Back in 2020, American actress and singer Debby Ryan already knew she had become a major meme on the internet because of the way she shyly smiles in many of the TV shows and movies she's in.

Those scenes inspired the "Debby Ryan Impressions" meme trend on TikTok, with many users trying to replicate some of her iconic facial expressions.

This explainer, however, focuses on the story behind just one iconic scene from the actress who inspired the "Debby Ryan Smirk" that would ultimately become her most well-known reaction image meme.

Where Does The 'Debby Ryan Smirk' Come From?

For those unfamiliar with the Disney Channel actress, Debby Ryan is an American actress who's known for her role on the series Jessie and her 2012 straight-to-TV film, Radio Rebel, which somehow caught the attention of people online.

In one particular scene, Ryan gives a cringe smirk towards a band member while in the middle of a crowd, sweeping her hair back while looking at him.

The moment was posted on May 3rd, 2020, on YouTube by user yvestheestallion in a video titled "Debby Ryan's radio rebel smirk," and the clip has since become known as the "Debby Ryan meme" to many online.

How Did The 'Debby Ryan Smirk' Become A Meme?

People became obsessed with Debby Ryan Smirk in April and May 2020 thanks to a now-deleted TikTok video posted by @peppermintflower, who noticed Ryan’s very strange “shy smile.”

The video inspired countless others to replicate the smirk, like TikTok user @annaivanovvv, who recreated some of the scenes from the Radio Rebel movie.

@ishestillhappy

Debby Ryan smirk 😬

♬ original sound – 😔

What Are Some Examples Of The 'Debby Ryan Smirk' Meme?

Debby Ryan's smirk also made its way to Stan Twitter as a popular reaction video and image.

For instance, X user @hoemoticon posted on May 2nd, 2020, who shared the scene paired with the caption, "15 y/o me at a concert in the crowd acting different from the others so my fav can notice me." The tweet amassed more than 63,000 likes and 15,000 retweets in four years.

15 y/o me at a concert in the crowd acting different from the others so my fav can notice me pic.twitter.com/OcoQI3K2YC

— ¿alex? (@hoemoticon) May 2, 2020

The smirk also became the subject of ironic memes and fan art, like the ones seen below.

@missing1dfp He really did the Debby Ryan move and we just let him 😺 #louistomlinson #debbyryan #debbyryansmile #debbyryanchallenge #viral #lmao #fyp #fy #foryou ♬ original sound – Emily😶‍🌫️

@vmpiary the original that damn smile | #vmpiary #fyp #trending #debbyryan #debbyryanedit #debbyryanchallenge #debbyryanmeme #waittheydontloveyoulikeiloveyou #thatdamnsmile #13reasonswhyedit #thatdamnsmirk #meme #memeedit #radiorebel #radiorebelchallenge ♬ original sound – khia

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For the full history of Debby Ryan smirk, check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.