If your Father’s Day brunch didn’t involve burritos, bounty hunters, and a bunch of bearded men channeling Pedro Pascal energy, you clearly missed the most chaotic, wholesome competition in New York City this weekend.
On Sunday, a Brooklyn dad named George Gountas went from “I’ll just tag along” to “Daddy Pascal” champion at a Pedro Pascal lookalike contest hosted by Son Del North, a Mexican restaurant on the Lower East Side.
Dragged by his family under the loving guise of a Father’s Day “treat,” Gountas showed up reluctantly and left with fifty bucks, a year’s supply of burritos, and immortal status in the NYC pop-culture hall of fame.
“It started when the Game of Thrones came out,” said his wife, Jenny Gania, who basically forced his newfound fame into existence. “Then kids started noticing it too. So when we saw the contest, I said, ‘You have to go. It’s your Father’s Day gift.'” Oh, and did we mention the man’s not even on social media? That ends now.
30 Look-Alikes Walk Into a Taqueria
Nearly 30 hopefuls turned up, channeling everything from ‘The Mandalorian’s iconic helmet-less swagger to “The Last of Us” grunge dad-core vibes. Some brought facial hair. Some brought props. One legend came in a shirt that read, “Protect the Dolls and all Immigrants,” and he gave a heartfelt nod to Pascal’s support of his trans sister, Lux Pascal.
© Son Del NorthBut Gountas of Greenpoint? He just brought the vibe.
Son Del North chef and co-owner Annisha Garcia says the idea for the contest came straight from Pascal’s now-legendary 2023 hot take about New York’s Mexican food scene. “I’m like, ‘So sorry, but there’s no good Mexican food in New York?'” Garcia said, mock-offended but amused. “We were like — there is, and we’re here.”
© Son Del NorthAccording to the New York Post, co-owner Wim Shih added that the event was about more than proving Pedro Pascal wrong (respectfully). It was about spreading joy, something Pascal himself is weirdly good at.
“There’s just so much sadness in the world right now,” Shih said. “We wanted to be a bit of sunshine amidst all that.”
© Son Del NorthThis isn’t the first time New Yorkers have collectively decided to turn celebrity obsession into a public sport. In October, a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest took over Washington Square Park, with Chalamet himself dropping by for the chaos.
Now, Pedro Pascal has become the latest face to launch a thousand imitators. So what’s next for George Gountas? Fame? TikTok? Maybe a guest spot on “The Mandalorian”? It’s too soon to say. For now, he’s just taking it all in while probably eating burritos for every meal until 2026.
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