YouTuber Anthony Po on Organizing Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Contest

A Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest held in New York Metropolis Sunday took town and the web by storm, each due to its premise and the crowds it drew, but in addition due to the temporary look of the true Chalamet.

The arrival of the true Chalamet was a shock. However the total response to the farcical occasion was not.

“Let’s simply say I positively have my finger on the heartbeat of tradition,” mentioned organizer and YouTuber Anthony Po tells The Hollywood Reporter.

Po has been a content material creator for about seven years, and briefly labored for MrBeast final yr, earlier than deciding to focus full time on his personal YouTube channel, which has shut to 2 million followers and is crammed with inventive stunts. The stunts embrace Po’s choice to eat a jar of cheeseballs in entrance of crowds in Union Sq. whereas masked, incomes him the moniker of Cheeseball Man, a quasi New York superhero standing and additional movies. 

After dreaming up future stunts, Po landed on the thought of the lookalike contest to be held in Washington Sq. Park with a $50 money prize. The occasion was marketed all through New York on a collection of flyers (he employed a flyer man, who additionally has his finger on the heartbeat of when and the place to flyer), in addition to a Partiful invite, which drew hundreds of RSVPs. Partiful additionally ended up sponsoring a part of the occasion, together with the $50 money prizes that had been in the end given out to every entrant. 

Po hosted the occasion, wearing a high hat and tux, which began in Washington Sq. Park, however was then compelled to maneuver by police to a close-by park (with one attendee arrested) because the variety of attendees surged. Many look-alikes had been interviewed onstage about their plans with Kylie Jenner, Chalamet’s rumored girlfriend, in addition to their French proficiency. Ultimately, Miles Mitchell, a look-alike dressed as Willy Wonka, took first place.

Po spoke with THR on Monday concerning the purpose for internet hosting the occasion, the fallout and what could also be subsequent. 

Why a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest? 

I’m in a stint of simply attempting to do public stunts, like efficiency artwork sort stuff. I believe it’s actually humorous, and I believe that a variety of creators proper now aren’t actually creating something. They’re simply type of commentary channels in a bizarre method. So me and Paige [his producer and assistant] simply sit round all day and all day and take into consideration like, what can be enjoyable? What would get folks speaking? Healthful enjoyable issues which might be free for folks to gawk at and inform their grandkids about. And other people all the time joke, I appear like Timothée Chalamet. They name me “Much less scorching Timothée Chalamet,” so we wished to host a lookalike competitors. And the unique plan was for me to enter and us to rig it. However because it received larger, we’re like, ‘That is type of simply larger than me,” so we wished it to be only a enjoyable, healthful factor for town. 

It appears to be like like there have been lots of of individuals attending yesterday. Was that what you anticipated?

Legally, I ought to in all probability say no, however let’s simply say I positively have my finger on the heartbeat of tradition, and I’m very assured in my skill to hold up like 10 flyers and get 10,000 folks to indicate as much as a location.

Do you know the true Timothée would present up?  

We knew he knew about it as a result of we had some associates who labored on his new film. I’d have put some huge cash on him not displaying up due to how unsafe it’s for Timothée Chalamet being at a Timothée Chalamet lookalike meetup. It’s a disgrace. I actually wished him to compete, but it surely was so hectic that he couldn’t, in fact.

And the police broke up the primary occasion in Washington Sq. Park? 

So what occurred with the police, at first, they had been simply attempting to interrupt up the crowds. It was only a meetup, and we informed legislation enforcement, like “Hear, we’re keen to cooperate. You’ve received to allow us to run this factor.” And I believe as a result of they had been being so legislation enforcement, proper? That’s their job to be unhealthy at speaking and shut folks down. So, yeah, I imply, we received a $500 advantageous. I’ll take that 10,000 instances. I don’t suppose I’m going to get any court docket summons, but when me and my workforce do, we are going to lawyer up tougher than they’ll. 

What’s the advantageous for? Not having a allow? 

It says, “Internet hosting an unauthorized costume contest” It’s pathetic, however I’ll take that 1,000,000 instances over. The entire occasion value nicely over $4,000 bucks. So I’ll take a $500 advantageous. 

What was the fee? 

Labor. I had three PAs. I flew one of many judges out, paid for meals for everyone. Digicam operators, the trophy itself was $250. And we needed to get a rush order too, as a result of it was a final minute factor.

It additionally regarded like one of many Timothée Chalamet lookalikes received arrested? 

There’s one person who received arrested, and I’m speaking to him and gonna be paying his authorized charges and all that great things. A cop got here up from behind him and tried to, like, usher him out. The man was like, “Don’t contact me.” And the cop was like, “You should depart.”

What did you make of the chaos?

The individuals who went, they wished the chaos, they wished it to be silly and see Timothées and have enjoyable and discuss it with their associates. They weren’t on the lookout for this fantastically organized pageant present. I don’t suppose that folks need to go an occasion like that prices $40,000 to host, and everybody will get charged $40. It’s too formal. It’s not nearly as good of a narrative.

I heard there was additionally a relationship facet element of the competition, the place every Timothée Chalamet revealed whether or not they had been single or not. 

That was one factor we had been speaking about beforehand that’d be actually humorous. My bizarre pipe dream is I desire a couple to fulfill at this occasion and find yourself getting married. So we’ll see if it occurs. Gotta give it a pair years

You’ve executed different occasions like this then? 

I’ve not executed lookalike contests. I ate a jar of cheeseballs in entrance of three,000 folks and have become like a New York Metropolis superhero. I’m really combating a man subsequent month as a result of one other tremendous villain popped up and was calling me out. It’s all very foolish.

While you say you’re combating…

I’m boxing him. It’s a sanctioned boxing match in like two-and-a-half weeks. Their identify is Cornhead Killer.

Is that this the most important factor you’ve executed to this point? 

I’d say that is the most important per capita. However I’ve positively executed extra vital issues in my profession, for certain, like extra journalistic stuff and larger movies that attain extra folks. I infiltrated a cult one time, and that has  in all probability extra longevity and extra views than it will do for me. 

Is the objective with all of those to make YouTube movies? 

It relies upon. Cheeseball Man turned method cooler than what I presume to be a YouTube video. So I held again on revealing it was me for about 4 months. After which folks stored making uncovered movies. And it turned a complete factor, and other people had been like, commenting on each publish I made, being like, “I do know you’re. You’re Anthony Po.” So then I got here clear. For this one, our plan is to drop a video on the complete occasion inside the subsequent few days. And, clearly now we have greater than press does, as a result of now we have the way it began, and the behind the scenes, and the entire why it turned a factor. Once more, we don’t even care if folks watch it. We already succeeded. We did our job. However clearly the YouTube video must go up so we will earn a living.

Do you’ve got different kinds of occasions developing? 

There’s a pair deliberate and scheduled. However I need to be sure that folks don’t understand it’s me, so it doesn’t lose its appeal.

I additionally noticed one thing floating round social media about an upcoming Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest. Are you doing that one too? 

No, I’m not. I don’t wish to return to the scene of the crime, if that is sensible. I really feel like I often host these occasions, after which copycats pop up, and I allow them to do it and I transfer on. So I’m not behind it. I’m certain the parks division will probably be attempting to contact me and ship me a stop and desist, however I’ve nothing to do with it.