'Fake Famous': Here's How Dominique Druckman Became an Influencer

Do you want to be famous? A study reported that more than 80 percent of kids in today's society tell their parents that they want to be "famous" when they grow up. 

Social media has become a tool for people to obtain fame through the number of followers and "likes" they can acquire. In a new HBO documentary called Fake Famous, director Nick Bilton takes a look at the power of social media platforms by taking three ordinary individuals and turning them into influencers.

This social experiment will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to make someone "famous," including lying about their pictures, buying followers, and much more. 

In Fake Famous, audiences will be introduced to Dominique Druckman, who currently boasts nearly 400,000 followers on Instagram.

Dominique was chosen to take part in the HBO experiment while working as a struggling actress. According to Dominque's IMDB page, she had credited roles in the short film The Swing and the TV series Blended.

Dominique's personal website states that the actress is from Miami Beach, Fla., and holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Theatre Performance.

With less than 1,000 followers when production started in 2019, Dominique has since grown her following exponentially. 

According to Access, her follower count has granted her free merchandise, an increase in acting auditions, and an overall confidence in herself.

Dominique even told the outlet that if her internet fame happened organically, she probably would have gotten caught up in the skillfully crafted world of being a content creator.

"I think knowing how fake and that it was for an experiment and for a job was able to keep me distant and I'm so thankful that it did," she said.

According to the Fake Famous director, Dominique was willing to do "anything we asked of her" when it came to buying bots (followers) or taking pictures. "Dominique was just like, 'This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me; I’m going to do everything I can to make it work,'" Bilton told Variety. 

Bilton also stated that the social experiment was a success for Dominique because she's "still getting followers." 

"Dominique’s life has completely changed: She gets free stuff; she goes on more auditions," he told the outlet. 

The director also revealed that one moment that did not make it in the film was when Dominique's mom came to visit her in L.A. and the two were trying to get a reservation at a fancy restaurant. 

"Her mom said, 'Oh my daughter’s an influencer,' and they get the reservation," Bilton said. "Going into it I knew it had an impact, but I didn’t know the degree to which the perception of these numbers affects the impact." 

Fake Famous premieres on HBO on Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. ET.