October 24, 2018 — Blackpool, England
A police investigation in the United Kingdom unexpectedly became an internet comedy event after a suspect’s photograph went viral because of his striking resemblance to actor David Schwimmer.
Police in Blackpool released a security image of a man they wanted to identify in connection with a theft investigation. In the picture, the man was carrying a crate of beer, but many people online quickly noticed something else—the suspect looked almost identical to Ross Geller, the character played by Schwimmer in the popular TV series Friends.
The image spread rapidly across social media, with thousands of people making jokes and references to the show. Some users posted humorous comments pretending the actor himself was involved.
The situation became so popular that Schwimmer responded to the attention by posting a funny video showing that he was actually in the United States at the time of the alleged theft.
Police later confirmed that Schwimmer was not the person they were looking for and continued their investigation into the real suspect.
Although the resemblance created plenty of laughs online, authorities still treated the case seriously and used the public attention to help identify the person in the image.
The unusual incident became a perfect example of how a normal police appeal could unexpectedly become a global viral moment because of one very familiar-looking face.
