‘SubwayTakes’ YouTube Star Kareem Rahma Hasn’t Written Off Regular TV Just Yet

When Kareem Rahma first learned he was Emmy-nominated, he was underground on the New York subway shooting his hit YouTube show SubwayTakes.

“I was interviewing a man named The Rizzler, who is one of my favorite people in the world,” Rahma said at Deadline’s Contenders Television: The Nominees Studio. “On the platform, I got an email forwarded to me from my team that said that we were nominated for the Emmy, and I couldn’t believe it. I did a celebration. I told everyone — even the just passengers that were waiting for their train. And it just felt so amazing.”

Did it change how he sees the show at all?

“I’ve kind of always taken the show really seriously,” he said. “And now I guess I’m taking it even a little more seriously and just I’m really excited about the future and growing the show and expanding the show and just believing in my ideas.”

RELATED: Contenders Television: The Nominees Studio – Deadline’s Complete Coverage

Watch the Contenders conversation below, and scroll down for more photos from the event.

Rahma also recalled booking his very first celebrity guest: Olivia Wilde.

“I had been around her before, so I would’ve considered us friends,” he said, “I don’t know if she would consider me a friend, but I considered her a friend. And she was just a huge fan of the show and would personally comment to me on every episode. And one day she was like, ‘I’m in New York if you want to do this.’ And I said, ‘That sounds great.’ And so that was the first time we did it. She was so cool. I already knew she was cool, but she was so cool. She said, ‘Come pick me up from a hotel.’ No security, Just her. No publicist, no hair and makeup. She was just awesome. And it was such a fun episode and still one of my favorites.”

As for picking a favorite take out of all his episodes, Rahma said: “The takes are like my children, so it’s hard to pick one. I don’t have a specific one that I can really quote. I’m going through them right now. Sometimes out of context, they’re not good to say out loud and those are usually my best ones. They’re usually my favorite ones.”

He also talked about the importance of spontaneity and consistency on the show. “One of the rules is that I don’t allow people to bring their own mics,” he said. “You have to use the Metro card mic. People have said, ‘Can I clip it to something else?’ Or ‘can I clip it to my lapel?” And I’m like, ‘No, you have to hold the mic.’ So that’s one thing. There’s also, I don’t want to practice. So sometimes people want to practice, and they want to do the take with me in advance, if they’re having a hard time developing their take, I can hear it, but I refuse to go beyond the take. Or they’re like, ‘Are you going to agree or disagree?’ I’m like, ‘I can’t tell you. I have to figure it out in the moment because it’s on the fly.’”

Looking back on how he and co-creator Andrew Kuo landed on the subway as a venue, Rahma said: “Andrew and I were on our last couple of bucks, and we wanted to make the show. And we had no money. I had already done Keep the Meter Running, which was in the cab. I loved Keep the Meter Running, but it was a little too expensive because the cab itself is cheap, but the ride is not. And he was like, ‘Would it bother you if we did it on the subway?’ And I was like, ‘Well, the subway is technically $2.90, so that’s not too expensive. And we can stay on there as long as we want.’ So it was really based out of this necessity to get studio space for cheap. It was never like, ‘Ooh, this show is going to be great because it’s on the subway.’ I think this show would be great anywhere. I think the name is great. SubwayTakes a good name. But I don’t know if being on the subway — aside from stopping you in your tracks — I don’t know if it is the thing that makes it good. I think it’s the people. I think it’s the guests. I think that’s really what it is.”

Awhile back, Rahma had been working on bringing Keep the Meter Running to CNN, but after being held up in development for months, he pulled out of the project. Rahma recently told Deadline: “I did the whole rigmarole with television, and it was a disaster. I don’t want to wait anymore. I walked away from the deal and decided to do it independently on YouTube.”

Would anything ever change his mind and bring him back to regular TV?

“That specific experience turned me off,” Rahma said. “And I’m having experiences now that are turning me on. It was that specific experience where I did not want to do it anymore. I wanted to make the show. I already knew that the show was good. That’s the difference. It was already a proven concept. So I felt like, ‘Why do I have to prove it more? Why do I have to keep proving myself when I already have a format?’ I already have an audience for this specific show. And at the end of the day, I’m having a lot more fun making it with people that I love. Every time we go on a shoot, it feels like a vacation. And it’s just so much fun. But in the future, I mean, if someone makes it a little bit easier, I’m happy to work in the traditional industry.”