In late 2024, multiple news outlets reported a large rise in the prevalence of look-alike contests across the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, as well as later contests in India and Brazil, which were attributed to the initial popularity of a Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest in October that year. Celebrities at the center of these contests included Paul Mescal, Jeremy Allen White, Zendaya and political figure Jack Schlossberg, though fictional characters such as Tommy Shelby were also included as well as other figures such as Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
They were often advertised using flyers and held in town squares, and mostly held in the wake of the 2024 United States presidential election. While look-alike contests have existed since the early 1900s at the latest, these contests sparked various responses and analysis as to their sudden, grassroots rise in popularity, as well as commentary on third places, dating culture, remakes and sequels, and the inclusion of women and racial minorities in the contests.
Timothée Chalamet contest
The initial event, named the Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Contest of 2024, was held in Washington Square Park in Manhattan, New York, by YouTuber Anthony Po on October 27, 2024. Po, a 23-year-old YouTuber with over 1.8 million followers, had previously gained online attention for eating cheese balls as "Cheeseball Man" in Union Square.
To advertise the event, Po posted flyers around New York which featured QR codes that led to an anonymous invite on website Partiful, causing speculation on social media and over 2,000 RSVPs on this invite. Chalamet himself was sent photos of these fliers and saw them while shooting for the film Marty Supreme in the city; he later stated that "there were posters everywhere in New York," and that one of the fliers for the event had to be moved as it was in the background of a shot. On the campaigning platform Cajole, a page was created which offered to pay $5,000 to charity if Chalamet himself attended and competed in the contests; this reached its goal on October 23. Timothée Chalamet fan accounts, most prominently Club Chalamet, were credited with popularising the contest through large social media followings and encouragements to attend.
On October 26, a day before the Chalamet contest, Po hosted a contest for look-alikes of the YouTuber Kai Cenat, which 20 to 50 people attended. Several hundred people attended the event itself, an unexpectedly large number for its organizers. Several women attended the event with signs and t-shirts that declared that they were single or included their phone numbers. Prior to the contest itself beginning, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) gave a dispersal order due to a lack of an event permit. Po arrived riding a penny-farthing bicycle and dressed as Charlie Chaplin, referencing Chaplin's famous loss at his own look-alike contest. He led part of the group to the nearby Mercer Playground, by New York University, to begin the event. Back at Washington Square Park, the real Timothée Chalamet made a brief appearance, posing for pictures with the various look-alikes for less than a minute before leaving. The NYPD detained four people, including one look-alike contestant for disorderly conduct; he was placed in handcuffs and put in a patrol car.
Contestants included a corgi in a wig nicknamed "Timothée Corglamet", as well as multiple look-alikes dressed as Chalamet's characters from Wonka and Dune, and one contestant, Vincent Panetta, as Chalamet's Bob Dylan from the upcoming A Complete Unknown. After judging from YouTuber and TikToker Benjamin De Almeida, the contestants were reduced to four finalists, all of which were asked about their proficiency in French, plans to improve the world and romantic intentions with Kylie Jenner. 21-year-old Miles Mitchell won the $50 prize for dressing as Chalamet's Willy Wonka; another contestant claimed that Mitchell won because he was giving out chocolate, though Po credited Mitchell's "charisma". Mitchell was also given a 5-foot-tall comically large trophy worth $250.
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation fined Po $500 after the event. He has stated he does not have the intention to host any other look-alike contests, as "people would know it was [him]." Chalamet's team offered to pay the fine, and relayed a message from the actor: "They basically [said] like, 'We thought it was awesome. Thanks so much, It was all good and fun' ". Po declined their offer, as the money was already covered by Partiful. Production costs for the event ascended to $4,000. The contest was later parodied on Saturday Night Live. In mid-December, Chalamet met Mitchell in person during a screening of A Complete Unknown in New York. Mitchell also walked the red carpet at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards in 2025 with Glen Powell look-alike contest winner Maxwell Braunstein.
Following contests Numerous similar contests took place the following November. Many of these contests were similarly held in public squares and advertised with flyers. These simple flyers were often printed in black and white and featured an image of the contests' subjects. Alongside this, some women jokingly advertised impromptu contests in their own bedrooms or inboxes online. Some people attended these contests in the hopes of finding a romantic partner, with some bringing business cards with QR codes to their Instagram profiles to the events. On November 21, Rolling Stone reported that "dozens more contests are scheduled between now and the end of the year".
November
A Paul Mescal contest took place outside Light House Cinema in Smithfield Square, Dublin on November 7, hours prior to Mescal appearing at the cinema for the Irish premiere of Gladiator II. It had initially been advertised by a TikTok account under the name @paulmescallookalike. Of 7 contestants, the contest was won by 25-year-old Jack Wall O’Reilly. He was dubbed "Earbuds Paul" as he had copied Mescal's signature use of earphones, and was awarded a choice of "20 euro or three pints". Mescal congratulated O'Reilly after his win in a surprise call on BBC Radio 2. A Harry Styles contest was organized in London's Soho Square on November 9 by journalist Katrina Mirpuri. It featured 12 contestants and a £50 prize, and attracted around 500 spectators. 22-year-old musician Oscar Journeaux won and was given his prize by Eyal Booker.
