Pedro Pascal Reacts to Lookalike Contest Winner Going Viral

Will the real Pedro Pascal please stand up?

Film and TV star Pedro Pascal is one of today's most popular actors, having been a part of major franchises like Star Wars and The Last of Us. On Father's Day, a Pedro Pascal lookalike contest was held at the Son Del North restaurant in Manhattan's Lower East Side, and 42-year-old father George Gountas was declared the winner. Because Gountas really does have a very strong resemblance to Pascal, images of the winner went viral after the contest, and coverage of the story by Pubity caught the attention of the real Pascal.

In the comments section of an Instagram post about the news (which has nearly 5M likes), Pascal left a comment that included emojis of a teary-eyed smiley face and a heart.

"[The Pedro Pascal comparisons] started back when Pedro was on Game of Thrones," Gountas told THR after his win. "He was Red Viper, a very beloved character. They killed off a lot of those in very startling fashion. My wife was so freaked out when he got killed. She’s like, 'I can’t watch this. I feel like the guy is crushing your head.' Then my daughter’s classmates would tell their parents how I 'look like famous people.' They’d take pictures of their TVs and send them to my wife."

Gountas also observed, "I look more like him than I look like my own brother."

"Listen, I sized them all up, I’m not going to lie," he also said about his competition, noting how one other contestand had him concerned he might not win. "No. 18 look good from far. Great head of hair. No. 18 had me beat in that department. The Instagram comments are pretty vicious, saying I should go to Turkey. Don’t read the comments."

Gountas happens to work in show business as well, but not in an on-screen role. He is a lighting designer for The Daily Show, and he shared how a stage manager there was the one who first told him about the Pedro Pascal lookalike contest. Gountas then told his wife, who encouraged him to get involved. He did, and when he won, Gountas was awarded $50 along with a year's supply of burritos, which he says are "excellent."

The Real Pedro Pascal Can Be Seen on the Big Screen

For fans wanting to see the real Pascal, they can currently do so by going to the movie theater. His latest film, Materialists, is now playing. He will also be back on the big screen next month with the release of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He will later reprise his role in the film Avengers: Doomsday.