Tyriq Withers and Daniel Kaluuya found an unexpected silver lining when a national travel crisis left them stranded on the tarmac.
The "Tell Me Lies" actor and "Get Out" star were among the estimated 1.5 million travelers impacted by the Federal Aviation Administration's nationwide ground stop issued Friday, Nov. 13.
While stranded at Eugene Airport in Eugene, Oregon, the actors made the most of the situation by giving a now-viral interview about their experience with a local news station.
“We were headed back to Los Angeles, and we got on the plane, and we had to deboard, unfortunately," Withers told KVAL News reporter Gold Meadows. He then thanked "God" and the "FAA" for "protecting us, you know, post blue wave as well," referring to the Democrats'
victories in the recent midterm elections.
Tyriq Withers reenacts viral 'Bella Noche' meme amid FAA ground stop
“But I really feel, like, you know, it’s really upsetting me and my homegirl, because if you can’t go to the airport, where the hell can you go?” Withers quipped as Meadows giggled and Kaluuya rolled over laughing.
The "Nope" actor also said he was thankful he and other passengers were safe. “Obviously, it’s an inconvenience, but I feel grateful," Kaluuya added. "I feel grateful because it could have happened any other way. Think about how many lives [were] probably saved because of that decision."
Before walking away, the two actors leaned into the local broadcast one last time, flashing the University of Oregon's signature "O" hand sign to the camera with a parting shout-out: "O-way or no way!"
The nationwide ground stop – only the second full domestic departure halt since Sept. 11, 2001 – was lifted by the FAA more than four hours after the stoppage went into effect.
The 2015 viral 'Bella Noche' meme, explained
While the inside joke caught the local broadcast off guard, most internet culture aficionados will instantly recognize the reference. The "me and my homegirl" line comes from another viral 2015 interview: partygoer Hazel London gave it alongside her friend Jerhonda Henderson after a nightclub shooting at her favorite spot, Bella Noche, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
"It's a whole wedding. So who is gon' be beefing? First of all, if you was beefing at a wedding, you should have been beefing at that wedding. Why would you bring that to somebody else's club? That's sad," London says in the clip. "It's upsetting me and my homegirl, 'cause we feel like, well … if you can't go to Bella Noche, where the hell could you go?"
Is Bella Noche nightclub still open?
Sadly, the nightclub is no more: In 2025, Louisiana First News reported it was among the sites affected by the demolition of the Plank Road Shopping Center, where the club was located.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyriq Withers' airport interview with Daniel Kaluuya is what memes are made of
