Pawpaw makes global list of people who became internet legends through their viral moments as kids

‎Nollywood actor Osita Iheme, popularly known as Pawpaw, has made a global list of people who became internet legends through viral moments as kids.
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‎Osita Iheme, aka Pawpaw, has been included in a global viral list alongside Success Kid, Bad Luck Brian and Side-Eyeing Chloe.
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‎Unlike most people on the list, Iheme was already 25 when he became famous through Aki na Ukwa.
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‎His childlike roles were largely linked to his small stature and the characters he was cast to play, alongside Chinedu Ikedieze.
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‎Years later, scenes from his Nollywood films became widely used reaction memes around the world, giving Pawpaw a second wave of internet fame.
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‎Nollywood actor Osita Iheme, popularly known as Pawpaw, has found himself on a global list of people who became internet legends through viral moments associated with their childhood, although there is one funny detail about his inclusion.
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‎A post shared by foreign social media account REALIBITY placed Iheme alongside famous internet personalities and meme figures such as Success Kid, Bad Luck Brian and Side-Eyeing Chloe, who became widely recognised after photos or videos of them went viral online.
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‎The inclusion of Pawpaw has caught attention because, unlike most of the people on the list, Iheme was not actually a child when he became famous.
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‎The Nigerian actor was already 25 when he rose to prominence after starring alongside Chinedu Ikedieze in the 2002 Nollywood blockbuster Aki na Ukwa. Iheme played the mischievous character Pawpaw, while Ikedieze played Aki.
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‎The pair became hugely popular for playing childlike characters despite being adults, with their small stature contributing to them being repeatedly cast in children’s roles. Their performances eventually became a major part of Nollywood’s pop culture legacy.
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‎Years after their films became popular, clips, screenshots and facial expressions from Iheme’s movies found a second life on social media. His images became widely used as reaction memes, allowing Pawpaw to reach an entirely new audience outside Nigeria.