After flyers for a Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition in New York City went viral on social media, floppy-haired men with a vague resemblance to the actor gathered on Sunday to compete for $50 and a glorified plastic trophy. The flyers’ only details instructed attendees to meet at the Washington Square Park Arch at 2 pm on October 27. The anonymous event organizer identified himself as “Gilbert” and managed to get 2,500 people to RSVP. On that fateful day, however, almost five times the amount appeared: a Timogeddon, if you will.
Almost all versions Timothée were represented, from Willy Wonka to his character in Dune and his most recent look for the Bob Dylan biopic. The event doubled as an opportunity for these lookalikes to find dates with Timothée stans and vice versa. Whispers of an actual Timothée Chalamet surprise appearance worsened the crowds, with thousands of individuals holding signs up, mingling with lookalikes, and getting trampled. To an unknowing outsider, it looked like an uprising, but it was just a display of generational love for the young, attractive Oscar-winner.
At 1:10 pm, the NYC park rangers had to intervene, dispersing the chaos and demanding that the doppelgängers vacate the area. One Timothée lookalike was arrested for his lack of cooperation.
The Timothées did not easily give up and the event finally continued at a new location. The organizer “Gilbert” revealed himself as Anthony Po, or AnthPo, a YouTuber known for other public stunts like eating 985 cheeseballs dressed as “Cheeseball Man”. Each registered lookalike took their turn presenting themselves on stage. Their favorability was clear depending on the ratio of cheers and boos coming from the audience — an underlying trend saw single Timothées being highly favored over taken Timothées.
Although the raucous made it difficult to hear or see the other competition details, those close by could hear each contestant being interviewed with questions about their French speaking abilities and goals for making the world a better place. The two finalists came down to Zander Lueve, a 22-year-old from Atlanta, and 21-year-old Miles Mitchell, the Wonka impersonator. Mitchell ultimately won and was presented with a massive cardboard bill carrying a whopping $50 reward.
The pinnacle moment of the event was when the Oscar-winning actor did indeed show up unannounced to the competition. Chalamet was sporting a new mustache, prompting jokes about how his lookalikes looked more like the actor than he did. Nevertheless, as soon as people identified him, the actor was swarmed. Out of respectable fairness, he did not enter the competition. Instead, he interacted with some of his doppelgängers and was swiftly escorted out for security purposes. His bravery to appear was duly noted and appreciated by fans and participating lookalike contestants.
The Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Competition quickly became an overcrowded catastrophe. It was chaotic and unserious, yet oddly wholesome. There may not be a lesson to this day, though it is certainly incredible how one floppy-haired, skinny boy can truly bring together a nation.
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