On Sunday afternoon, Alexander Dueve middle-parted his curly brown locks, suited up in a leather jacket with matching gloves and tied a black knit scarf around his neck. He transformed himself into a modern day Paul Atreides, ready for the Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Competition.
Flying from Atlanta, GA to New York City, he was one of over 2,000 people to RSVP to the contest held underneath the Washington Square Arch. Fliers announcing this elusive event first popped up around downtown Manhattan in September, promising the winner $50. Host Anthony Po, known as Anthpo on social media, rolled out a red carpet, paraded around a golden trophy and unveiled a massive check for the “Best Tim” that Dueve sought to win.
“I’ve gotten it a lot before that I look like him,” said Dueve, who was dressed as Paul Atreides from the “Dune” franchise.
Like most contestants, Dueve admittedly expected to walk away with some social media clout. “If it comes my way, why not?” he said.
Bryce Perry, another Chalamet dupe who made a pit-stop at the contest, was promoting his band’s newest tour. “Hopefully it just plugs my music, and with the $50, I’m gonna buy my bandmates dinner,” Perry said. For other attendee Noah Wilde, he was simply searching for “another Timmy to walk around the city with and share this experience.”
From a Timmy-fied Bob Dylan strumming “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” on his guitar to dudes with contoured makeup that accentuated their hollow cheekbones and sharp jawlines, there was some pretty tough competition in the park. Some people like Alex Massarotti — with piercing blue eyes and a slender build — were able to pass as the 28-year-old movie star without adding any additional paraphernalia. But others, including a Corgi named “Timothée Corglemet,” impressed with a wig and costume.
“He is a star,” said Kenny Yee, the dog’s owner. “This is Timothée in his regular streetwear look.”
The contest that started at 1 p.m. quickly descended into mayhem. The park overflowed with contestants, superfans and media outlets, all attempting to find the best Chalamet doppelganger.
“This feels very Gen Z,” said attendee Abigail Waldren. “I just didn’t think it would be so mob-like.”
Police attempted to disperse the crowd, which was packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Anthpo then decided to march the many participants and onlookers, including Dueve, over to Mercer Playground, where the official voting began.
The hundreds that lingered behind may have missed the actual competition, but they were in for a major surprise when Chalamet himself crashed the event. With a short haircut and mustache that he’s grown for his upcoming role as the leading man in “Marty Supreme,” Chalamet looked less like himself than a majority of his impersonators. Posing for photographs and hugging hopeful contestants, Chalamet’s brief appearance reaffirmed his position as a cultural icon.
Over at Mercer Playground, Anthpo continued the competition along with his co-host, content creator and NYU sophomore Tamir Omari.
“This is an event that can only really take place in New York,” Omari said. “It’s so rare to have such a benign event with only positive vibes.”
In pageant fashion, contestants were interrogated about their favorite Chalamet roles, which Marvel Cinematic Universe character he’d be and, of course, their ability to speak French. Dueve was named a finalist through audience applause, with the crowd proclaiming him the “Lisan al-Gaib” like his Dune counterpart.
After much deliberation from a panel of influencer judges including Chloe Forero, 21-year-old Miles Mitchell from Staten Island took home the “Best Tim” award and oversized check. He stole the audience’s hearts with his emulation of Chalamet’s Wonka, complete with a briefcase full of chocolates that he showered on the audience.
“Winning the Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Contest is the craziest lore that I will ever have in my entire life,” Mitchell said.
Contact Dani Biondi and Olivia Condell at [email protected].
