Advertisement
Streaming

This new Twitter meme proves which actors really have range

‘Lena Headey could do 99% of roles but 99% of actors couldn’t do Cersei Lannister.’

Photo of Nahila Bonfiglio

Nahila Bonfiglio

Could do couldn't do meme - Leonardo Dicaprio

A new meme is sweeping the internet and exposing which actors have the most range.

Featured Video

The “could do but couldn’t do” meme began circulating on Twitter on Aug. 31, apparently aiming to reveal the lack of credit female actors get in Hollywood. Within days, the meme had expanded from one or two snarky posts to hundreds. Now people all over the web are using the meme’s simple format to expose the range many actresses have, and to poke fun at their male colleagues in the process.

“Could do but couldn’t do” meme

Most of the memes outline real film roles, played by men, that people believe women could have played just as well. In the second half of the meme, they turn it around and note roles that the women have played that the men couldn’t pull off. “Anne Hathaway could do Fight Club but Brad Pitt couldn’t do Princess Diaries,” one user wrote.

Advertisement

Advertisement

https://twitter.com/theriseofsheev/status/1168488203017318401

Advertisement

https://twitter.com/josywill19/status/1167834366158020610

https://twitter.com/thejess_show/status/1167869054561878016

Advertisement

A surprising number of the memes took aim at Leonardo DiCaprio. Perhaps due to the 44-year-old’s notorious acting chops, he was a common inclusion in the internet’s newest meme. “Taylor Swfit (sic) could do The Wolf of Wall Street but Leonardo DiCaprio couldn’t do the Reputation stadium tour,” Twitter user @dykemilk wrote.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

https://twitter.com/dykemilk/status/1167839896037482496

Eventually, as memes are wont to do, it evolved. The meme started encompassing musicians as well as actors, taking aim at everyone from Beethoven to the Beatles. “Britney Spears could do ‘Hey Jude’ but the Beatles couldn’t do ‘Baby One More Time,’” one user wrote.

https://twitter.com/lesbiangosling/status/1167828930985897984

Advertisement

https://twitter.com/isabellacwaltz/status/1167888875609477127

https://twitter.com/aijiujoe/status/1168113981287829504

https://twitter.com/eishatahmed/status/1168214024850477058

From there, the meme spiraled into goofy comparisons and jabs at actors, artists and everyone in between. Posts like “Robert Pattinson could do the Bible but Jesus couldn’t do ‘Twilight,’” gradually overtook the original meme.

Advertisement

Advertisement

https://twitter.com/allyousailors/status/1168322564214726657

https://twitter.com/springsansa/status/1168393386618949634

Advertisement

https://twitter.com/gilbertblvthe/status/1167877727061344257

Advertisement

READ MORE:

Advertisement
 
The Daily Dot