G4 was a 24-hour cable network that ran from 2002 to 2014, helping to normalize a "nerd culture" that exploded out of expanding online access in the United States. Before its closure, G4 inspired untold numbers of people to embrace their interests or become creatives themselves, and many internet personalities who watched the network wound up joining its revival that kicked off on November 16, 2021. These new hosts come from all walks of life, bringing different specialties to the table. Streamer William Savage Ebers Neff said his preferred niche to fill is being a clown.

Among the hosts onboarded by G4 leading up to its relaunch are Jirard Khalil, known for his 10-year-old YouTube series The Completionist; Fiona Nova, a young director and showrunner with history at Rooster Teeth; and WWE Superstar Xavier Woods. Neff feels his contribution to the overall group dynamic is being one of its most "traditional humorists" alongside Kassem Gharaibeh, having cut his teeth with improv and stand-up comedy by studying at Groundlings, and working at both Second City and Laugh Factory. Game Rant spoke to Neff about his history in the entertainment industry and balancing responsibilities for G4 and 100 Thieves.

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Will Neff Talks Taking Life As It Comes

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Neff was a fan of G4 growing up, which makes it "surreal" to now be a main host for its returning variety program Attack of the Show!, alongside original network veteran Kevin Pereira. "I think back to a 13-year-old Will Neff and can see him whispering, 'That's so cool,'" Neff said. However, he feels that excitement is balanced out by the anxiety of working on something that "could be really meaningful," as it was to him and other G4 hosts.

Casual gaming or even being a "video game nut" was much more taboo when Neff was growing up, to the extent he said, "Playing Metal Gear was a clear sign that you were someone who should avoid social settings at all costs." Neff thinks G4 was a bastion for nerds, weirdos, and those who are passionate about the media they consume, and while 2021 presents a vastly different landscape, he would still like to carry that torch.

"I feel like I take on some of that import because I'd like it to be a safe space for young gamers and people who maybe don't fit into the traditional mold."

While Neff interned at Second City in 2008 and Laugh Factory in 2012, he was studying to receive a Master's in Game and Interactive Media Design from Elon University. Yet much of his 20s and early 30s were spent getting passed over — including one particularly crushing rejection when applying to be a bellhop. "I was thinking, 'I have a Master's degree and I can't get a job carrying people's bags. What is wrong with me?'" This left him with a "profound sadness," but luckily things began to turn around with opportunities like becoming a narrative-focused video producer at Buzzfeed.

Because of that time spent hearing "no," the current G4 host intends to not let his current momentum go to waste. "The promise I made myself is I would never not do something for lack of energy," Neff said. "I've made this Faustian deal with myself to burn it at both ends, but I say it's something you wanted all your 20s. Never take it for granted."

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Leaning on Three Communities

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When Neff was taking his "baby steps" into streaming, he said he consistently looked up to 100 Thieves as a group that appeared to do everything well — He considers them "the Yankees of the gaming space." It wasn't until COVID-19 lockdowns hit Los Angeles that the streamer was able to strike gold, streaming upwards of 13 hours a day; assisted by his ADHD that let him "function at the speed of Adderall." He also took part in events hosted by his friend and fellow streamer AustinShow, known largely for reality TV-based content, including 2020 US Presidential election coverage that gathered upwards of a quarter-million live viewers.

After AustinShow joined 100 Thieves in March 2021, Neff was able to tag along for an UNO tournament in April where he impressed the organization's founder Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag by dressing entirely in 16th Century French duke regalia. Neff and Haag kept talking, with Neff eventually working on the podcast Haag hosts alongside 100 Thieves co-owner Jack "CouRage" Dunlap. Then Neff joined 100 Thieves himself in November 2021, about six months after becoming a part of G4.

Between working for those organizations, upwards of four podcasts, and a Twitch original series he's developing, Neff said his life has become a "precarious balancing act." While he's "cancelled sleep" to accomplish this, Neff hopes to find more time to reflect and decompress. Even so, fostering "positive and vibrant" communities in his own Twitch chat, G4, and 100 Thieves is a point of pride that helps him continue burning that candle.

Neff said he never takes the "tremendous mentors" at G4 and 100 Thieves for granted, always taking ears for the "prophetic" Pereira, and "battle-hardened" Haag and Dunlap. He's also made plenty of friends in both communities, a particular highlight at G4 where the "lights-out talented" hosts offer a kind of security blanket in the face of a daunting production process. He never feels worried people will drop the ball or leave him floundering on camera, even when he reflects on the "mystic" feeling of his work airing on cable — something he's thought about since growing up playing Kanye West's Hey Mama for his own mother.

Working with so many groups of people immediately after getting used to working through lockdowns makes Neff feel like a rabid animal rejoining society, but that also creates "tremendous opportunities" for his skills to shine. He finds his best laughs come from "being a clown," a passion fostered by his earliest days in stand-up and improv.

"Chris Farley once said people need someone to laugh at. They need a guy to slip on a banana peel and bonk his head so they can point at him and go, 'At least I'm not that guy.' I love filling that role, being the physical dope of the cast."

G4 is streaming now on YouTube and Twitch, with programs also running on various Cable TV networks.

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