actor

Jonas Maximilian Ems (born December 30, 1996, in Cologne) is a German web video producer, author, actor, and director.

Jonas Ems grew up in Cologne and received his *Abitur* (high school diploma) in 2015 from the Heinrich-Böll-Gymnasium in Troisdorf. In 2016, he moved to Berlin.

He operates several YouTube channels, the Twitch channel *jonasems*, as well as a TikTok account with over 3.4 million followers (as of January 2026). In late 2021, he announced a shift in content strategy on his main channel—moving away from comedy and toward socially critical topics. On his channel *JONAS SHORTS*, he continues to publish short-form comedy videos.

Ems appeared in the feature film and web series *Oberucken*. He also gained prominence through the web series *Krass Klassenfahrt*, in which he played various roles such as Kenneth, Mc Larry, Cringe Timmy, and TJ. Additionally, he co-wrote the scripts and served as director alongside Jonas Wuttke. Together, they also founded the media company Moonvibe and produced the web series *Villa der Liebe*.

In 2021, a feature-film adaptation of the series titled *Krass Klassenfahrt – Der Kinofilm* was released. Since 2022, Ems has voiced the character Mike in the mystery audio drama podcast *Forever Club*. His novel *Schattenseite* was adapted into a six-part mystery miniseries in 2025, for which he served as a co-writer and also played a supporting role.

Furthermore, Ems is an advocate for animal welfare; in 2024, in collaboration with the organization Aninova, he released a video documenting conditions inside a pig barn.