A Dev Patel contest was hosted on November 10 in San Francisco's Dolores Park. Its organizers had originally planned a Robert Pattinson contest, but recognized that the contestants thus far had only centered around white celebrities and sought to represent a South Asian celebrity. Contestants danced Patel's dance from Slumdog Millionaire. It was won by Jaipreet Hundal; he received $50 and a statue from Patel's film Monkey Man. Internet activity around this event was comparatively sparse. Patel later said he was "surprised more than five people showed up", and that "hopefully, [he was] just the gateway to this happening to all sorts of brilliant actors of different races and genders".
Two Jeremy Allen White contests took place on November 17; one in Chicago and one in Washington Square Park in New York. The Chicago contest featured over 50 contestants, many of which copied White's appearance in The Bear. Hundreds of spectators attended. 37-year-old mental health therapist Ben Shabad won, taking home $50 and a pack of cigarettes. The New York contest, in front of the Washington Square Arch, gathered at least 7 contestants and a relatively light crowd. Its organizer failed to appear, so a crowd member improvised the votes and found a cigarette from the audience for the winner, 28-year-old Andrew Hadad. A Zayn Malik contest in Maria Hernandez Park in Brooklyn on the same day was won by 29-year-old Shiv Patel, who received $50 cash or a free tattoo. 26-year-old Jaz Arnold, partly organized it for the chance to "find somebody cute", but later said that "a lot of [the contestants] honestly were either taken or gay, or had their girlfriends force them to enter." Online commentators said the finalists did not look like Malik, though contestants received thousands of new followers on social media, A Zendaya contest on November 20, was held during a bomb cyclone at Wilma Chan Park in Oakland, California, less than a mile from where Zendaya attended Oakland School for the Arts. It was also organized through Partiful, and mutual aid was collected during the event for organizations including Food Not Bombs and Friends of the Congo. Around 50 fans attended and seven people competed, with two of them being willing to dance to Zendaya's song "Replay". Zainab Bansfield won, and received prizes including $40, shampoo and conditioner, and chocolates. It was the first of these viral contests to feature a woman as its subject. Another Paul Mescal contest was held on November 21 in the Howl at the Moon pub in Hoxton, London, which offered free mullet haircuts and tattoos. Contestants were asked to saying a line in an Irish accent, 'split the G' on a pint of Guinness and measure the length of their shorts. Prizes for the winner, Connor Ryan, were a £20 Lidl voucher and the opportunity to turn on the pub's Christmas lights.
A Jacob Elordi contest on November 23 on the lawn of the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia was attended by around 24 spectators and initially no contestants, leaving organizers to search the park for possible contestants. A man named Maxie, who had been found on a bench, won the $50 prize. A Gordon Ramsay contest was held at a Hell's Kitchen location in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas at 1 pm on November 23. Ramsay responded to the contest by saying "you've got to be kidding me". A man named Keith White was crowned winner by Ramsay himself; White took home a HexClad "Everything But The Kitchen Sink Bundle" worth $2,799 as well as a HexClad "8” Hybrid Pan" signed by Ramsay. A Tommy Shelby contest also took place outside the Bull Ring in Birmingham city centre on November 23, with a £500 shopping spree as a prize. Shelby is a fictional character played by Cillian Murphy in the TV show Peaky Blinders. 66-year-old Derek Brennan was named the winner through applause and judges' opinions. A Jungkook contest was held on 24 November in Ping Tom Park in Chicago. Jungkook is a member of South Korean boy band BTS. YouTuber Andrew Alexander won and received a bottle of soju and $20. A Glen Powell contest took place on November 24 at Auditorium Shores park in Powell's hometown of Austin, Texas. It was organized by a University of Texas at Austin grad student. Powell appeared in a video message for the event and announced that a family member of the winner would receive a cameo appearance in his next movie, which he said would be "a cash-value prize of $6 billion." Nearly 20 men competed, and were judged by Powell's mother and aunt. Max Braunstein, who had dressed as Powell's character in Top Gun: Maverick, won. As well as the cameo, he won a black cowboy hat, a medal, and a year's supply of Torchy's Tacos, and Powell called to congratulate him. In January 2025, Powell met Braunstein at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards and walked the red carpet with Chalamet contest winner Mitchell. A Shrek contest was held on the weekend of November 23 in Los Angeles' Echo Park by content creator Ka5sh, who had previously established the travelling Shrek Rave event. Contestants painted themselves with green face paint and wore tunics and ogre ears.