Celebrity lookalike contests are taking over.
The creators of the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in Manhattan several months ago had no idea what they unleashed onto the public. Since the Chalamet lookalike competition in New York City, similar contests have popped up across the country and have even made it overseas to Ireland too.
These aren't official contests, however. Grassroots organizers have post old-fashioned fliers across cities in the U.S. or online, which then spread like wildfire, especially on X and TikTok. The original Chalamet competition was organized by several YouTube and internet personalities that only promised the winner a $200 trophy and $50 oversized check. It's a big reward for just simply looking like a male celebrity but it's also a nod for servicing audiences with a fun, lighthearted distraction from the suck of the world right now. (And it's a lot more than some of the other follow-up contests have offered as prizes.)
Most of the contests so far have targeted doppelgängers for Hollywood's buzziest male celebrities (think current internet boyfriends like Paul Mescal, Dev Patel and Jeremy Allen White) with a couple of exceptions. A big draw of the experience as an audience member is potentially bagging a date with a lookalike of your choice. I was at the Chalamet competition when several women begged to get a shot with the Chalamet dupes.
While the public has embraced the whimsy attached to each lookalike competition, celebrities have also capitalized on the buzz around them. Last month, Chalamet showed up to the competition briefly held in Washington Square Park. He took some photos with other lookalikes before mayhem ensued and several people were arrested. Similarly, Texas-born heartthrob Glen Powell also showed a little love to his lookalikes by offering them a cameo in one of his movies. His mom was even one of the judges.
As these lookalike competitions continue to make their way across the country and engage their local communities, female celebrities deserve their shine too. While we've seen a couple female-focused contests pop up, there ought to be far more. People like Chappell Roan, Ayo Edebiri and Taylor Swift might be exciting to emulate. Anyone up for dressing up in Roan's multiple drag looks, Edebiri's Chef Sydney from "The Bear" or even the countless Swift Eras Tour looks?
Here are all the lookalike contests so far . . .
Timothée Chalamet attends the "Wonka" Photocall at Potter's Field Park on November 27, 2023 in London, England. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Warner Bros.)Held on Oct. 27, the Timothée Chalemet lookalike competition took the New York City by storm. Thousands of people showed up to the Washington Square Park archway to gawk at the numerous dark-haired, square-jawed lookalikes.
Men from the ages 18-24 were dressed like Chalamet's most iconic roles, ranging from the savior Paul Atreides from the "Dune" movies or the flamboyant confectioner from "Wonka." And even if their features didn't really resemble Chalamet's, they still had the look thanks to their various ensembles. Miles Mitchel, a 21-year-old native New Yorker, who looks similar to Chalamet's Wonka, took home the big prize: a cool $50 and trophy.
Paul Mescal at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures)"Gladiator II" star Paul Mescal also received the lookalike competition treatment. On Nov. 8 in Dublin, Ireland, Jack Wall O’Reilly, dubbed “Earbuds Paul” was the overall winner. He even recited a line from Mescal's breakout role in the cult-favorite television series "Normal People."
The Guardian reported that he was awarded a large check for €20 or "three pints."
During Mescal's press tour for "Gladiator II," he was able to meet Wall O’Reilly on BBC Radio 2.
“This is bananas. Jack, I saw the photo. You captured the spirit of me very well,” Mescal said to the winner.
Dev Patel at the "Monkey Man" premiere as part of SXSW 2024 Conference and Festivals held at the Paramount Theatre on March 11, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Michael Buckner/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)In San Francisco, hundreds turned up to Dolores Park at the Dev Patel lookalike competition on Nov. 10. Dozens of South Asian men showed up to prove they were the best matchup against the Oscar-nominated star of films such as "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The Green Knight."
The San Francisco Chronicle reported that 25-year-old Jaipreet Hundal clinched the title of best Dev Patel lookalike. He won $50, flowers and a small monkey statute – an ode to Patel's directorial debut feature “Monkey Man,” in which he also starred.
Hundal said after his win, “My girlfriend hypes me up all the time … she always says I look like Dev Patel or Ranveer Singh."
