With the SAG-AFTRA strike disrupting the normal promo cycle for working actors, celebrity fandom is getting a little chaotic. Case in point: The sudden influx of memes around actor Skyler Gisondo.
Best known for his supporting roles in Booksmart, Santa Clarita Diet, The Righteous Gemstones, and Licorice Pizza, Skyler Gisondo is not currently promoting anything. He doesn’t have a big movie coming out, and he hasn’t done anything scandalous.
In fact, his most recent wave of attention comes from an unlikely source: A viral photo that supposedly makes him look like “the dustbowl woman.” (i.e. these iconic images from the Great Depression.) It is indeed an excellent photo, showing Gisondo cradling a dog while wearing a gentle, Mona Lisa-like expression:
This image turned out to be the tip of the iceberg for Skyler Gisondo fandom, with fans swarming out of the woodwork to proclaim their love. Obviously, people already enjoyed his work. But right now he also exists in that sweet spot of being likable and recognizable, but not famous enough that we know much about him on a personal level. He’s an enigma with a memorable face.
A face that for some reason keeps inspiring memes.
Skyler Gisondo memes
The first wave of Skyler Gisondo memes actually began in 2022, when someone posted a photo of him with the caption, “he looks like he can do a crazy trick on the trampoline.”
His face then sparked a flurry of caption jokes, with people characterizing him as a certain type of guy. The general consensus is that he’s goofy, boyish, and mysteriously appealing.
“skyler gisondo it appears ive grown quite fond of you though there are no romantic urges or desires,” reads one poetically worded tweet. “you come to me as a long lost friend whom i once picked apples with in papas orchard.”
Apparently, Skyler Gisondo has “unfathomable levels of kenergy,” “would be poetry in motion with a pair of heelys,” and should have been in both Oppenheimer and Barbie. (Honestly, it’s pretty shocking that he didn’t appear in either.)
For those who are wondering if Skyler Gisondo is aware of the memes, the answer is yes. He reposted a couple on Instagram Stories with the caption “i’m crying,” and seems particularly fond of the dustbowl woman fanart.
