The trend started at the end of October when a sign asking for “Timothee Chalamet look-alikes” inspired hundreds of young men to gather in New York City dressed as the young Dune star. This sort of viral stunt may have elicited some curiosity, but the fact that Chalamet himself popped up at the event certainly raised its profile. It may have been an easy way for Chalamet to help draw attention to his upcoming Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown (which hits theaters this Christmas), but it is nice to know that he seems to have a sense of humor about his rabid fanbase.
The Chalamet gathering was not an isolated incident, as the following weeks have seen similar contests held in the honor of Paul Mescal, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, among others. Although “$50 and bragging rights” seem to be the only real prize that anyone is taking home, the notion that these contents could gain the attention of the honored celebrity has certainly inspired more interest.
Texas’ own Hollywood star, Glen Powell, was the latest to crash his own look-alike contest when hundreds of his doppelgangers gathered in Austin at Auditorium Shores.
While determining a winner for these contests may be entirely subjective, the Powell event did have a pretty great judge, who happens to be an expert on the subject: Glen’s mother, Cyndy Powell, appeared at the event, which promised $5, a cowboy hat and free queso at Torchy’s for a year to the young man who best resembled her son.
It isn’t the first time that Cydny and her husband decided to troll their son’s fans; the Austin-based couple showed up at the premiere of Hit Man with signs reading “Stop Trying To Make Glen Powell Happen” and “It’s Never Going To Happen.” Despite poking fun at their son, Powell’s parents have managed to film cameo appearances in almost every film that he's ever made.
Glen’s message for the look alike contest! pic.twitter.com/VKqRoaR6V0
— wind• (@windhaven512) November 24, 2024
Cyndy bestowed the honors on Maxwell Braunstein, a physician’s assistant in the Austin area, who said his face had not hurt as much from smiling since he “was 10 and at Disney World." Winning the contest wasn’t the only special treat Braunstein received during the exciting day; Powell himself chimed in to offer an additional prize to the contest winner.
In a post on X, Powell revealed that the winner of the contest would have the opportunity to play a cameo in one of his upcoming films or he could pass along the same offer to a relative.
Braunstein reportedly told Powell that he was “blessed that your mother thinks I'm anything like ya" in a video chat that Cydny set up. Although it's unclear which of Powell’s upcoming projects Braunstein will appear in, the actor did have some positive words to say for everyone who turned out to the contest.
"Take a pic together for me, enjoy my favorite city in the world,” he said in his X post. “Keep Austin weird, hook 'em Horns and see ya around, every time I look in the mirror.”
Powell was not able to show up to the event, Chalamet-style, because he is currently shooting the upcoming remake of The Running Man, a 1987 action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger based on a short story by Stephen King.
The film takes place in a dystopian future where criminals are forced to compete on a futuristic game show before a live audience. This was considered to be a bit of a stretch in the late 1980s, but the fluidity of the justice system and tabloid culture feel downright prophetic in light of recent events.
Audiences may be sick of seeing remakes and reboots of established classics, but The Running Man has a pretty compelling team behind it that suggests that the new version could make for a significant improvement upon its predecessor. The film is directed and written by Edgar Wright, the cult filmmaker behind such modern classics as Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, The World’s End, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Baby Driver. Wright has a knack for lampooning popular cliches and maintaining a snarky sense of humor, so it’s safe to say that his version of The Running Man will have a few tricks up its sleeve.
Schwarzenegger's star power was one of the defining factors of the original The Running Man, but the film attained an even greater level of cult absurdity thanks to the appearances by Yaphet Kotto, former football player Jim Brown, the former wrestler Jesse Ventura and the popular game-show host Richard Dawson.
Whether Powell’s The Running Man will be quite that ridiculous is anyone’s guess at this point, but his co-stars for the remake include Michael Cera, Josh Brolin, Katy O’Brien, William H. Macy, Lee Pace and Emilia Jones.
Although it seems natural to assume that Braunstein would want a role in The Running Man, choosing just one of Powell’s upcoming projects to appear in is more difficult than one may imagine.
Powell is also in the midst of shooting the dark comedy Huntington, an adaptation of the 1949 film Kind Hearts and Coronets, which also stars Margaret Qualley, Ed Harris, Zach Woods and Bill Camp. He also recently wrapped filming on the Hulu comedy action series Chad Powers, which he co-created alongside Rick and Morty writer Michael Waldron.
Powell’s parents certainly have their work cut out for them if they intend to appear in his buzzy slate of upcoming projects, but it is also likely that they will get to participate in any of the accolades he received.
Powell’s performance in Hit Man earned significant praise earlier this year; the awards-prognosticating website Gold Derby listed him as an outside shot to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Even if his performance is not recognized, it would be strange if Powell didn’t show up to at least present a category; why would the Oscars pass up an opportunity to showcase the definitive movie star of the moment? Even if he can’t make it, there may be a look-alike willing to fill in.
