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Remember that zombie-faced kid who blurted out three unforgettable words on live TV? Jonathon Ware<\/b> was just a boy at an arts festival in Portland, Oregon, when a 17-second clip turned him into one of the internet\u2019s earliest memes. Now 29, he\u2019s embraced his viral identity \u2014 and it landed him a role in a Hollywood film.<\/p>\n
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The original 2007 video<\/u><\/a> is deceptively simple. Ware, in full zombie face paint at Portland\u2019s Rose Festival, was approached by a local news reporter after getting his face painted. When asked about the paint job, his response: \u201cI like turtles\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That was it. Seventeen seconds. But the clip exploded across early social media platforms, earning Ware the nicknames \u201cTurtle Boy\u201d and \u201cZombie Kid.\u201d It became one of the defining moments of early viral culture, leading to media appearances including on The O\u2019Reilly Factor and Tosh.0.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In a 2023 interview with Yahoo Entertainment<\/u><\/a>, Ware finally pulled back the curtain on what was going through his mind during that now-legendary moment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt still makes me laugh,\u201d Ware, now in his mid-20s, told the outlet in 2023. \u201cIt\u2019s like in the Marvel films when Groot says, \u2018I am Groot.\u2019 That\u2019s me, except \u2018I like turtles.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSeriously, I just like turtles,\u201d he added. \u201cA kid\u2019s mind wanders and goes, Oh s***, what am I gonna say on a news channel? I wasn\u2019t nervous or shaking or anything. I was just like, well, I guess I\u2019ll say, \u2018I like turtles.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n After years of intentionally staying out of the spotlight, Ware made a surprising return. In 2023, he appeared<\/u><\/a> in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, where he repeated his famous line. He described the opportunity as a return to the public eye after years of staying private.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf I can make someone laugh, smile or change their mood and make them have a better day, I\u2019m all for it. That\u2019s what it is about and that\u2019s why I did it,\u201d he told Yahoo Entertainment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought, you know, maybe people can relieve some stress because they\u2019ll be like, \u2018Oh my god, he\u2019s back.\u2019 That\u2019s what I was hoping would come out of it anyway, for people to say, \u2018Is this 2007 again? Look, he\u2019s all grown up \u2014 but he hasn\u2019t changed!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The film role reignited something for Ware. Following his appearance in the movie, he created social media accounts for the \u201cTurtle Boy\u201d character on platforms including TikTok and Instagram, with plans to share new content.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAfter I did all this promotion work for the movie, I created accounts on TikTok and Instagram for the character: the Turtle Boy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His wife is apparently his biggest fan \u2014 or at least his most persistent one. \u201cShe finds it hilarious. She\u2019ll bombard me 10 times a day to say \u2018I like turtles.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ware\u2019s approach to content is deliberate. \u201cI\u2019m 26 now,\u201d he said back in 2023 to Yahoo. \u201cI\u2019m more confident and have great ideas,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m not using [social media] all in one shot. I\u2019m giving you guys a little tiny piece here and there, you know, I\u2019m not gonna be posting constantly. That\u2019s part of the character. It\u2019s mysterious, nobody knows about it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His Instagram @turtleboy2007<\/u><\/a> is now private. His TikTok is @jontheturtle<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fame \u2014 even the meme variety \u2014 comes with complications. Ware has addressed ongoing confusion online, including individuals falsely claiming to be him or associated with the original video.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never created a YouTube channel!\u201d he said. \u201cPeople copy me all the time, claiming they are me to get that clout and all the other stuff to get followers.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He added that while the issue does not usually bother him, it occasionally prompts reactions: \u201cThey haven\u2019t really bothered me, but there are times where I have some flare ups. I\u2019ll make a burner account [to see what they\u2019re saying]. Especially the \u2018It\u2019s Turtle Time\u2019 one. When people put that guy out there, ugh, that gets me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ware\u2019s years of silence were a choice. He said he originally preferred to stay out of the public eye due to privacy concerns but has since become more comfortable engaging with his viral identity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted my privacy,\u201d he said. \u201cI wanted to wait until I was older, more mature and developed to see where [Turtle Boy] would go, and how my mind would develop creatively.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For a kid whose entire claim to fame was three words and a zombie face, Ware seems to have figured out exactly what he wants \u201cTurtle Boy\u201d to become \u2014 on his own terms.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.<\/i><\/p>\n <\/div>\nSo What Was He Actually Thinking?<\/h2>\n
From Viral Kid to Movie Star<\/h2>\n
Building \u2018Turtle Boy\u2019 For a New Era<\/h2>\n
Dealing with Imposters<\/h2>\n
Why He Waited So Long to Come Back<\/h2>\n