NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Robert Capron is celebrating his 28th birthday, more than 15 years after Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/em> premiered in 2010<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n- \n\n
The actor, best known for playing Rowley Jefferson, looks nearly unrecognizable from his breakout child star days<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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After stepping away from the spotlight, Capron shifted his focus to writing and behind-the-scenes work in the entertainment industry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Robert Capron<\/a> is celebrating his 28th birthday \u2014 and fans may be surprised by how much he\u2019s changed since his Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/em><\/a> days.<\/p>\nMore than 15 years after the film first hit theaters in 2019, the actor who played Rowley Jefferson looks nearly unrecognizable from the character that made him famous.<\/p>\n
Capron, who starred as Greg Heffley\u2019s loyal best friend in the adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/em><\/a>, became a breakout child actor thanks to the franchise.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\nRobert Capron and Zachary Gordon on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysCredit: Diyah Pera\/Fox<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
He reprised the role in the next two live-action installments and, over the years, also became the face behind one of the film\u2019s most recognizable internet memes<\/a>.<\/p>\nThe role marked Capron\u2019s first major break in Hollywood after appearing in only two previous projects, including 2009\u2019s Bride Wars<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\nFollowing the success of Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/em>, Capron continued acting in films, including The Way Way Back<\/em>, Annabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket<\/em> and The Polka King<\/em>. He also appeared on CBS\u2019 Elementary<\/em> and voiced characters in the animated films Frankenweenie<\/em><\/a> and Tarzan<\/em>.<\/p>\nAs he grew older, however, Capron\u2019s changing appearance altered the types of roles available to him. After losing weight, he said Hollywood struggled to place him in the kinds of parts he had once expected to pursue.<\/p>\n
Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for<\/strong> PEOPLE\u2019s free daily newsletter<\/strong><\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n![\"Robert](\"https:\/\/hermes.media.static.aol.com\/media\/2026\/07\/10\/2569862f-b65a-3bec-a5fb-f9c4bd56db9c\/63c8efed-e528-4b45-9b6d-09a34112e3e1.jpg\"\/)
<\/div>\nRobert CapronCredit: Robert Capron\/Instagram<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\u201cI really thought I was going to be the male lead with the fat best friend,\u201d Capron told The New Yorker<\/em><\/a> in January 2022. \u201cBut, once I was thin, Hollywood couldn\u2019t quite peg me.\u201d<\/p>\nCapron<\/a> later stepped away from acting to attend Brown University, where he graduated in 2020 with a degree in modern culture and media\/history.<\/p>\nSince then, he has increasingly focused on work behind the scenes. Capron worked as a writer\u2019s assistant on Disney+\u2019s The Muppets Mayhem<\/em><\/a>, has served as an instructor with Actors for Autism since 2023, and has also pursued screenwriting, co-writing the short film Vial<\/em>, according to his LinkedIn profile<\/a> and The New Yorker<\/em>.<\/p>\nRead the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Robert Capron is celebrating his 28th birthday, more than 15 years after Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/em> premiered in 2010<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The actor, best known for playing Rowley Jefferson, looks nearly unrecognizable from his breakout child star days<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n After stepping away from the spotlight, Capron shifted his focus to writing and behind-the-scenes work in the entertainment industry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Robert Capron<\/a> is celebrating his 28th birthday \u2014 and fans may be surprised by how much he\u2019s changed since his Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/em><\/a> days.<\/p>\n More than 15 years after the film first hit theaters in 2019, the actor who played Rowley Jefferson looks nearly unrecognizable from the character that made him famous.<\/p>\n Capron, who starred as Greg Heffley\u2019s loyal best friend in the adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/em><\/a>, became a breakout child actor thanks to the franchise.<\/p>\n Robert Capron and Zachary Gordon on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysCredit: Diyah Pera\/Fox<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n He reprised the role in the next two live-action installments and, over the years, also became the face behind one of the film\u2019s most recognizable internet memes<\/a>.<\/p>\n The role marked Capron\u2019s first major break in Hollywood after appearing in only two previous projects, including 2009\u2019s Bride Wars<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Following the success of Diary of a Wimpy Kid<\/em>, Capron continued acting in films, including The Way Way Back<\/em>, Annabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket<\/em> and The Polka King<\/em>. He also appeared on CBS\u2019 Elementary<\/em> and voiced characters in the animated films Frankenweenie<\/em><\/a> and Tarzan<\/em>.<\/p>\n As he grew older, however, Capron\u2019s changing appearance altered the types of roles available to him. After losing weight, he said Hollywood struggled to place him in the kinds of parts he had once expected to pursue.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for<\/strong> PEOPLE\u2019s free daily newsletter<\/strong><\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n Robert CapronCredit: Robert Capron\/Instagram<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cI really thought I was going to be the male lead with the fat best friend,\u201d Capron told The New Yorker<\/em><\/a> in January 2022. \u201cBut, once I was thin, Hollywood couldn\u2019t quite peg me.\u201d<\/p>\n Capron<\/a> later stepped away from acting to attend Brown University, where he graduated in 2020 with a degree in modern culture and media\/history.<\/p>\n Since then, he has increasingly focused on work behind the scenes. Capron worked as a writer\u2019s assistant on Disney+\u2019s The Muppets Mayhem<\/em><\/a>, has served as an instructor with Actors for Autism since 2023, and has also pursued screenwriting, co-writing the short film Vial<\/em>, according to his LinkedIn profile<\/a> and The New Yorker<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>