3 days ago
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AP
Dozens of people descended on a Chicago park on Saturday, vying to be crowned best Jeremy Allen White lookalike.
Contestants – including a toddler – donned chef’s aprons and white t-shirts in the style of White’s character Carmen Berzatto from the hit TV series The Bear.
Others dressed as his character Phillip in Shameless, another TV show set in Chicago.
Hundreds of spectators cheered as each contender stepped forward to show their resemblance.
Based on levels of applause, the accolade went to a 37-year-old mental health therapist, Ben Shabad.
AP
“I didn’t really plan on winning – especially when I saw all these guys that looked like Jeremy Allen White – but the energy here is so exciting,” Mr Shabad told the Chicago Tribune.
As a prize, Mr Shabad received $50 and a pack of cigarettes – a nod to Berzatto’s heavy smoking in the series.
The show, now in its third season, follows a young chef from the fine dining world, Carmy, as he returns to the family-run sandwich shop in Chicago after his brother's suicide.
The show won six prizes, including three for acting, at the 2024 Emmy Awards, drawing with Succession for the most accolades.
The lookalike competition was organised by Chicago roommates Kelsey Cassaro and Taylor Vaske. The pair were inspired by the success of similar events in recent weeks for other celebrities including Dev Patel and Paul Mescal.
In October, Timothée Chalamet stunned fans after turning up to a lookalike competition for the actor in New York.
It appears the celebrity doppelganger craze is not yet over, with Saturday's event just the latest in a string of competitions across the country.
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“People were online saying, ‘Why doesn’t Chicago have one?’ said Ms Cassaro, speaking with the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I was like, ‘I think it should be Jeremy Allen White if we do it.’ And I also think a lot of Chicago dudes look like him,” she added.
Cassaro and Vaske originally planned the event as a joke, posting details on social media and flyers in areas of Chicago. Once buzz picked up online about it, they decided to organise it officially.
Unlike Chalamet, White did not show up to the competition. But that didn’t dampen his doppelgangers' spirits.
“I’m just impressed by [White’s] acting ability, and the shows that he’s been in have been really good, so I take it as a compliment that people think I look like him,” said Mr Shabad.
