Quick! Celebrity Lookalike Contests Are the New Easy PR Win for Celebs

Glen Powell. Timothée Chalamet. Rachel Sennott. The trio from “Challengers.”

If you’ve been online recently, you’ve probably seen fan-filmed footage from celebrity lookalike contests. While not new, the current wave kicked off in earnest at the end of October, when there was a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in Washington Square Park in New York City. Over 10,000 people attempted to watch the festivities, according to The New York Times, which featured all eras of the actor, and became viral gold when Chalamet himself dropped in.

The prize? $50, and bragging rights.

Since then, seemingly every celeb that has ever had a moment in the internet sun has had an event in their honor, from a Chicago-based one (natch) for Jeremy Allen White to a Dublin gathering for Paul Mescal. While they are unofficial, lo-fi, and grassroots, they spread like wildfire on X. Any celeb (or publicist) worth their salt knows the resulting attention is worth its weight in gold.

That’s why it was no real surprise over the weekend when there was a Glen Powell contest in Austin, Texas. According to reports, the event drew several hundred people and the ante was upped by having Powell’s own mother in the audience. Powell himself sent along a video message.

“I know there is some cash and a hat at stake here, but I just wanted to say that the winner of today’s contest gets a personal prize from me,” Powell said in the video. “Now, you may know that my parents make a cameo in every movie I make, but today, the winner of the Glen Powell lookalike contest wins their parents or any family member of their choice a cameo in my next movie.”

While many celebs have retweeted or shared info about their respective contests, Powell is the first major one since Chalamet to actually get involved with the proceedings. It’s no surprise that two of our biggest male movie stars are the two that most easily recognize the brand value of participating in this way. It’s a way to generate good headlines, have some low-stakes fun, and remind fans that you are connected with them.

At a time when celebs in general seem more skittish than ever about social media and fans (with good reason) and while everything else online seems especially …bad, the timing is exactly right for this kind of real-life-meets-social-media-goofiness to flourish.

Celebs need to act quick, however: It won’t be long before these events are seen as cringe and the excitement becomes embarrassment. (A recent Jack Schlossberg one in DC seems particularly thirsty.) I’d say this trend will be officially dead by year’s end. But, for now, there’s simply no easier way to prove you’re a celebrity of the people and the moment than putting your stamp on your biggest fans putting their spin on you.

Game on.