Timothée Chalamet surprises lookalike contest with cameo and offers to cover event fine

Timothée Chalamet made a surprise appearance at his own lookalike contest in New York City on October 27, 2024, crashing the event and sparking viral reactions. However, beyond the fun moment, the actor's involvement extended to a generous gesture behind the scenes. The event's organizer, Anthony Po, was issued a $500 fine by the NYPD for holding the public contest without a permit. While Po acknowledged the fine as a minor setback considering the $4,000 production cost, he received unexpected support from Chalamet’s team.

Po shared with People that Chalamet’s representatives offered to pay the fine, calling the event "awesome" and expressing their appreciation. Po, however, declined the offer, and the digital invite app Partiful covered the fine instead. Although Po did not meet Chalamet during the contest, the actor’s team included him in their official ranking of lookalikes, with Chalamet placing 13th. Po joked that if Chalamet had stayed longer, he might have ranked higher, humorously attributing his lower placement to the actor's distinctive mustache, which diverged from the clean-shaven look most contestants had.

While Po did not personally interact with Chalamet, Zander Dueve, one of the contest's top participants, spotted the actor at the event, noting that Chalamet looked the least like himself among the competitors. Chalamet's gesture is not the first of its kind, as other celebrities, like Paul Mescal and Glen Powell, have also engaged with their respective lookalike contests by offering prizes or recognition.

In the case of Powell’s contest, the winner was promised a cameo in his next film, adding another layer to the growing trend of celebrity lookalike competitions.