Triumphant winner of hilarious Paul Mescal lookalike contest in Ireland wins €20… or three pints
The winner proudly displays his giant cheque (TikTok: Owentwobers)
A contest in Dublin to find a Paul Mescal lookalike led to the winner receiving a giant cheque made out for €20 (£17/$21) “or three pints”.
A parody of the Timothée Chalamet lookalike event held in New York, the competition in Ireland attracted several hopefuls dressed in Mescal’s signature look: white sport shorts, a hoodie and headphones.
The Chalamet contest led to one arrest, a $500 (£390) fine for an “unpermitted costumed contest” and a surprise appearance by the real-life star, but the Mescal equivalent, hosted in advance of the release of his latest film Gladiator II, was a lot calmer.
A video of the contest posted on social media showed six finalists lined up while as the organisers asked the crowd to applaud their favourite.
Five out of them received a lacklustre response, but one contestant was the clear winner especially after reciting a line of dialogue from Normal People, the teen drama in which Mescal starred.
Jack Wall O’Reilly, also known as Earbuds Paul, won the contest and was given the cheque although it is unclear how he could cash it in.
“I think there’s a Paul Mescal in all of us,” he said in his victory speech.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, he added: “I’m very proud. It’s been a good buzz. I think it’s good to have events like these as people are having a rough time. I don’t think anyone would have given the Timothée Chalamet one air time if we weren’t all a bit miserable.”
Asked about his prize, he said: “I don’t know. I’m not working at the moment so I might keep this in the back pocket or I’ll go do a Lidl shop if they allow this big a cheque in self-checkout.”
He added that he hoped to catch a glimpse of Mescal at the premiere of Gladiator II, which took place that night at the nearby Lighthouse Cinema, and wished him “good luck” with the new movie.
A similar even is due to take place in London’s Soho Square on (November 9), but this time they are looking for Harry Styles lookalikes.
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