Timothée Chalamet made a surprise appearance at his own lookalike contest in Washington Square Park, New York City, on Sunday, where dozens of young men gathered to compete for the title of best Chalamet doppelganger. The lookalike contest was promoted the past few weeks through flyers posted across the city, in addition to a public Partiful invitation promising a $50 cash prize for the winner. By Sunday morning, the event had more than 2,500 RSVPs.
Around 30 minutes after the contest began, Chalamet quietly made his way through the bustling crowd, disguised with a black mask and baseball cap. As he reached the centre, where two lookalikes were posing for photos, he removed his mask for the big reveal, much to the crowd’s delight, as shrieks quickly erupted across the park with cheers and surprised reactions filling Washington Square Park.
the moment his look alike realized the actual timothee showed up is one for the books pic.twitter.com/fma1nRbavb
— industry s3 awards campaign manager 🍉 (@itweetabttv) October 27, 2024
Before Chalamet’s arrival, the NYPD was present to curb the crowd. One prospective Timmy clone was even escorted out of the park in handcuffs for disorderly conduct, and the scene also resulted in a $500 fine for host Anthony Po. Even so, the Timmys persisted, and the remaining onlookers, contest judges, and Timothée lookalikes all relocated to the nearby Mercer Playground to keep the festivities going.
3 months ago I came up with the idea for the Timothee Chalamet Lookalike Competition. Today I got hit with a $500 fine. Life is beautiful. pic.twitter.com/QYwyuedzr8
— Anthony Po (@anthpo) October 28, 2024
I was behind the Timothee Chalamet lookalike competition. Thanks my #1 fan (timothee) for showing up. pic.twitter.com/ZfYkOBuTNB
— Anthony Po (@anthpo) October 27, 2024
Contestants enjoyed their moment in the spotlight, with some lookalikes, like 22-year-old Spencer DeLorenzo, embracing the humor in their resemblance to the actor. DeLorenzo, who has been compared to Chalamet since the actor’s breakout in Call Me By Your Name, noted he’s come to enjoy the lighthearted attention.
Among the contenders was 18-year-old TikToker Cramer Ekholm, flown in from Wisconsin by MCo Beauty to participate. Ekholm, known for his uncanny resemblance to Chalamet, shared that he’s grown comfortable with the comparisons after initially struggling to embrace them. Other lookalikes expressed mixed feelings, with some, like 19-year-old Max, mentioning the occasional discomfort that comes with being constantly compared to a celebrity, while others like 27-year-old Jake Robbins said they humorously endure nicknames like “discount Timothée.”