Even Stevens Actor and “Fedora Guy” Jerry Messing Hospitalized With COVID-19

Freaks and Geeks and Even Stevens actor Jerry Messing – also known for the popular “Fedora Guy” meme – has been hospitalized in Florida with COVID-19 and is currently on an oxygen ventilator and fight for his life. Messing has reportedly been living Tampa, Florida, with his parents, and his father James is said to have noticed his son falling ill and starting to have trouble breathing earlier in the week. Messing’s parents didn’t take chances and reportedly measured his oxygen levels; when they showed to be low, they called in an ambulance and had him admitted to the hospital Monday night.

According to TMZ‘s talks with Messing’s parents, Jerry is currently on ventilation and is “struggling to survive.” His family and friends are not currently being allowed to be with him. Messing had reportedly received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine but was said to be waiting for his second dose at the time of falling ill with COVID-19.

Jerry Messing first broke out as Pugsley Adams in the 1998 direct-to-video movie Addams Family Reunion, which came after Barry Sonnenfeld’s popular ’90s movie adaptation and its sequel, Addams Family Values. Judd Apatow made Messing a reoccurring character on his (now) cult-hit TV series Freaks and Geeks, where Messing played Gordon Crisp, a kid with a rare body odor affliction. His other notable role was Artie Ryan on Even Stevens, the kid’s show that helped launch Sia LaBeouf’s career.

Messing would find much more fame offscreen when a picture of him in a fedora hat (an “outtake” from his actor headshot days) led to the creation of the “Fedora Guy” meme in 2013. Fedora Guya remains one of the most popular memes on the Internet – although Messing wasn’t necessarily a fan, telling Buzzfeed in one interview: I’m certainly not thrilled with the communities the photo has come to represent, but it isn’t something I can really do anything about—so I don’t let it bother me.”

Still, despite the mixed feelings about being attached to a popular meme, Jerry Messing did manage to leverage the popularity of the meme into a new career phase: he started a YouTube channel called “Fedora Productions” in January 2020. The channel uses an animated version of Messing’s Fedora Guy meme as its logo. You can read the channel description, below:

A channel for self promotion of talent, and a resource for aspiring artists in various mediums.

Jerry Messing: Acting and resource for scene work Avertle: Bryan Bur: Hal Lemon: Zamb: Special thanks to Samantha Addict for the amazing banner! Find more of her work on Instagram @samantha_addict

Special thanks to The Yankee Artist for the brilliant channel cartoon! Find more of her work on Instagram @theyankeeartist