The most relatable meme of the Oscars was started by Andrew Garfield just 11 minutes into the show. The “Spider-Man: No Way Home” actor gave an uneasy grin during host Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue on March 12, and it quickly went viral on social media.
When Kimmel made fun of last year’s Oscars slap by mentioning the several attendance who would be prepared to assist him in the event of a repeat situation, the GIF-able reaction resulted. “It won’t be simple for any of you to come up here and get jiggy with the joke if you become upset over it. You’re going to have to get past a couple of my pals first, “He remarked, alluding to Will Smith’s song from 1997.
You are going to have to tangle with Spider-Man, the talk show host warned after mentioning “Creed III” actor Michael B. Jordan, martial arts movie legend Michelle Yeoh, and “The Mandalorian” actor Pedro Pascal as prospective allies. Perhaps they were anticipating Tom Holland instead as the camera switched to Garfield, and the actor responded to the lack of applause with an awkward toothy smile. He shook his head and made prolonged eye contact with the camera before the audience gave him the applause he truly merited.
Later during the ceremony, Garfield was in the spotlight yet again while presenting the awards for original screenplay and adapted screenplay alongside Florence Pugh. The actor has yet to nab his first Oscar — he was nominated for best actor in both 2017 and 2022 — but he’s certainly solidified his status as the king of Oscars memes. During last year’s Academy Awards, he was spotted nonchalantly texting under the table moments after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage, and the footage inspired hilarious social media chatter.
Read ahead to watch Garfield’s awkward smile unfold and to see photos of him serving looks at the Oscars.
