The lookalike contest craze that apparently started with Timothée Chalamet has, of course, moved on to football, a sport the actor recently proved he knows well with some well-researched picks on ESPN’s College GameDay.
Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia appears to be the place for those contests, with a contest for homegrown movie star Miles Teller held last month. Philly Sports was the theme this weekend, with a doubleheader of lookalike contests for quarterback Jalen Hurts and the legendary retired center Jason Kelce in Rittenhouse on Saturday and Sunday.
A Center City bartender, Quaeleb Monfiston, won the Hurts competition, while Fishtown man Paul Crossley emerged victorious in a close race in the Kelce competition.
“Very tough competition, but I’m happy to just ride out this 15 minutes of fame, you know? I feel like the Hawk Toea from Philadelphia,” Crossley told CBS News Philadelphia anchors Jim Donovan and Janelle Burrell.
Crossley said he works at the Navy Yard and is often compared to Kelce. The comparisons have increased with Kelce’s media profile.
“He’s more than just a center now. He’s a Philadelphia personality,” Crossley said.
The match results, which reportedly earned Crossley some Bird Gang liquor, were disputed by the big man himself.
“Newsflash: Every overweight white guy with a beard looks just like me,” the real Kelce said on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown.”
Kelce thought another man with a beard and a white jersey should have won. He even had a T-shirt for it the Ocean Drive bar in Sea Isle City, where Kelce has celebrity bartenders to raise money for the Eagles Autism Foundation.
“That guy was spot on,” Kelce said.
Kelce changed his profile picture on the social media platform X to show off his favorite lookalike.
Anyway, when you say someone looks like Kelce, Crossley knows what you’re really saying.
“He was selected to be the sexiest man alive,” Crossley noted.
