Alyssa McKay is an American actress, TikTok star, content creator, and entrepreneur born on January 11, 2000, in Portland, Oregon.
She first gained national attention through her lip-sync videos on TikTok in 2018, later parlaying that fame into film roles and a successful streetwear business.
Her role as Valerie in the 2018 film Leave No Trace marked her acting debut alongside Academy Award-nominated actor Ben Foster.
Who is Alyssa McKay?
Alyssa McKay is an American social media star, actress, and co-founder of the streetwear brand Beyond Lost NYC.
She built her reputation on TikTok through narrative-driven POV skits and lip-sync recreations of popular TV and movie scenes.
Her “rich girl” character, a snobbish and exaggerated persona called Lyss, became one of the most recognizable comedic archetypes on the platform. Rap parodies, diss tracks, and viral comedy sketches all form a regular part of her content output.
Beyond TikTok, McKay has also built a major presence on Snapchat. In 2022, she generated 13 billion views on the platform, making her one of the most-watched female creators globally.
Her work spans content creation, acting, podcasting, and fashion entrepreneurship, all rooted in a personal story that began in Oregon’s foster care system.
Early Life of Alyssa McKay
Alyssa McKay was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. At age nine, she entered the foster care system, an experience she has spoken about openly in interviews and on her YouTube channel.
She remained in foster care until she was 21 years old. Despite those early challenges, McKay found her creative outlet in video-making and performance from a young age.
McKay attended high school in Portland and worked part-time as a cashier at Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt in Clackamas while building her early social media presence. After graduating high school in 2018, she enrolled at Portland State University.
She later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Portland State University. That achievement made her a first-generation college graduate, a milestone she has highlighted publicly.
Her passion for acting started in high school, and after graduating, she relocated to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities in the entertainment industry.
Alyssa McKay Age
Alyssa McKay is 26 years old as of 2026, born on January 11, 2000. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn.
By 26, she had already built a career spanning film, podcasting, fashion, and a combined social media following of over 15 million across platforms.
Alyssa McKay Ethnicity and Nationality
McKay is an American national, born and raised in Portland, Oregon. She is of White ethnicity.
Her upbringing in the Pacific Northwest and her years in the foster care system shaped both her personal story and the authentic, relatable voice that drives her content.
Alyssa McKay Height and Weight
McKay stands at 5 feet 5 inches tall, or 1.65 meters. Her weight is reported at approximately 55 kilograms, or 121 pounds.
Her slim build and expressive on-camera presence have made her well-suited for both the comedy skits she produces on TikTok and the acting roles she pursues in film and audio drama.
Alyssa McKay Content Style and Influences
McKay built her TikTok audience around a specific type of storytelling content: POV-based videos where she plays an archetypal “mean girl” or “rich girl” character.
Her character Lyss draws heavily from iconic film personalities she loved as a teenager, including characters from Legally Blonde and Clueless.
She writes, shoots, and uploads multiple videos daily, often spending up to two hours per video on a single smartphone.
Her content also regularly addresses topics beyond comedy, including body positivity and social issues, delivered through short original rap songs.
McKay joined TikTok under the original username dreamylyss, later switching to @alyssamckayyy, the handle she still uses.
Alyssa McKay Education
McKay attended high school in Portland, Oregon, and enrolled at Portland State University after graduation. While still a student, she was already building her social media career alongside her coursework.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Portland State University. Becoming a first-generation college graduate from within the foster care system is a personal achievement she has spoken about in multiple interviews and public appearances.
Alyssa McKay Career
McKay’s professional path runs across social media, film, audio drama, and fashion. Each phase of her career built directly on the previous one, turning an iPhone and a notebook of hip-hop lyrics into a multi-platform business.
Early Career: TikTok and the Rise of Lyss
McKay joined TikTok in 2018, during her senior year of high school, when the platform was still transitioning from Musical.ly.
She initially posted lip-sync videos recreating scenes from popular TV shows like Pretty Little Liars and other fan-favorite dramas.
Her first YouTube video, titled “My Experience in Foster Care,” went live on August 14, 2018. That video gave her audience a direct look at the personal story behind her content and helped her build an early, loyal base of followers.
Within months, her content shifted toward original comedic characters, most notably Lyss, the self-absorbed “rich girl.”
That character gave her a consistent creative identity that set her apart from other lip-sync creators on the platform.