Jeremy Allen White at the portrait booth at the 81st Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Dan Doperalski/Golden Globes 2024 via Getty Images)Jeremy Allen White, known for "Shameless," has been the inspiration for costumes for Halloween parties over the last fews years thanks to his performance as the depressed culinary genius, Chef Carmy in "The Bear."
But on Nov. 16, in Chicago, people took the Carmy costumes a bit further at the White lookalike competition, which drew about 50 contestants to Humboldt Park and hundreds of onlookers. In the end, 37-year-old Ben Shabad took home the big prize: a crown, a trophy, $50 in cash and a pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes.
Zayn Malik at Kenzo Men's Fall 2024 as part of Paris Men's Fashion Week held at Bibliothèque Nationale on January 19, 2024 in Paris, France. (Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty Images)In Brooklyn, former One Direction member Zayn Malik was at the center of another lookalike competition. On Nov. 18 dozens flocked to Maria Hernandez Park to celebrate the Malik lookalikes' sharp jawlines and mysterious gazes.
But there was only one winner: 29-year-old Shiv Patel. Patel, who won a medal for his similarities to the British singer, told Brooklyn Magazine, “It’s so cool to see the energy of our city for things like this. Everyone coming together and just having a good time.”
Zendaya is photographed during the 'Challengers' photocall at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on April 13, 2024 in Monaco, Monaco. (Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images for Warner Bros Pictures)A smaller yet still mighty crowd of 50 people showed up to the Zendaya lookalike competition in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 20, reports NBC Bay Area. On that cold rainy day, Zendaya doppelgänger Zainab Bansfield took home the coveted $40 prize, hair care products and bragging rights.
Zendaya has starred in two blockbuster films this year, "Challengers" and "Dune Part Two."
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Gocheok Sky Dome on March 20, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)In Los Angeles, Hollywood celebrities were passed over for a baseball superstar. On Nov. 23, the honor of a lookalike contest was given to none other than three-time MVP winner Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers.
As a nod to Ohtani's heritage, the contest was held by the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. Joseph Ma, an Orange County native and a Dodgers superfan, was crowned the winner. He received a $17 – which may sound a bit random – but it's a nod to Ohtani's jersey number: 17. He also won a prize from the museum's gift shop, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.
Jungkook of BTS performs on NBC's "Today" at Rockefeller Plaza on November 08, 2023 in New York City. (Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage/Getty Images)
Rachel Sennott attends the Balenciaga Paris Womenswear Spring-Summer 2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on September 30, 2024 in Paris, France. (Vanni Bassetti/Getty Images for Balenciaga)Rachel Sennott – the "Bottoms" and "Bodies Bodies Bodies" star – is one of the only other women to be included in the lookalike competition trend . . . so far.
On Nov. 24, a small competition took place in Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan. Some girls dressed as Sennott's character in "Bottoms," PJ, who starts a self-defense club as a ruse to hit on other girls. Ultimately, someone named Cameron, who sported a jean jacket and scarf, received a cash prize of $50.
Glen Powell attends Charlize Theron's Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) Block Party at Universal Studios Backlot on July 13, 2024 in Universal City, California. (Presley Ann/Getty Images for CTAOP)The "Twisters" and "Top Gun: Maverick" star was the talk of his hometown Austin, Texas on Sunday, Nov. 24, according to People. Drawing in hundreds to Auditorium Shores, Powell's lookalike competition upped the stakes with the actor's own mother, Cyndy Powell, acting as one of the guest judges. Yep, someone who knows Powell personally was deciding the outcome of the battle.
Many of the Powell lookalikes impersonated the actor's recent roles in "Twisters" – as a cocky tornado chaser – and "Top Gun: Maverick" – as a cocky pilot. The latter was Maxwell Braunstein's strategy. Dressed in a pilot's ensemble and a black cowboy hat, he took home the $5 cash prize, a cowboy hat and free queso from Torchy's Tacos for a year. But more importantly, he received the seal of approval from Powell's mom.
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