Paul Mescal Meets His Lookalike Contest Winner: "This Is Bananas"

Paul Mescal has finally met his match... literally. A couple weeks after a viral lookalike contest took over social media, the Normal People star got to chat with the winner. In a sweet FaceTime call, Mescal shared a sweet exchange with his doppelgänger, who actually has a lot more in common with the movie star than just his looks.

Mescal got to congratulate his lookalike, Ennis, Ireland native Jack Wall O'Reilly, on his unique victory during a Nov. 20 appearance on BBC Radio 2. “This is bananas. Jack, I saw the photo. You captured the spirit of me very well,” Mescal said in the video, which you can watch on TikTok.

Wall O’Reilly took home the grand prize at the Nov. 7 event in Dublin by dressing in Mescal’s signature jogging attire, complete with the actor’s iconic short shorts. “It was a fully committed look,” Mescal said of the outfit. Wall O’Reilly proved his Mescal-ism by delivering a line from Normal People — when Connell tells Marianne “you look really well.” He took home €20, three pints, and a pack of Denny sausages (the brand that gave Mescal his first acting gig in a commercial).

Wall O’Reilly also confessed to being a massive Mescal fan, along with looking like the star. He himself is an up-and-coming screenwriter and director, and heralded Mescal’s film Aftersun as his favorite movie. “He is a great inspiration for young creative people in Ireland and all around the world,” Wall O’Reilly said to Mescal.

“You’re an absolute gentleman. That’s so sweet,” Mescal replied.

Celebrity lookalike contests like the one Wall O’Reilly won have recently become a viral obsession, kicking off with the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in New York City in late October. That first grassroots event exploded into a social media frenzy when Chalamet himself made a surprise appearance.

Mescal couldn’t make it to his own clone competition in Dublin, which Wall O’Reilly was very understanding about. “I presumed you were at home getting some well-needed rest with your family after the long press tour,” Wall O’Reilly said, referring to the several media engagements Mescal has had for Gladiator II.

“Oh, you’re so nice!” Mescal gushed in response. “That’s so thoughtful.”