‘The Daily Show’ staffer crowned winner in Pedro Pascal lookalike contest

In a lighthearted moment amid ongoing division, New Yorkers found rare agreement this weekend: two Pedro Pascals are better than one.

Brooklyn restaurant Son del North hosted a Pedro Pascal look-alike contest on Sunday. The winning impersonator? George Gountas, a lighting technician for The Daily Show, who walked away with $50 and a year of free burritos.

Gountas is no stranger to the spotlight. According to IMDb, he has worked on The Daily Show since 2017 and holds two Emmy nominations. But this contest brought a different kind of fame. His moment of victory was shared on the restaurant’s Instagram, and his resemblance to the Last of Us actor drew attention far beyond Brooklyn.

“My coworkers and wife pushed me to go,” Gountas told The Hollywood Reporter. “One of our stage managers said, ‘Yo, George, go win some free burritos.’ I showed the flyer to my wife and she said, ‘You’re going.’”

Support came from all directions. “My neighbor, who’s a stylist and art director, gave me shoes and pants for the event,” he said. “It was a whole thing.”

His family joined him at the contest, where he was dubbed “Pedro No. 5.” The turnout shocked him. “It was unbelievable,” he said, describing the crowd and energy at the event.

His win sparked celebration at work, too. “Everyone’s super supportive,” he said. “It’s been pretty insane.”

Look-alike contests have become a rising trend. Just last year, a Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest made headlines. The winner of that event even appeared in a Saturday Night Live promo alongside the actor himself.

Since then, similar competitions have emerged for celebrities like Jeremy Allen White and Paul Mescal. Winners have scored brand deals and appearances, showing that impersonation can open real doors.

“People love a good doppelgänger,” said culture critic Dana Ellison. “It taps into pop culture obsession and gives fans a chance to be playful.”

Son del North’s playful promotion wasn’t just a PR stunt. It tapped into the viral appeal of Pedro Pascal, whose roles in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us have made him one of the Internet’s favorite celebrities.

Though Pascal had not publicly commented on the event by Monday, fans still hope he’ll give his nod of approval. After all, the contest happened on Father’s Day—and who better to win a look-alike contest on that day than the man known online as “Daddy”?

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