On the 27th of October, influencers Anthony Po and Tamir Omari hosted a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in Washington Square Park, New York. They offered a $50 prize, along with a 6-foot trophy.
The turnout was enormous with the real Timothée making an appearance and New York Police Department shutting down the event. Anthony Po was charged a $500 fine for this “unpermitted event”. 11 days later, in Dublin, there was a Paul Mescal lookalike contest. This time the prize was more comical, as contestants were offered €20 or 3 pints.
The winner of the lookalike contest, Jack Wall O’Reilly, dressed like the actor in short shorts and a hoodie, quoting a famous line from 'Normal People'. Paul was absent but later met the winner at Trinity College, Dublin. The success of the event prompted another contest for Harry Styles lookalikes in Soho Square, London, on November 9th, with a crowd of around 500 people in attendance.
Katrina Mirpuri, the organizer, felt London was missing out. She described the event as a joyous day filled with chaos, fun, and laughter. Oscar Journeaux won the £50 prize, feeling overwhelmed by the attention but praising Harry Styles' influence on a new type of masculinity in the mainstream.
The worst Harry, who still brought the energy, also won a prize; a four pack of beer. Nevertheless, he stayed positive, giving the crowd a rendition of a fan favourite, Watermelon Sugar. These lookalike contests have shown to be popular in a variety of places. The question is who will be next?