Timothee Chalamet at the premiere of Dune: Part Two in February 2024 in London, England. Photo / Getty Images
Can the real Timothee Chalamet please stand up?
The Oscar-nominated actor, 28, made a surprise appearance at a lookalike contest in New York City on Sunday afternoon (local time) – prompting hysteria among his curly-haired doppelgangers.
The competition aimed to find an individual who most closely resembled the Dune star, with the “Best Tim” determined by the loudest screams from the frenzied crowd.
The contest, which was held in Washington Square Park, had been promoted across the city via flyers and an online invite, with a US$50 (NZ$84) cash incentive for the contestant who most closely resembled Chalamet.
The event had more than 2500 RSVPs by Sunday morning – but one attendee fans weren’t expecting to see was Chalamet himself.
@newyorknico There was a Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest in NYC today. #timotheechalamet #nyc
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About 30 minutes into the contest, a masked Chalamet reportedly infiltrated the crowd before sneaking up on two lookalikes posing for photos. He then removed his disguise, sparking a frenzy across the park, Variety reports.
Flanked by security, the smiling star was seen taking photos with fans and lookalikes.
Some of the more popular doppelgangers included Spencer DeLorenzo, 22, and 18-year-old content creator Cramer Ekholm, who has amassed a following on TikTok due to his resemblance to the actor.
Ekholm had been flown to New York from his home in Wisconsin by the brand MCo Beauty to take part, Variety reports.
@metrouk Timothée Chalamet turned up to a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in New York yesterday 😮 As word spread on social media, thousands of people turned up to the event for a chance to win the cash prize… of $50. But, just as the competition began – police arrived and gave organisers a $500 fine for an ‘unpermitted costume contest’, and at least one person was arrested. #fy ffypnnewsusa #nyc #ny #timotheechalamet #lookalike #contest #competition #newyork #nycnews
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However, Miles Mitchell – a 21-year-old from Staten Island – was ultimately crowned the most convincing doppelganger, winning over the crowd with his purple Willy Wonka ensemble and candy-throwing antics.
Chalamet took on the role of Willy Wonka in Wonka, a 2023 musical comedy that tells the origin story of the famous chocolatier – a character from Roald Dahl’s classic 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
“I’m excited and I’m also overwhelmed,” Mitchell told ABC News. “There were so many good look-alikes. It was really a toss-up.”
The New York Police Department also made an appearance in an attempt to subdue the crowd, although officers reportedly arrived prior to Chalamet’s appearance. One lookalike was handcuffed, according to local media, although the reason for the arrest is unknown.
“They pushed one kid and ... made a little circle. They ended up getting arrested,” an onlooker told the Daily Mail, while another described the scenes as “chaotic and intense”.
Chalamet is currently filming for the sports drama film Marty Supreme, written and directed by Josh Safdie.
He also stars as Bob Dylan in the upcoming biographical drama A Complete Unknown, a film based on the 2015 book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald. The film is set to focus on the controversy surrounding Dylan’s switch to electrically amplified instrumentation.
Meanwhile, Chalamet is also said to be dating makeup mogul and Kardashian sister, Kylie Jenner. In July, it was reported that Jenner had been “fighting” with her mother, the Kardashian family matriarch Kris Jenner, to keep her relationship with Chalamet off the family’s reality TV show The Kardashians.