When Miles Mitchell's friends came across fliers advertising a Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition across New York City last month, they encouraged the 21-year-old college senior from Staten Island to participate. Soon, Mitchell found himself at his local Goodwill, buying an outfit similar to that worn by Chalamet's Willy Wonka character. On 27 October, he arrived at Washington Square Park for the contest and competed against other Chalamet-dressed contestants in front of thousands of attendees. To his astonishment, he emerged as the winner, receiving a $50 prize, making new friends, and gaining newfound fame - what he calls the "craziest day" of his life. "It was a sensory overload," he said. "There were so many people, and they kept coming up to me for pictures and interviews."

Despite the Event's Chaos

Although the event was chaotic, with four arrests and a $500 fine for the organizer due to a lack of a permit, it was still a success and went viral online. Especially after the real Chalamet made an appearance. This event has since been parodied on Saturday Night Live and has inspired dozens of similar lookalike contests with local twists in cities worldwide, mainly promoted through flyers and social media.

The New York Event's Origins

The New York event that kickstarted this trend was organized by YouTuber Anthony Po. He promoted it by plastering posters around the city, aiming to create a fun and positive video in contrast to the negativity he often sees on the internet. His video from the contest has surpassed 1 million views on YouTube, and other videos of the event on TikTok have received several million views and likes. Po described the gathering as "really wholesome" with "constant smiles" in the crowd, even with the police present. "Everyone understood the absurdity and how stupid it was," he said.

Community Engagement and Fun

While the Chalamet event was the only one to feature the star they were imitating, participants, organizers, and attendees of other lookalike contests emphasize that their goal is more about community engagement and having fun than meeting a celebrity. Katrina Mirpuri, a 29-year-old journalist in London, hosted a Harry Styles lookalike contest on 9 November, inspired by the New York event. Hundreds attended, creating a "really buzzy happy energy" where "everyone was making friends." She believes part of these events' success is their free, accessible, and fun nature. "There aren't many fun free things you can do in a city like London, and it's not every day you leave your house to stand in the park and meet strangers," she said.

Media and Communication Perspectives

Alice Leppert, an assistant professor of media and communications at Ursinus College, pointed out that in these times of division and animosity, people are yearning for human connection. These events provide "low-stakes environments where you can just go and observe or be more involved." She added that while celebrity lookalike competitions have been around for a long time, traditionally organized by publicity agents, magazines, or film studios, the grassroots origins of these contests are what make them interesting. "These are just ordinary people who decide on a whim to do it," she said.

Other Lookalike Contests

A day after the Harry Styles event in London, a lookalike contest for Dev Patel took place in San Francisco's Dolores Park, organized by Sitara Bellam and her friends. Inspired by the Chalamet event and with many of them being of south Asian descent, Bellam said their contest felt very representative of their community. The Patel lookalikes formed a group chat and hung out afterward. Several days later, in Chicago, Kelsey Cassaro and Taylor Vaske organized a contest for Jeremy Allen White lookalikes. Roughly 60 Allen White lookalikes competed in front of hundreds of spectators at Humboldt Park on 16 November, filled with excitement and joy. "For Chicago specifically, we were coming off an election that many weren't happy with," Vaske said. "We needed a win." The audience chose Ben Shabad as the winner, awarding him with $50, a crown, and a pack of cigarettes.

In-Person Gatherings and Connection

Shabad said in-person gatherings like these lookalike contests offer opportunities to "get together in person, have fun, laugh, and connect with others." "We don't do that enough," he added. "There are so many stressful things in the news and at work and on social media. These events are cool because people show up in a good mood, with a lot of smiling and high-fiving." Before the contest, Shabad didn't have social media accounts, but after winning, due to the response, he's now on Instagram and TikTok. He plans to use his new platform to discuss mental health.Despite the colder weather, the trend of outdoor public lookalike contests shows no signs of stopping. In recent days, various social media accounts have teased several upcoming contests including ones for John F Kennedy, Rachel Sennott, Glenn Powell, and more.