Contestants gather for the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest in Washington Square Park, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (Stefan Jeremiah/AP Photo)
In a playful twist, actor Timothée Chalamet made an unannounced appearance at a look-alike contest held in his honor on Sunday in Lower Manhattan. The event attracted a lively crowd, ultimately drawing the attention of police, who issued a dispersal order, imposed a fine, and even made an arrest.
Flanked by bodyguards, Chalamet briefly joined his look-alikes—many sporting his signature high cheekbones and curly hair, with some dressed as his iconic characters from Wonka and Dune. Just as contestants began parading down a red carpet in Washington Square Park, however, police stepped in, citing the organizers with a $500 fine for running an “unpermitted costume contest.”
One participant was escorted away in handcuffs, although police did not immediately disclose the reason, and charges were reportedly pending. “It started off as a silly joke and now it’s turned pandemonium,” said Paige Nguyen, producer for YouTube personality Anthony Po, who organized the event.
In the days leading up to the gathering, contest flyers promising a $50 prize for the best Chalamet look-alike had been posted across New York City, generating buzz on social media and attracting a substantial crowd.
After police dispersed the crowd from the park, the group quickly relocated to a nearby playground, where more than a dozen contestants continued the contest, performing for audience applause on a makeshift stage.
For some fans, it was all about the details. “It’s all in the nose,” said Lauren Klas, a 27-year-old graphic designer who leaned against a fence to catch a better view. “Really, it’s his whole bone structure.”
As the event wound down, four finalists remained. Each was quizzed on their knowledge of French, their aspirations to improve the world, and even their stance on the actor’s rumored romance with Kylie Jenner. Finally, the judges crowned a winner: Miles Mitchell, a 21-year-old Staten Island native dressed as Chalamet’s Willy Wonka character, who tossed candy to the crowd.
Holding a novelty-sized check awarded to “Best Tim,” Mitchell posed for photos as fans lined up, some exchanging social media handles. “I’m excited and I’m also overwhelmed,” he shared. “There were so many good look-alikes—it was really a toss-up.”
