It’s been more than eight years since the first ‘sad Affleck’ smoking meme went viral, which would only just be the beginning of the fan craze.
Now, in the wake of his recent divorce from Jennifer Lopez being finalized, the actor and director looks to have recreated it once again while seemingly miserable during a smoke break from shooting his new film Animals in Los Angeles.
In one photo he flashes an unimpressed look, with a cigarette hanging on his lips as he leaned next to a sign that reads: ‘No food. No drinks. No smoking inside. Water only.’
Working double duty as the lead actor and director for the crime thriller, Affleck is also seen talking to crew members dressed in a gray fleece and t-shirt with blue jeans, and at times looking pained.
In comparison, the original ‘sad Affleck’ smoking meme, which dates back to August 2016 in London, showed him a blue sweater and blue jeans, appearing miserable or exhausted with his eyes closed and a cigarette in his right hand.
The photograph was originally published by the news outlet The Cut as part of a photo series that showed Affleck smoking, vaping, and looking to be in a bad mood.
Ben Affleck, 52, recreates the viral sad-Affleck smoking meme while seeming miserable during a smoke break from shooting his new film Animals in Los Angeles on Friday; seen August 22, 2016
Now, in the wake of his recent divorce from Jennifer Lopez being finalized, the actor and director looks to have recreated it once again while seemingly miserable during a smoke break from shooting his new film Animals in Los Angeles
After the photograph went viral, meme creators started pairing it with captions that matched Affleck’s low-energy expression.
Soon after, the meme format started to spread on the likes of Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Reddit, as well as other platforms popular with meme creators.
The first known internet user to make a meme with the Ben Affleck smoking photo was a Twitter user named @disparate, who likened him to a Literally Me character, according to Know Your Meme (KYM).
Once it began to circulate, the meme just took off, predominantly peaking in usage in mid-2019.
While not always seen smoking a cigarette, various photos and videos of the two-time Oscar winner with a sad look on his face have been circulating over the years, some of which in celebration of that original sad-Affleck meme.
Most of the snaps come from paparazzi, but fans have also noticed how Affleck can’t hide his mood even during interviews and public appearances over the years.
During one interview for the DC Comics blockbuster film Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice in 2016 Affleck had a noticeably sad look on his face while co-star Henry Cavill answered a question.
The Good Will Hunting star and co-writer has previously commented on the ‘Sad Affleck’ memes, simply saying: ‘People are projecting something onto me that I don’t feel at all. I just have a calm, hard face,’ as reported by blue News.
The two-time Oscar winner flashed another pained look while smoking his cigarette alongside a crew member
The father of three is dressed in a gray fleece, t-shirt with blue jeans, while at times looking pained during his break from the production of Animals
Affleck is working double duty as the lead actor and director for the crime thriller
He would also show his more animated side during his chat with a crew member
Affleck previously commented on the ‘Sad Affleck’ memes, saying: ‘People are projecting something onto me that I don’t feel at all. I just have a calm, hard face’
In early 2022, Ben reflected on the popular memes during an interview with the Los Angeles Times – and its effect on his three children he shares with ex-wife Jennifer Garner.
‘I got to a place where [the public perception] was so different from who I am that I just stopped reading and stopped caring.’
He continued, ‘But then, as my kids got older and started seeing the internet themselves, that’s the difficult part. Even the “Sad Affleck” meme – that was funny to me. I mean, there’s nobody who hasn’t felt that way at a junket.’
‘But then my kids see it and I think, “Oh, are they going to think their dad is fundamentally sad or they have to worry about me?” That’s really tough.’
With production now in its fourth week, Animals also stars Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington, Steven Yeun, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Adriana Paz, Ray Fisher, Mark Kassen, and Christopher Woodley.
Affleck plays a mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped, and while trying to get the random money sorted, family secrets are revealed.
After the sad-Affleck smoking meme began to circulate, the meme just took off, going viral, and peaking in usage in mid-2019; he is seen in a later photo from June 2022
Just one day before recreating his latest sad-Affleck smoking meme, J-Lo dressed for revenge in a plunging black gown for opening night of Good Night, And Good Luck on Broadway
The production began two weeks after his much-publicized divorce from Jennifer Lopez was finalized, following a 10 month separation.
The former couple have both since come out and made public comments, with Affleck most recently describing his second split from Lopez as ’embarrassing.’
Just one day before recreating his newest sad-Affleck smoking meme, J-Lo dressed for revenge in a plunging black gown with a floor-length cape for opening night of Good Night, And Good Luck on Broadway on Thursday.
The 55-year-old superstar strutted her stuff on the red carpet in support of George Clooney Broadway debut at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City.
