From Fishing Bait to Fame: My Three Hours as Timothée Chalamet!
A Lookalike Contest, a Police Shut Down, and a Surprise Cameo!
So, this happened. I went from selling fishing tackle to becoming Timothée Chalamet for three glorious hours in New York City. Sounds crazy? It is! The whole thing started with a joke; my girlfriend (a huge Chalamet fan) encouraged me to enter that look-alike contest – only needing a selfie. I hadn’t even expected to participate! This competition was held in Washington Square Park. This was a totally unplanned weekend trip and some last-minute choices made for a completely chaotic and unexpected few hours, the impact and consequences for participation described below.
The contest ended with a dispersal order from NYPD – and $500 in fines! A crazy day.
From Instagram Jokes to Real-Life Doppelgänger: My Unexpected Rise to Fame!
The Chalamet comparisons started when I grew out my dark, curly hair earlier this year! It’s become a meme among my Instagram followers, work colleagues (who started calling me "Willy Wonka"!) and even strangers! That Toronto trip turned insanely memorable! My girlfriend and I visit this giant Wonka pop-up during Christmas, and a store employee recognized me. He was completely insistent, and made me take a photo, I am holding this weird Wonka coat.
The whole thing really made me uneasy – mostly since participating in this unexpected and crazy lookalike competition– I hadn’t fully anticipated this. The nervousness completely subsided and turned into complete exhilaration and excitement!
Washington Square Park Mayhem: 1,000 People, a Police Order, and One Arrest
Sunday: The competition begins! And immediately things get really, really hectic in this unexpected location choice: Washington Square Park. The contest is due to start in thirty minutes. Then there are already 1,000 people, everyone's phone’s out; filming and photographing. It was really intimidating.
I felt completely overwhelmed and surrounded, just like a zoo animal; the various cameras from all media sources created this intensely uncomfortable feeling, one found upon entering a public venue full of onlookers. I stuck with others–for safety! It is extremely valuable and an often missed element when participating in an extremely popular public event which unexpectedly creates that kind of attention. Then it gets wild! The NYPD gives this dispersal order. I hear cheering, then later discover these noises are all coming from the judge-audience sections judging those competitors. An officer almost totally freaks and makes me leave; another person? They get handcuffed! The NYPD says it issued $500 fine for this unauthorized event; they also imply that arrest-related charges remain unresolved at the time of writing. All very nuts! The attention created far, far beyond what is normal or acceptable during normal contest situations!
A Flash of Fame (and Chocolate!): Timothée Chalamet’s Surprise Visit
Timothée Chalamet shows up—totally unexpected. But he totally leaves just as suddenly, through the massive crowd, a quick get-away and into some waiting cars. Smart choice!
I re-created his look in this Chanel commercial which I learned about earlier in the week– A gray shirt, black jacket, boots, and jeans to look skinny! Others? Went Willy Wonka (the winner took home the $50 prize for the contest!). I heard lots of people after the fact telling me that I totally should have won, especially as the lookalike contest got completely unexpected results based solely on the judging standards applied and a largely popularity-based ranking system in place for selection.
My Unexpected Afternoon of Fame: Reflections on My "Three Hours of Timothée"
This competition might just be a one-off experience. Although I loved this entire bizarre, short-lived experience; those intense levels of excitement from unexpectedly being recognized and surrounded – those levels are entirely unique and very addictive in a way! There are drawbacks, that kind of public scrutiny, this intense need to not be viewed or have any chance for escape when being filmed creates an environment which is intensely challenging.
The best part? Tacos with my girlfriend after. Completely ordinary and relaxing; a complete contrast and wonderful peace after having had that completely overwhelming afternoon!
Back to school and back to work next week!
This was one wild ride! I am going to try to return back to the regular schedule – school and working for me – to complete both my study in graphic design and multimedia marketing at SUNY; as well as working at my regular part-time job as a shop attendant selling fish-bait.
Conclusion: This look-alike experience has been completely unforgettable!
This entire competition shows just how crazy those experiences could get and shows why getting caught in that maelstrom of unexpectedly becoming instantly recognized – the attention alone generates unexpected amounts of stress! This also explains why some people might’ve difficulty navigating such things!