By 2020, McKay had surpassed five million TikTok followers. She had more viewers than major celebrities including comedian Jimmy Fallon and pop star Dua Lipa, as Willamette Week reported at the time.
Breakthrough: Leave No Trace and Acting Career
While still building her TikTok audience, McKay landed her first film role. She played Valerie in Leave No Trace, the 2018 drama directed by Debra Granik, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018 and released theatrically on June 29, 2018.
The film starred Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie and grossed $7.7 million at the box office. McKay played a supporting role as a teenager in a foster camp, a character whose background closely mirrored her own real-life experience.
In 2019, she appeared in one episode of Shrill, the Hulu comedy-drama series starring Aidy Bryant. That credit, alongside her film role, confirmed her as a working actress alongside her growing social media career.
She managed her TikTok growth through The Network Effect, a digital marketing and talent agency that also later became her partner in building her fashion brand.
Recent Work: The Royals of Malibu and Beyond Lost NYC
McKay’s most ambitious project to date is The Royals of Malibu, an audio drama podcast she stars in and co-promoted across her social platforms.
The podcast launched on Spotify on February 6, 2023, with McKay playing the lead character, Ella Sinclair.
Season 1 of the series climbed to number one on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts in the Fiction category, reaching the top chart position in 75 countries.
Season 2 followed in August 2023, and Season 3 hit the same number-one ranking on both platforms, as McKay confirmed in a 2025 interview with Daily Front Row.
Along with her audio acting work, McKay co-founded the streetwear brand Beyond Lost NYC in 2021 alongside her team at The Network Effect.
The brand focuses on ethically sourced, hand-sewn pieces sold in limited-edition drops, typically released on Saturdays. Collections frequently sell out within hours.
Beyond Lost NYC operates with zero paid advertising, relying entirely on McKay’s organic reach and her audience’s direct input on designs and colorways.
Her involvement on Snapchat, where she earns over one billion monthly views, has been a key driver for the brand’s growth.
Alyssa McKay Awards and Recognition
In 2022, McKay generated 13 billion views on Snapchat, earning recognition as the world’s most-viewed female lifestyle creator on the platform.
Beyond Lost NYC, her streetwear brand, has received coverage from fashion media including Kreep Magazine and Daily Front Row.
The Royals of Malibu hit number one on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts in the Fiction category for three consecutive seasons, reaching the top spot in 75 countries.
While McKay has not received major individual industry awards such as a Grammy or Emmy, those chart achievements mark a real milestone in her audio acting career.
Alyssa McKay Boyfriend
McKay previously dated Levi Underhill, a TikTok star also based in Oregon. The two connected in 2019 after discovering they both lived in the state, and they later collaborated on TikTok content together.
McKay announced their breakup in a video posted to TikTok in May 2022. As of 2026, she has not publicly confirmed a new relationship.
Alyssa McKay Net Worth
Alyssa McKay’s estimated net worth is $1 million as of 2026. Her income comes from several streams: brand sponsorships and endorsement deals on TikTok and Instagram, AdSense revenue from her YouTube channel, her acting work, and sales from the Beyond Lost NYC clothing brand.
Her Snapchat presence, where she earns over one billion monthly views, adds a significant advertising revenue component to her overall earnings.
Beyond Lost NYC generates additional income through its drop-based sales model, with collections often selling out within hours of release.
McKay is represented by The Network Effect, the digital talent agency that also co-manages her fashion brand.
Alyssa McKay Social Media
McKay maintains active profiles across multiple platforms. On TikTok, her handle is @alyssamckayyy, where she built her original audience and continues to post multiple videos daily.
On Instagram, she posts as @alyssamckayyy. She also manages a YouTube channel where she posts vlogs, behind-the-scenes content, and longer video essays.
Her Snapchat presence, under the same Alyssa McKay branding, has become one of her largest platforms in terms of raw viewership.
The Bottom Line
McKay made her film debut as Valerie in Leave No Trace (2018), directed by Debra Granik, a Sundance selection that earned critical acclaim and $7.7 million at the box office.
She followed that with the audio drama The Royals of Malibu, which reached number one in 75 countries across three seasons.
She grew up in the foster care system in Portland, Oregon from age nine to twenty-one, an experience she has discussed publicly and that she channeled into her first YouTube video back in 2018.
Her journey to first-generation college graduate, homeowner, and brand founder came entirely through her own creative output.
In 2026, McKay continues to run Beyond Lost NYC, produce content across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat, and pursue acting projects.
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