As doppelgangers of Jeremy Allen White, Paul Mescal and Dev Patel compete across the country, organizers say contests bring wholesome fun to a negative news cycle

When Miles Mitchell’s friends saw fliers scattered across New York City last month advertising a Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition, they urged the 21-year-old college senior from Staten Island to enter.

Soon, Mitchell found himself at his local Goodwill store, purchasing an outfit resembling the one worn by Chalamet’s Willy Wonka character.