Remember that zombie-faced kid who blurted out three unforgettable words on live TV? Jonathon Ware was just a boy at an arts festival in Portland, Oregon, when a 17-second clip turned him into one of the internet’s earliest memes. Now 29, he’s embraced his viral identity — and it landed him a role in a Hollywood film.
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The 2007 Clip That Launched a Meme
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The original 2007 video is deceptively simple. Ware, in full zombie face paint at Portland’s Rose Festival, was approached by a local news reporter after getting his face painted. When asked about the paint job, his response: “I like turtles…”
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That was it. Seventeen seconds. But the clip exploded across early social media platforms, earning Ware the nicknames “Turtle Boy” and “Zombie Kid.” It became one of the defining moments of early viral culture, leading to media appearances including on The O’Reilly Factor and Tosh.0.
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So What Was He Actually Thinking?
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In a 2023 interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Ware finally pulled back the curtain on what was going through his mind during that now-legendary moment.
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“It still makes me laugh,” Ware, now in his mid-20s, told the outlet in 2023. “It’s like in the Marvel films when Groot says, ‘I am Groot.’ That’s me, except ‘I like turtles.’”
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“Seriously, I just like turtles,” he added. “A kid’s mind wanders and goes, Oh s***, what am I gonna say on a news channel? I wasn’t nervous or shaking or anything. I was just like, well, I guess I’ll say, ‘I like turtles.’”
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From Viral Kid to Movie Star
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After years of intentionally staying out of the spotlight, Ware made a surprising return. In 2023, he appeared 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.
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“If I can make someone laugh, smile or change their mood and make them have a better day, I’m all for it. That’s what it is about and that’s why I did it,” he told Yahoo Entertainment.
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“I thought, you know, maybe people can relieve some stress because they’ll be like, ‘Oh my god, he’s back.’ That’s what I was hoping would come out of it anyway, for people to say, ‘Is this 2007 again? Look, he’s all grown up — but he hasn’t changed!’”
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Building ‘Turtle Boy’ For a New Era
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The film role reignited something for Ware. Following his appearance in the movie, he created social media accounts for the “Turtle Boy” character on platforms including TikTok and Instagram, with plans to share new content.
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“After I did all this promotion work for the movie, I created accounts on TikTok and Instagram for the character: the Turtle Boy,” he said.
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His wife is apparently his biggest fan — or at least his most persistent one. “She finds it hilarious. She’ll bombard me 10 times a day to say ‘I like turtles.’”
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Ware’s approach to content is deliberate. “I’m 26 now,” he said back in 2023 to Yahoo. “I’m more confident and have great ideas,” he says. “I’m not using [social media] tudo de uma só vez. Estou dando a vocês um pedacinho aqui e ali, vocês sabem, não vou postar constantemente. Isso faz parte do personagem. É misterioso, ninguém sabe disso.”
His Instagram @turtleboy2007 is now private. His TikTok is @jontheturtle.
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Dealing with Imposters
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Fame — even the meme variety — comes with complications. Ware has addressed ongoing confusion online, including individuals falsely claiming to be him or associated with the original video.
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“I’ve never created a YouTube channel!” he said. “People copy me all the time, claiming they are me to get that clout and all the other stuff to get followers.”
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He added that while the issue does not usually bother him, it occasionally prompts reactions: “They haven’t really bothered me, but there are times where I have some flare ups. I’ll make a burner account [to see what they’re saying]. Especialmente aquele de ‘É hora da tartaruga’. Quando as pessoas colocam esse cara lá fora, ugh, isso me pega.”
Why He Waited So Long to Come Back
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Ware’s 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.
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“I just wanted my privacy,” he said. “I wanted to wait until I was older, more mature and developed to see where [Turtle Boy] iria, e como minha mente se desenvolveria criativamente.
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 “Turtle Boy” to become — on his own terms.
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This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
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