A few days before Halloween, thousands of people descended on Washington Square Park in NYC for a well-advertised but improperly-permitted Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest. Staten Islander Miles Mitchell ended up winning the $50 prize for his Timothee-as-Willy Wonka impersonation, but the best part was that the real wispy-mustached Timothee showed up to take some pictures with the many himselves filling the park. Well, Chicago decided they wanted in on the fun, too, so last Saturday they held a Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest. Amidst a sea of white t-shirts and blue cooking aprons, one JAW proved victorious: therapist Ben Shabad, who called the honor “the coolest thing I’ve done all week.” No offense intended to his patients, I’m sure.
More than 50 contestants turned out Saturday in a Chicago park to compete in a lookalike contest vying to portray actor Jeremy Allen White, star of the Chicago-based television series “The Bear.”
Beyond the renown of being named White’s unofficial body double, the winner walked away with $50 and a pack of cigarettes in recognition of the puff-prone character White plays in the series — Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto — a young, award-winning chef from the glittery world of fine dining who returns to the Windy City to captain his family’s dive sandwich shop.
On the show, the character is sometimes referred to as the “Bear,” and the chef had dreams of owning a fine dining restaurant that would carry that name.
As hundreds looked on and cheered, the prize went to 37-year-old mental health therapist Ben Shabad, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
“This is the coolest thing I’ve done all week,” said Shabad, who was hoisted into the air in the middle of the crowd, a crown perched upon his head, the pack of cigarettes clutched in one hand.
Most of the wannabe doppelgangers were white men, but some women and people of different ethnicities got in on the fun, the newspaper said. There was even a toddler White lookalike.
Organizers were surprised by the big turnout, which included Jeremy Allen White fan Alexis Kline.
“He’s like a Roman god to me,” Kline said.
Come on, Chicago — a pack of cigarettes as part of the prize? I get the connection to the show, but couldn’t they have at least made it a joke pack of chocolate cigarettes? Don’t smoke, kids! That quibble aside, this was a hoot. Timothee’s crowd may have gone in many different directions character-wise, but there’s something hilarious yet also kind of eerie in seeing so many people dressed in the exact same costume (save for minor variations). Maybe it’s just me, but it felt a little Hitchcockian, like The Birds, seeing a convention of Carmys assembled en masse. Congrats to champion Ben Shabad, who does indeed bear (get it?!) a striking resemblance to Jeremy Allen White. Certainly facially, though Ben does look a little more filled out and beefy than JAW’s “rodent man” physique. Though truth be told, my favorite contender was the toddler, hands down. Naturally it would have been great if JAW had been able to drop by (Timothee really upped the ante in that regard), but he’s been filming the Bruce Springsteen biopic in Bruce-landia, aka New Jersey, and couldn’t get sprung from cages on Highway 9 to attend.
The winner of the Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest reveals he is a mental health therapist. pic.twitter.com/N9Mfo5pHJc
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) November 17, 2024
Following a trend of look alike contests around the country, the Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest in Humboldt Park, Chicago is PACKED. Winner received a trophy, pack of cigarettes, and a blue ribbon. pic.twitter.com/U2uNs2genF
— Rachel Hale (@rachelleighhale) November 16, 2024
Ben Shabad was crowned the winner of the Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest in Chicago today. Hundreds of people showed up to judge more than 50 contestants in Humboldt Park, but there was no sighting of the real Jeremy lol. pic.twitter.com/JUTKqmfky5
— Erica Thompson (@Miss_EThompson) November 16, 2024
Shoutout to the one guy who came as Lip instead of Carmy at the Jeremy Allen White lookalike contest pic.twitter.com/ZwmTyX9t8I
— Overtime Frankie (5-5) (@PFF_FrankieESPN) November 16, 2024
Photos credit: IMAGO/Faye Sadou/Avalon, Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon and via Instagram/Twitter