NEW YORK (CNN) — We were leaving by 2 a.m., missed our flight, and finally made it into the city after a seven-hour drive from upstate New York. I was with my girlfriend, one of the few people along with my parents and a few friends who knew what I was about to do. I had no plans to work at the fishing store (where they sell bait and tackle and refill moored boats with gas) this weekend. I am grateful for that because I wonder how I would have explained the situation to my boss otherwise.
How do I request time off to participate in the Timothee Chalamet Lookalike Contest?
I saw a contest flyer on the internet a few weeks ago and thought it looked interesting. My girlfriend is a huge Chalamet fan and was excited about the whole idea. So, as a joke, I registered as a contestant and posted a selfie to the organizers. That was all I needed to apply. I didn’t even know if what happened in Manhattan was true. But it became clear that it was legal, so I bought the plane ticket. It didn’t cost much, about $400 for transportation and a few nights stay. After all, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I wasn’t nervous. If anything, I was excited. I had been wanting to move to New York City for a while after finishing my studies in Graphics and Multimedia Marketing at the State University of New York Canton (SUNY), so this seemed like a good opportunity. I’m looking to do something creative, like making clothes, shooting videos, and modeling, so I thought this event would be a good networking opportunity. Isn’t that how people get jobs? Through connections?
The Chalamet comparisons started earlier this year when I grew out my dark, curly hair. Some people joke in their Instagram posts that they love me in Dune 2. People passing by look at him, and his co-workers call him Willy Wonka.
Friends also joke about the resemblance. But the strangest moment happened last winter when I went to Toronto with my girlfriend on vacation. While we were at the mall, we saw a “Wonka” pop-up with a giant poster and a giant pink “chocolate” tree similar to the one in the movie.
While I stood there for a long time, a man working at the pop-up ran up to me. “I’ve seen a lot of people walk through here, but you’re the only one that looks like Timothy. Sign your name next to his!” he wrote on one of the posters. he said, pointing to a certain Chalamet sign. I immediately felt like an impostor. “I can’t sign that,” I told him. Disappointed, he insisted that I take a photo in the photo area. Before I could say no, he and his colleague ran over with their Wonka-style coats and took pictures. I still have that photo.
It’s crazy that I felt awkward posing for that photo, yet I was at an event where hundreds or even thousands of people liked the photo.
When I arrived at Washington Square Park in Manhattan on Sunday, 30 minutes before the contest was scheduled to start, there were already at least 1,000 people in the crowd.
For a moment, all I could see was the phone screen. People have been recording me, taking pictures, and asking to talk to me. It was overwhelming at first. I felt like I was an animal in a zoo or circus, being followed by television cameras and journalists. I was scared that the contestants would be asked to perform and walk in front of all these people. I could hear boos and cheers on the other side of the park (I later learned online that it was the crowd judging the other contestants), but I stayed under the Washington Square Arch.
I met several others like me and stuck together in the midst of the chaos. The NYPD issued a dispersal order and at one point an officer approached me and yelled at me to get out of the park. I ignored him and walked away, but then I saw another contestant being handcuffed and being dragged away. (The NYPD later confirmed it had fined the organizers of the “unauthorized costume contest” $500, and at least one contestant was taken away in handcuffs, a police spokesperson told The Associated Press.) , said charges are pending.)
The energy increased even more when the real Timothée Chalamet made a surprise appearance. But he quickly disappeared, disappearing into the crowd and heading back to his car at the edge of the park. I think he knew that if he stayed too long things would escalate.
I planned my outfit at the beginning of the week. He wore a gray T-shirt, a black leather jacket, ankle boots, and straight-leg jeans that made him look slim. I was trying to recreate the look from the Chanel perfume campaign that Chalamet starred in this summer. Several of the other Timothys, including the winner, dressed up as Willy Wonka. I didn’t really watch him, but I think they gave him a $50 prize (plus a trophy) because he contributed by giving out chocolates. I wasn’t interested in winning, but I was happy when I was told afterwards that I should have taken first place.
This will be my only lookalike contest. While I was really looking forward to my 3 hours of fame (and I have to admit, I was excited to be “recognized”), it had its downsides. Gazes, people pulling you, touching you, taking pictures. Luckily for me, I was able to go get tacos with my girlfriend right after the game. There were no fans crowding the tables, no disguises, and no sneaky photos taken from across the restaurant. Next week I will go back to school and work at the fishing tackle shop as if nothing happened.
And as much fun as it was to spend an afternoon with Timothée Chalamet, I’m really glad I was Reid Putman.
CNN Wire
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