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A Brooklyn dad’s casual resemblance to Pedro Pascal turned into an unexpected celebration on Father’s Day, when he walked into a lighthearted lookalike contest and walked out a winner—with fifty dollars and a year’s worth of burritos in hand. George Gountas from Greenpoint hadn’t planned on claiming the top prize, but with a bit of convincing from his wife, Jenny Gania, he entered the competition held at Son Del North, a Mexican restaurant on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. To everyone’s surprise—especially his own—Gountas was crowned the best Pedro Pascal doppelgänger out of nearly thirty contestants.
Gountas’ resemblance to the Chilean-American actor has been a running joke in his family for years, dating back to Pascal’s breakout role as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. Gania recalled that people began pointing it out back then, and the comments only grew with Pascal’s rising fame through hit series like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. For Father’s Day, she encouraged her husband to treat the contest as a gift to himself, and that moment of playful spontaneity ended up being unforgettable. Interestingly, Gountas doesn’t even use social media, but now, thanks to this win, his face may soon be recognized far beyond their neighborhood.
The inspiration for the contest itself stemmed from a viral comment Pedro Pascal made in 2023, where he claimed there wasn’t any good Mexican food in New York. That remark struck a nerve with the team behind Son Del North, particularly chef and co-owner Annisha Garcia. It motivated them to celebrate both their culture and community in a fun, creative way. Co-owner Wim Shih emphasized that amidst the heaviness of the world, their goal was to bring people a bit of joy and connection through something simple and uplifting.
This quirky contest follows a recent trend of celebrity-themed lookalike events in New York City. Just last October, a Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition drew crowds in Washington Square Park, even attracting Chalamet himself. While Pedro Pascal didn’t make an appearance this time, George Gountas and his accidental fame made the day just as memorable for everyone involved.