
Photo : Mashid Mohadjerin
TV Personality Vayntrub stands out as Lily , the AT & T spokeswoman .
like film editing and video production , she created the popular YouTube channel Live Prude Girls . The channel was a huge accomplishment and was enough to get her noticed . “ It was a real confidence booster ,” she says , “ It was a live resumé , a way of showing people , ‘ Look what I can do !’”
Vayntrub has certainly done a lot since . While still the current face of AT & T , and also continuing work on her YouTube channel , she is also featured in episodes of the new Netflix original series Love , and still looks out for the next leap in her career . Can ’ t Do Nothing and its corresponding movement remains her passion project , one that she hopes creates a ripple effect of good . Looking ahead , Vayntrub hopes to return overseas to document the next steps of the refugees ’ journey — whether that ’ s going to a refugee camp , many of which are located in Jordan , or going to other countries like Germany to further document the relocation process .
It may not be through a YouTube channel or a social movement , but Vayntrub believes everyone can have a similar spark , and can likewise mobilize others to create great things and make an impact among those around them . She considers her documentary as a piece of “ artivism ”— creating activism with art — and she sees every individual as having their own following online which , in turn , makes every person an influencer of sorts . “ When you talk about the good you do , it plants a seed that grows ,” she says . “ Let ’ s challenge each other to make the world better ; let ’ s make it cool .”
TRITONMAG . COM 47