Greg Heffley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greg Heffley
Diary of a Wimpy Kid character
First appearance	Diary of a Wimpy Kid (webcomic, 2004)
Created by	Jeff Kinney
Portrayed by	Zachary Gordon (2010-2012) Dylan Bell (young) Nathaniel Marten (old) Jason Drucker (2017)
Information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Student
Family	Frank Heffley (father) Susan Heffley (mother) Rodrick Heffley (older brother) Manny Heffley (younger brother)
Religion	Christian
Nationality	American

Gregory "Greg" Heffley is the main character in the popular book series Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The books are written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. Greg often tells his story in a funny, but sometimes not completely honest, way. He is known for his adventures and challenges in middle school.

What is Greg Heffley Like?

Greg Heffley is a character with many different traits. He can be a bit mischievous and sometimes lazy. He often worries about things and can be dishonest. Greg also gets jealous easily. He sometimes struggles to be a good friend, and he knows this about himself.

Greg doesn't like to take the blame when things go wrong. He tries to make situations work in his favor. He wants to be popular at school. Even with these traits, Greg can show a kinder side. His plans to get money or popularity usually don't work out. Greg loves playing video games, especially one called "Twisted Wizard."

Greg's Friendship with Rowley

Greg's best friend is Rowley Jefferson. They often argue, but they are still close. Rowley sometimes gets caught up in Greg's plans. Greg can take advantage of Rowley's kind nature. Sometimes, Greg's plans fail because of Rowley's innocent mistakes. For example, Rowley once confessed to something Greg did.

Rowley's parents, especially his dad, think Greg is a bad influence. This is because Greg often gets himself and Rowley into trouble. However, in the book Wrecking Ball, Greg shows he really cares for Rowley. He cries when they have to say goodbye.

Greg's Family Life

At home, Greg has a mixed relationship with his family. His younger brother, Manny, is often spoiled by their parents. His mom, Susan, tries to get Greg and his older brother, Rodrick, to get along. These attempts never seem to work. Greg's dad, Frank, gets annoyed by Greg's laziness. He tries to make Greg more active.

Greg and Rodrick have a complicated relationship. Rodrick often teases and plays pranks on Greg. But deep down, they do care for each other. Greg has picked up some of Rodrick's habits, like being lazy and liking pranks. Some of Greg's teachers don't like him because they also taught Rodrick.

Greg's Thinking and Habits

Greg often acts without thinking things through. This can lead to big problems. For example, he once tried to dry a wet sock before going to the airport. He ended up burning the sock, which delayed his family. Greg also forgets things easily. He often has to remind himself to put his socks on before his shoes.

Greg enjoys video games and comic books. He sees these as his talents. This often bothers his dad. Greg is also good at drawing cartoons and has a dry sense of humor. He has drawn many funny comic strips.

Greg can also be quite paranoid. In Cabin Fever, he worries that his old doll, Alfrendo, will haunt him. He also fears a Santa's Scout doll is following him. He later realizes Rodrick is just playing a trick. In Wrecking Ball, Greg fears an imaginary monster called 'The Grout'. He locks himself in his room until his dad removes the door.

Greg rarely learns from his mistakes. He keeps making plans to reach his goals. Because of this, he often gets himself and others into trouble. He will usually try to find someone else to blame.

Greg's School and Social Life

Greg lives next door to Fregley, an awkward and unpopular schoolmate. Fregley's strange habits often bother Greg. Greg tries to stay away from Fregley as much as possible. However, in the eighth book, Hard Luck, Greg tries to be friends with Fregley. He does this to try and become more popular himself.

Greg has crushes on many girls in the series. One notable girl is Holly Hills, a classmate. His plans to impress girls usually don't work. In The Third Wheel, Greg tries to use Rowley to get a date for a Valentine's Day dance. He gets a date with a girl named Abigail. But Rowley, who comes along as a "third wheel," ends up being a better date than Greg. This leads to Rowley and Abigail becoming a couple.

Some people online have discussed whether Greg shows signs of certain behaviors. They point to his self-centeredness and how he sometimes treats Rowley. However, Greg also has good qualities. He can be caring, smart, brave, and thoughtful. He has done good deeds, like pretending he threw away the "cheese" to save Rowley's reputation. He also helped Rodrick with his science project. Greg showed maturity when he found his great-grandmother's diamond ring. He hid it so his family wouldn't fight over it.

Greg Heffley in Movies

Greg Heffley has been played by different actors in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies.

The First Three Films

In the first three movies, Greg was played by actor Zachary Gordon.

• The first movie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, came out on March 19, 2010. It was directed by Thor Freudenthal. The movie also starred Robert Capron as Rowley and Steve Zahn as Greg's dad. Rachael Harris played Greg's mom, and Devon Bostick played Rodrick.
• The second film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, was released on March 25, 2011. David Bowers directed this film. It shows Greg and Rodrick's mom trying to make them get along. The movie got mixed reviews but won some awards.
• The third film, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, came out on August 3, 2012. The original actors returned for this movie. It was also directed by David Bowers. The film shows Greg's difficult summer vacation. This was the last movie with the original cast.

The Fourth Film

The actors were changed for the fourth movie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. This film was released on May 19, 2017. Jason Drucker played Greg in this movie. Charlie Wright played Rodrick, and Owen Asztalos played Rowley. Tom Everett Scott played Frank, and Alicia Silverstone played Susan.

Greg Heffley in Other Works

Greg Heffley has appeared in other places besides books and movies.

• He is on Poptropica's 18th island, "Wimpy Wonderland." This island is all about the Wimpy Kid series.
• Greg has also been a large balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2010.
• Poptropica's 28th island, "Wimpy Boardwalk," also features the Wimpy Kid series. This was the first time Greg was shown in color.