‘Roll Safe’ man looks unrecognisable now nearly 10 years on from viral meme
After almost 10 years, it’s probably not too surprising that the guy behind the ‘Thinking Guy’ meme doesn’t look exactly the same.
British actor Kayode Ewumi became globally recognisable as Roll Safe following the release of his mockumentary series Hood Documentary.
The famous image, I’m sure you're aware, sees Ewumi smirk whilst tapping a finger on his temple, a gesture that quickly became shorthand for flawed logic.
Roll Safe, as a character, started to appear online in 2015, while the scene that supplied the meme was published in 2016.
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The following year, the still had taken over social media.
“The year 2015, I remember people would message me, is this you? ’Cause obviously then I was much more skinnier, had a high top,” he explained to Buzz Feed in 2020.
“Now I’m nice and broad and beautiful. I’d just finished university, I was like, 21, I had abs. Good times.
“I think the Americans just went woof, this is just crazy and they just like, think about it meme.
“Someone just took those three seconds and made a meme. I was like, oh people are watching the whole documentary and I was like, well the numbers aren’t really increasing so what’s happening here? Who is this guy, man? Like this guy is crazy, like, is that Eddie Murphy? It’s just a meme.”
As you’d expect, Ewumi naturally looks a little different from the fresh-faced uni grad many people remember.
Recent interviews show a more mature star, making him less instantly recognisable than Roll Safe in his signature leather jacket.
In 2018, Ewumi wrote, created and starred in this critically acclaimed comedy series Enterprice - it’s about two young entrepreneurs trying to get their delivery business off the ground in London.
He also founded his own independent production company, Chatham Pictures, which secured funding via the BBC Small Indie Fund to develop and champion fresh stories from underrepresented voices.
In 2024, he starred in the project In Search of a Blessed Life and played the role of Sokolov in the television series Welcome to Borovia in 2026.
“I didn’t go to university to become a meme, I went to university to tell stories, to be a storyteller and it is what it is but I mean, it makes people happy, right?” he added.
“So whatever. People ask me when will I bring back Roll Safe. And my answer, you’ll never see him again. Go watch Enterprise, you’ll laugh more.”
Topics: Social Media, Celebrity
Anish Vij