The Internet's Favorite 85-Year-Old & The Rewards Of Relatability

85-year-old Annie Korzen is a TikTok starlet! She’s an actor/storyteller/writer/author and you may recognize her from Seinfeld where she played Doris Klompus but now, she calls herself “an accidental influencer.” Her TikTok channel has over half a million followers and her viral fan base is in their teens and twenties. Our 16-year-old intern, Garrett nearly lost his footing when he walked in and saw her.Annie says that all of what society questioned about her… too ethnic. Too opinionated. Too loud. Too unconventional… are the exact qualities that resonate with followers.Annie joins us in the studio where we get to experience her charm, authenticity and strength of spirit firsthand as she talks about her new book, The Book of Annie: Humor, Heart and Chutzpah From an Accidental Influencer, and her incredible life and career trajectory. Hoping to post some video clips online, Annie’s young friend Mackenzie Morrison suggested TikTok and got her started. It turns out that in a world of carefully curated online images, Annie’s frank, honest, hilarious voice is a welcome hit with the kids! She talks about her most popular videos, her thoughts on connecting with young people and how her opinions of Gen Z/Alpha have positively shifted. Young people yearn for warmth, authenticity and acceptance. Annie also shares some Seinfeld insights, her disastrous appearance on Oprah, some strong opinions on life, society and happiness and how nine years of persistence and practice finally earned her a spot on The Moth Storytelling Hour and Tour.Plus Fritz and Weezy are recommending the Smartness podcast and HBO MAX’s Smartness on the Road and Science Fair the movie and the series on Hulu, Disney + and National Geographic.Path Points of Interest:Annie KorzenAnnie Korzen on TiktokAnnie Korzen on IMDBAnnie Korzen on WikipediaAnnie Korzen on YouTubeThe Book of Annie: Humor, Heart and Chutzpah From an Accidental InfluencerThe Book of Annie on AmazonLA Times Calendar Section Article on AnnieAnnie Korzen on CameoScience Fair SeriesScience Fair MovieSmartless PodcastSmartless on the Road