NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Timothée Chalamet He made a surprise appearance at a similar contest in lower Manhattan on Sunday, an event that attracted hundreds of spectators, a police warrant and at least one arrest.
Flanked by bodyguards, Chalamet briefly posed for photos with his high-cheeked, curly-haired lookalikes, some of whom were dressed as the actor’s characters in the “Wonka” and “Dune” movies.
But when the Chalamet wannabes began strutting down the red carpet in Washington Square Park, police ordered the large group to disperse, slapping organizers with a $500 fine for an “unpermitted costume contest.”
Finalists Miles Mitchell, left, and Xander Dove, center, shake hands at the Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest near Washington Square Park, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
At least one contestant was taken away in handcuffs, but police did not immediately explain why. An NYPD spokesman said charges are pending.
“It started out as a sick joke, and now it’s turned into pandemonium,” said Paige Nguyen, producer of YouTube personality Anthony Poe, who organized the event.
Organizers posted fliers for the contest — which promised the winner a $50 prize — across New York in recent days, sparking speculation on social media and thousands of RSVPs online.
After leaving the park, the group quickly found a backup location in a nearby stadium, where more than a dozen contestants competed for the audience’s approval from a makeshift stage.
What makes a good Chalamet?
“It’s all in the nose,” said Lauren Klass, a 27-year-old graphic designer, who clung to a fence post to get a better view of the stage. “All his bone structure, really.”
After winnowing the group down to four, the remaining contestants were asked about their French proficiency, their plans to make the world a better place and their romantic intentions with… Kylie Jenner. Chalamet and Jenner are said to be a couple.
In the end, a winner was chosen: Miles Mitchell, a 21-year-old Staten Island resident, who dressed in a purple Willy Wonka costume and tossed candy into the audience from a tote bag.
As he stood next to a bite-sized check written for “Best Tim,” a group of fans lined up for a chance to take a photo — or swap social media profiles — with the winner.
“I’m excited and I’m overwhelmed too,” Mitchell said. “There were a lot of good look-alikes. It was really a throw-up.”
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