Soon, Mitchell found himself at his local Goodwill store, buying an outfit resembling the one worn by Chalamet's Willy Wonka character.
Mitchell arrived at Washington Square Park on 27 October for the contest and faced off with other contestants dressed as Chalamet in front of thousands of people.
To his surprise, he won, earning the prize of $50, new friends and newfound fame, in what he has called the "craziest day" of his life.
"It was a sensory overload," he said. "There were so many people, and people were coming up to me for pictures and interviews."
Despite the event's chaos, which included four arrests and a $500 fine for the organizer for lacking a permit, the contest was a success and went viral online, especially after the real Chalamet made an appearance.
The event has since been parodied on Saturday Night Live and inspired dozens of similar lookalike contests with their own local spins in cities worldwide, mainly promoted through flyers and social media.
In recent weeks, people resembling celebrities such as Paul Mescal, Jeremy Allen White, Harry Styles, Dev Patel and Zendaya have flocked to parks across cities including Dublin, London, San Francisco, New York and Oakland in California, attracting thousands of people and offering low-stakes, in-person entertainment.
The New York event that started the trend was organized by the YouTuber Anthony Po. He promoted it by plastering posters around New York City in an effort to create a fun, positive video in contrast to the negativity he sees on the internet.
"We thought it was funny; we knew we'd get big, we just didn't know how big," said Po, who has more than 1.8 million followers on YouTube.
His video from the contest has been watched more than 1m times on YouTube, and other videos of the event posted on TikTok have received several million views and likes.
This story is from the November 30, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 30, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Wales failing to take action on 'alarming' loss of nature, inquiry finds
The Welsh government is failing to halt the \"alarming\" decline in nature, putting cherished species at risk, a report from the Senedd's cross-party climate change, environment and infrastructure committee says.
Everton feast on abject Spurs as spotlight falls on Postecoglou
The defiance came far too late. Whether it was the two goals that gave a glimmer of respectability to Tottenham's latest defeat or Ange Postecoglou's belief in his ability to arrest a decline, their fightback was futile.
Calls for action against string jellyfish threat to Scottish salmon farms
A jellyfish species that has been wreaking havoc on Norway's salmon industry has made its way to Scotland, causing significant damage and prompting calls for urgent action.
Onana howler and Brighton's brilliance rock sorry United
On a sombre afternoon graced by a piper's rendition of Flower of Scotland and a poetic tribute to the great man, Manchester United went down dismally in their first game since Friday's passing of Denis Law.
Video sharing app clocks on again for US users as Trump promises reprieve
TikTok has moved to restore its services in the US after Donald Trump pledged to give the Chinese-owned video sharing app a reprieve on a ban that briefly saw it stop working for 170 million users.
This fragile truce appears structured to invite multiple crises as it edges forwards
'This is not a deal that Netanyahu wanted; he was forced into it by Trump, who insisted there'd be \"hell to pay\" if the fighting did not stop'
The theatre of tears: fans pay emotional tribute to the 'King'
Old Trafford is united in grief and celebration as supporters come together to honour club legend Law
'After so much pain' Biden hails deal and says Trump must show persistence
Joe Biden has said it is now up to Donald Trump to help ensure the success of the ceasefire deal their teams jointly brokered, warning the incoming US president it would require \"persistence\" and \"the belief in diplomacy backed by deterrence\".
Incapacity benefits system needs urgent reform, peers warn
Labour must carry out a root-and-branch overhaul of the UK's incapacity benefits system if it is to rein in rising health-related welfare spending, an influential cross-party Westminster committee has warned.
The trust has gone' Voters look to Reform in Labour stronghold
At the same time as Nigel Farage was touring US television studios before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, his face was almost as unavoidable in a quiet Cheshire market town more than 3,000 miles from the White House.
