New York City

Surprise! Timothée Chalamet crashes look-alike contest in NYC

NBC Universal, Inc.

Curly-haired doppelgängers were no match for the real deal when the actor himself, Timothée Chalamet, surprised hordes of fans at a Washington Square Park look-alike contest.

Hundreds of people had packed the park by 1 p.m. Sunday when the unofficial contest was scheduled to take place. The winner was promised a $50 cash reward.

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Chalamet look-alikes were seeing milling about the crowd, some inspired by the actor's on-screen roles. A Willy Wonka and Bob Dylan were spotted among the crowd.

Contestants gather for the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest in Washington Square Park, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
AP
Contestants gather for the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest in Washington Square Park, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

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A giant cheque for the prize money is held aloft at the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest near Washington Square Park, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
AP
A giant cheque for the prize money is held aloft at the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest near Washington Square Park, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

There was plenty of commotion between the eager crowd hoping to catch the various Timmy look-alikes and the NYPD, who had officers attempting to manage the growing group of onlookers. Police tried to disperse the sizeable crowd for gathering without a permit.

A police spokesperson said four people were detained for disorderly conduct.

Amid the chaos and confusion of the event, Chalamet appeared in the middle of the crowd, surprising a possible look-alike posing for some photos.

Once the dust settled, the contest's organizer appeared to crown the winner adorned in the purple Wonka cape.

Initially, the event was treated with skepticism. However, The Gothamist confirmed the hosts and event are real. One of the hosts declined a formal interview with the outlet, saying they "didn’t want to 'ruin the illusion' of the event."

The "Wonka" star is producing and starring in "Marty Supreme," a biopic of table tennis champion Marty Reisman, along with Gwyneth Paltrow and rapper Tyler, the Creator. 

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