Dean Norris' Reaction, also known as Hank's Reaction, involves two distinct photographs of the actor Dean Norris. In one image, Norris displays a broad smile, exuding happiness and contentment. In contrast, the other image features Norris with a displeased, serious, or somewhat angry expression. These images are combined into a two-panel meme format, typically used to juxtapose joy and displeasure towards different subjects.
The photographs of Dean Norris that comprise this meme were initially captured by photographer Marco Grob, who posted them on his website on dates prior to July 14, 2014. These images captured Norris with varying expressions — one smiling and another showing displeasure, with strategic lighting to emphasize these emotions. On July 14, 2014, Norris shared these photos on his Twitter (now X) and Instagram, garnering attention. Although initially used in articles about Norris and reposted by fan pages, the first meme adaptation of these images appeared on an Instagram page named breakinbadfeed on April 13, 2017. The format gained notable popularity in mid-March 2021 when a user on Twitter (now X) made a football-related meme using the photographs.[1]
Origin: 2014