Why everyone is talking about this Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest

Four arrests, one hefty fine, and a real Timothée Chalamet appearance - here's everything you need to know about the look-alike competition that shut down NYC.

Whether you think you do or not, you definitely know who Timothée Chalamet is.

Most recently, he starred in the 2023 movie Wonka, and also had leading roles in films like Dune, Call Me By Your Name, and Little Women. But, if you still don’t think you know him, chances are you know his face, as the poster boy of the ‘rat boyfriend’ trend.

As it turns out, a lot of people happen to share that face, with a Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest completely taking over New York.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

Timothée Chalamet takes photos with look-alikes at the competition. Image: TikTok / @jadiecakes_.

RELATED: North West’s ‘ridiculous’ birthday gift to Kim is peak Gen Alpha

Wait… how is that possible?

It all started when YouTuber Anthony Po began advertising the event by dispersing flyers across New York City.

The event would be held in Washington Square Park on Monday, October 27 (Monday morning here in Australia), with the winner taking home a clean $50 cash prize.

But, once the day of the contest arrived, everything quickly went awry.

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

RELATED: Jackie ‘O’ Henderson admits to secret California rehab stay

Attendance at the event was in the thousands, leading local police to cancel it - though it was moved to a different location swiftly after.

Look-alikes came out in droves, some dressed as the actor’s Willy Wonka portrayal and others as his Dune character, all quizzed about Chalamet’s life, including his relationship with Kylie Jenner.

Four attendees were arrested during the event, including one look-alike, captured on video shared by The Cut.

But some very smart single women made the most of it all, holding up posters and handing out business cards with their phone numbers on them in hopes of nabbing a ‘rat boyfriend’ of their own.

Will the real Timothée Chalamet please stand up?

Among all the chaos, there was one celebrity sighting which had to be seen to be believed - and even then, you couldn’t be 100% sure.

Timothée Chalamet, after lurking in the crowd disguised in a hat and mask, ended up revealing himself at the end of the event, taking photos with the contestants, including winner and Wonka impersonator Miles Mitchell.

With shorter hair than you’d typically see him donning, it took attendees a second to recognise the star, with some look-alikes looking more like him than even he did.

All good fun must come to an end

Organiser Anthony Po took to Twitter after the event sharing that he copped a $500 fine from the event, due to it being run without a permit.

“3 months ago I came up with the idea for the Timothee Chalamet Lookalike Competition. Today I got hit with a $500 fine. Life is beautiful,” he said in the post.

Originally published as Why everyone is talking about this Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest