Timothée Chalamet makes surprise appearance at Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest

Dune star Timothée Chalamet gave his legions of fans a wonderful surprise on October 27th when he made a surprise appearance at a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in Lower Manhattan.

The contest – put together by YouTuber Anthony Po – attracted hundreds of intrigued New Yorkers to Washington Square Park, where more than a dozen Chalamet doppelgängers prepared to strut their stuff on a red carpet.

Unfortunately, the New York Police Department threw a spanner in the works just as the competition started, ordering the gathered masses to begin dispersing because the event hadn’t been officially sanctioned.

In fact, Po was given a $500 fine for throwing his “unpermitted costume contest,” even though the local area and social media were well aware the event was coming. After all, Po’s team had posted fliers around the city in the leadup, and thousands had confirmed their attendance.

“It started off as a silly joke, and now it’s turned pandemonium,” exclaimed Paige Nguyen, Po’s producer. One Chalamet copy was even taken away from the scene in handcuffs, though the reason for their arrest was unclear. An NYPD spokesperson simply stated that charges were pending.

Being shut down by the police wouldn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, though, as the organisers simply found a new location to stage the contest. A makeshift stage was set up in a nearby playground, and the imitation Willy Wonkas and Paul Atreides stepped up for the approval – or good-natured jeering – of the crowd. Amid the fun, a very special guest made a shocking appearance.

To a chorus of gasps and slack-jawed amazement, the real Chalamet appeared in the crowd wearing a baseball cap and face mask. When people realised their hero was in their midst, they went crazy, and Chalamet posed for photos with many of his adoring fans.

It was all very reminiscent of the story of Charlie Chaplin turning up to a Chaplin lookalike contest – which he supposedly entered but only managed to place third. Chalamet didn’t quite go this far, as he didn’t enter the competition himself, but he made the event very special for everyone involved.

Who won the Timothèe Chalamet look-alike contest?

Ultimately, the competition was won by 21-year-old Staten Islander Miles Mitchell, who came dressed in full Wonka regalia and hurled candy to the crowd from a briefcase.

He aced the final part of the contest, where four finalists were asked three very important questions: how good their French was, how they would make the world a better place, and what their romantic intentions were with – Chalamet’s rumoured real-life girlfriend – Kylie Jenner.

Mitchell wound up posing for photographs beside an oversized novelty cheque for $50 – made payable to “Best Tim”. The emotional winner said, “I’m excited, and I’m also overwhelmed. There were so many good look-alikes. It was really a toss-up.”

ADD AS A PREFERRED SOURCE ON GOOGLE

Never Miss A Scene

The Far Out Film Newsletter

All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.