WHAT HATH TIMOTHÉE Chalamet wrought? At first, it was just a news story that made us all smile: the Dune and Wonka star surprised and delighted his fans by turning up in person to a “Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest” organized by YouTuber Anthony Po in New York City on October 27.
“It’s the best dad lore ever,” says 21-year-old Miles Mitchell, whose Willy Wonka costume and dark Timmy-esque curls won him the top spot and a cash prize of $50. “It’s such a wild and unique experience to have, and at first it was very overwhelming, but now I see it as such an amazing opportunity that I will always be grateful for.”
Shortly after, across the Atlantic, devotees of Irish actor Paul Mescal decided to host their own doppelganger search in Dublin, possibly in the hope that he would also show up. Two days after that, a Harry Styles lookalike contest took place in London, and a whole host of other competitions have followed, assembling dead ringers for Dev Patel, Jeremy Allen White, Zayn Malik, Tom Holland, and Glen Powell, as well as female stars like Zendaya. Celebrity lookalike contests have become the surprise trend of this fall/winter. To borrow a 2024 phrase: they’re everywhere, they’re so Julia.
Are they simply a harmless, if decreasingly amusing pastime for pop culture enthusiasts? Or might this unexpected new phenomenon be able to tell us something about the kind of guy our culture is drawn towards? On the whole, these contests have centered around leading men who are favored by the young and Extremely Online: you won’t find Tom Cruise or Chris Hemsworth doppelgangers getting together in parks or squares, but you will find people gathering in honor of indie dreamboys.
Timothée Chalamet, Jeremy Allen White, Barry Keoghan, and The 1975’s Matty Healy have all had lookalikes crowned. They all also happen to be prime archetypes of the “Rodent Boyfriend,” a trend that emerged over the summer that seemed to speak to an appetite for male icons who are attainable in their desirability. If you were to announce a competition to find the double of an Avengers actor, for instance, the resulting gathering would look like the fire assembly point for a CrossFit box. As it is, these contests have largely been a celebration of the kind of guy you see on the street, making them accessible to just about anyone who wants to take part.
“What about Paul Mescal?” I hear you ask. “Isn’t he a typical action star?” To which I say: No. Sure, he’s leading one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, but his star rose off the back of deeply vulnerable performances in Normal People and All of Us Strangers. In other words, he’s the internet’s soft boy first, and a gladiator a distant second.
Even Glen Powell, an undeniably ripped and conventionally handsome actor, has attained internet boyfriend status. And, not to be outdone by Timmy, Powell’s lookalike contest was judged by his mother and aunt, he congratulated winner Maxwell Braunstein over FaceTime, and as a prize offered the opportunity for one of Braunstein’s relatives to have a cameo in his next movie—a reference to the fact that Powell’s own parents always appear as extras in his films. Very down to earth. Very relatable. Not rodent-like, perhaps, but rodent-adjacent.
One especially delightful element to all of this is the fact that some of the fans entering these contests aren’t going for a direct resemblance, but more of a vibe. At the Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest, some entrants weren’t the same race or gender as the actor, with a drag king among those who captured the essence of his chain-smoking character in The Bear. There was even a toddler Carmy in attendance.
The lookalike trend is starting to peter out, with recent contests turning to slightly more obscure, internet-famous figures like Jack Schlossberg and Rachel Sennott. Other events have abandoned the notion of a direct lookalike entirely; there’s been a Shrek lookalike contest, and a group category where trios can recreate the central love triangle in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers.
Maybe that’s key to understanding the appeal of these contests. Perhaps it’s not about looking like a celebrity, but rather getting to keep the spirit of Halloween going well into the winter by dressing up as a famous character, be it Carmy or Willy Wonka or Connell from Normal People, in the kind of cosplay that doesn’t require Comic-Con levels of effort and expense. Not to mention that there’s something to be said for getting together with a group of people who all love the same thing you do.
“I think these contests have gotten so popular because it’s a free and fun form of entertainment that brings a community together,” says Mitchell. “Also, people want to see other people who look like their crush.”
Anthony Po, who organized the first contest and helped launch the phenomenon, says he’s “humbled” to have played a part in this pop culture moment, and agrees that the communal (and free) nature of the events is a huge factor in their popularity. “I decided to do this because I think the world can use more goofy things for free,” he says. “These contests have blown up because they’re free, silly, and in public!”
The trend has transcended pop culture and is now tapping into current events and breaking news: over the weekend, in a rapidly-organized, ripped-from-the-headlines event, there was a gathering of “CEO shooter” impersonators in Washington Square Park, where it all began.
Who’s to say where this trend will take us next, and how else it might hold up a mirror to the year we’ve all had. Maybe there’ll be a “Nicolas Cage in Longlegs” lookalike contest. Why not give us your best breakdancing Olympian. Come as somebody who just took The Substance.
Or how about a contest to find the person who perfectly encapsulates the relentless stress and exhaustion of living through 2024? That’s got to be worth more than a $50 prize.
