Timothée Chalamet Participates in Look-Alike Contest But Doesn't Claim Victory | Vanity Fair

Do you have a defined chin, a heart-shaped face, a thin frame, and most importantly, luscious brown locks? If so, you missed out on winning 50 bucks and meeting your doppelgänger, Timothée Chalamet. On Sunday, a Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest popped up in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park, drawing a crowd of almost 2,000, including the Dune: Part Two star himself.

Rumblings of a Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest grew over the past month after about 30 flyers seen scattered across Lower Manhattan, naming a date and time for the contest and offering a whopping $50 cash prize for the person who most resembled the Oscar-nominated actor, Kylie Jenner boyfriend, and star of YouTube rap video “Statistics.” Organized by 23-year-old YouTuber Anthony Po, who also sometimes goes by the alias “Gilbert,” the Chalamet look-alike competition is one of many he and his friends have thrown since 2024. “We more or less do the same thing every time for marketing, just hang up a couple flyers and try to host,” Po said in an interview with Teen Vogue. “A small community event. This one has definitely turned into something more.”

Yes, the Chalamet event was a different level. According to Teen Vogue Po’s last look-alike competition—based on likeness to YouTuber Kai Cenat—garnered about 20 attendees, while the Chalamet look alike competition reportedly brought a crowd of 2,000 people to Washington Square Park, ironically the central park for NYU, where Chalamet briefly attended college. Chalamet doppelgängers traveled from far and wide, with one even flying in from as far as Wisconsin to take part in the event. According to GQ, Po and the organizers of the event received a $500 fine from the NYPD due to the un-permitted event, and the competition had to change locations from Washington Square Park to nearby Mercer Playground.

Some look-alikes went for everyday Timmy T, while others dressed as Chalamet in costume, from films such as Call Me by Your Name, Wonka, Dune, and the forthcoming A Complete Unknown, where Chalamet plays Bob Dylan—a meta choice to be sure. The rules of the competition were simple. “A Timothée will come up. You will say yay or boo and that’s it,” said Po per Vulture. Timothées who dressed up as Timmy in character seemed to fare better than those who went as everyday Timmy.

Buzz for the competition was built via word of mouth and online by Chalamet fans, like his self-proclaimed number one fan @ClubChalamet, who instructed her 24.4 thousand followers to watch the proceedings on an official livestream of the event and made the bold prediction that Chalamet would be too busy filming the Josh Safdie–directed A24 ping-pong film Marty Supreme opposite Gwyneth Paltrow to attend the event.

“A few people have asked if I’m sure Timothée won’t attend that lookalike event in NYC on Sunday,” wrote @ClubChalamet on X. “I’m not part of his management team, but, I highly doubt that he’ll attend. He’s busy filming and I really think for security, that’s the last place he needs to be at. But, he could look at it from the safety of a high and secured room. LOL!”

Club Chalamet was sorely mistaken. At the 11th hour, the real honest-to-god Timmy showed up in Washington Square Park at the competition with a bodyguard in tow. To the delight of the masses, Chalamet took photos with various look-alikes. (Sadly, the organizers of the event had already been forced to relocate to Mercer Playground, so they missed seeing him.) Per GQ, Chalamet was in Washington Square Park for what felt like “less than a minute” before being ushered into a waiting car by his bodyguard.

It sounds like he got out before things got crazy. According to footage captured on the AP livestream, one Timmy doppelgänger was handcuffed by the NYPD and put in a patrol car. @ClubChalamet was also on the crime beat, reporting that one of the Timmy impersonators was arrested by the NYPD. “The NYPD has arrested a TC look alike,” she posted on X.

Although the real Timothée attended the look-alike competition, he was ultimately no match for 21-year-old Miles Mitchell, a Willy Wonka–dressed Chalamet who took home the $50 dollar grand prize, as well as a six-foot trophy. “Halloween is around the corner. I thought I might as well wear this [Wonka costume] to the contest,” he told Teen Vogue. “I brought candy to make it more interactive.”

Despite the presence of NYPD, it seems a good time was had by all. “It was a shame we copped a $500 fine, but it’s the price of culture,” Po told GQ. A Timothée by any other name still looks as sweet.

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