He once chased quarterbacks on the football field. Now, Seth Edeen is stealing hearts on millions of phone screens, starring in steamy, short-form dramas that have made him one of the breakout faces of a booming new genre.
Seth Edeen went from being a hockey player, to a Wyoming football player to a budding actor. He retired from football due to health reasons.
Edeen, a defensive end from Cheyenne Central, learned in April 2015 that he was born without a right kidney. The risks of playing with just a single kidney left him fearful for his life and the quality of it after football.
“Ultimately, I just started thinking about my future,” Edeen said. “I want to be around for my kids, my wife when I’m older.”
Finding a New Path
It took a couple of years after retiring from football for Edeen to find another calling: being an actor. He worked as a civil engineer until moving to Southern California in 2019, according to his IMDb biography.
It was in California that he signed up with an agency and started making money as a model. However, he decided to expand his horizons and took up acting lessons in 2023.
He discovered the world of vertical micro dramas that same year, and it has been his bread and butter ever since.
ReelShort Roles and Rising Popularity
He might be starring in cheesy, short-form soap operas with similar plots, but the pay-as-you-go scheme works for him because not only does he get paid, but the stories are fun and the actors are “hot,” too, he said.
Edeen got his breakthrough role on “Breaking The Ice,” and has partnered with ReelShort for several other hit series ever since. In his own perspective, the ReelShort content he makes is similar to Lifetime movies, where the goal is to hook viewers with engaging storytelling and a sexy cast.
Some of Edeen’s other work include “Found a Homeless Billionaire Husband for Christmas,” “We Will Love Again,” “The CEO’s Twins Want Mommy Back,” and “Billionaire Married a Homeless Girl.”
Apart from billionaire roles, Edeen also fits athletic roles and fantasy roles. He has starred in “Two Alphas Are in Love with Me,” “How to Kiss a Vampire,” “The Quarterback’s First Love,” and “Wings of Fire: The Dragon Slayer Is My Ex-Lover.”
The titles of these micro dramas are often straight to the point, with fans knowing what to expect from the plot.
The Rise of Micro Dramas
Micro dramas are known for their wild plots and vertical, bite-sized videos. The format began gaining massive traction in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when everybody was glued to their phones. In China, platforms started pushing vertical short dramas, and the format became a huge hit.
They appeal to viewers due to instant gratification. With fast-paced and addictive storylines, they provide an emotional payoff in minutes. Rather than waiting weeks to complete a show, a micro drama can be consumed in one sitting.
They’re easy to watch anytime, anywhere. Producing these types of shows also has its upsides. Rather than spending millions of dollars on Hollywood shows and movies, these shows need less budget.
A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry
In the U.S., micro dramas are all the rage. From ReelShort to DramaBox to GoodShort, more and more platforms are making their own content.
Now, the industry is valued at billions of dollars worldwide. In China alone, the micro drama sector surpassed 50 billion yuan (around $7 billion) in 2024, exceeding the country’s box office earnings that year.
Globally, analysts estimate the short-drama platform market was worth about $6.5 billion in 2024, expected to grow past $7 billion in 2025 and continue expanding. In the U.S., reports suggest the market is already a $1.3 billion business, with apps on track to generate several billion more in revenue.
As audiences continue to embrace quick, addictive storytelling, the global appetite for vertical dramas is projected to rise even further, opening doors for actors like Seth Edeen to build lasting careers in this booming format.