American actor Glen Powell is a meme because many internet users think that he looks like a capybara.

The photo now known as "Glen Powell's capybara face" was taken on a red carpet a few years ago. As the actor lands bigger and bigger roles in Hollywood, memes about his odd animal doppelgänger keep resurfacing.

However, who made the original meme? What is a capybara anyway? Let's explain.

What's The Original 'Glen Powell Capybara' Photo?

The original photo of Glen Powell (later known as his "capybara face") was taken on the red carpet for the global celebration of the film Hidden Figures at the SVA Theatre in New York, New York. The photo shows Powell looking directly into the camera and smiling. It's also the primary photo on Powell's Wikipedia page.

What's The 'Glen Powell Capybara' Meme?

Glen Powell was first called a capybara by Twitter / X user @koalarolls back in April 2023. They said in a viral quote, "he looks like a capybara who made a wish to become human."

The tweet came in the middle of a slew of Glen Powell memes that used the same image of him smiling. Overall, the memes joked about how alien Powell looked. However, the "capybara" comparison became the most well-known joke.




What's A Capybara?

Capybaras are a species of giant rodent that are native to South America. Over the past few years, capybaras have become a storied meme animal, joining the likes of cats, dogs and monkeys.

Capybaras just do a lot of quirky things. The way they walk, swim and look are all highly memeable, evident in the fandom that's grown around them online.

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For the full history of Glen Powell's capybara face, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.