What is the name of the man featured in the Hide the Pain Harold meme?

The man featured in the Hide the Pain Harold meme is András Arató.

Arató is a Hungarian retired electrical engineer who also worked as a stock-photo model. While sharing vacation photographs online, he attracted the attention of a photographer and eventually participated in more than 100 stock-photo shoots. Images of him appearing to smile through discomfort were later reused online with captions about concealed frustration, resignation, or emotional pain.

The meme’s nickname, Hide the Pain Harold, is not the man’s real name. It refers to the fictional emotional situation suggested by the stock photographs. Arató’s full birth name is András István Arató, but the quiz’s stored answer, András Arató, is the standard public name and the canonical answer.

The meme became widely known internationally after Arató’s identity was discovered and confirmed. He eventually embraced the character, appearing in interviews, advertising campaigns, and public events. He was born in Kőszeg, Hungary, graduated from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 1969, and later became one of the world’s most recognizable meme personalities.