Since high school, strangers have compared Nick Anderson, a 26-year-old chief of staff at Shipyard Software and a Melrose native, to Tom Holland, a 28-year-old English actor best known for his role as Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So when Anderson heard of a look-alike contest dedicated to the celebrity happening in Boston, he knew he had to enter.
“When I tell you actually someone comes up to me organically once every four to six weeks and says, ‘Hey, you look like Tom Holland,’ I wish I was lying,” Anderson said to a large crowd at Boston Common Nov. 24.
Bundled in puffer jackets, scarves, hats and gloves, hundreds gathered to watch Anderson and nine other contestants compete in the Tom Holland Look Alike Contest. While the crowd was sparse at first, more and more people joined around 1:05 p.m., including passersby who had not heard of the event prior.
The event was hosted by Katherine Gehring, a recent Skidmore College graduate, and Dilce Oliveira, a recent Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduate. As competitors climbed the stairs of the Common’s Parkman Bandstand and lined up, Gehring and Oliveira blasted pop music from a speaker, encouraging the crowd to dance and get excited.
Each Holland look-alike started by introducing themselves then proceeded to participate in a variety of challenges, including doing their best Holland impression, answering Spider-Man trivia, competing in a dance battle and showing off their best Spider-Man pose.
After all the challenges were completed, the audience narrowed down the contestants to Anderson and Michael Carroll, a senior at Boston College High School. Receiving the loudest applause, Anderson was declared the winner.
The competition joined a trend of celebrity look-alike contests that have recently popped up around the country, including a Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest in New York City and a Jeremy Allen White look-alike contest in Chicago.
Gehring chose Holland as the celebrity for her look-alike contest because she knew Holland is currently in Boston for the filming of his girlfriend, Zendaya, and Robert Pattinson’s new movie “The Drama.” There was also a hope that Holland would show up like Chalamet did for his look-alike contest in New York City. Despite multiple recent sightings of the actor, Holland did not make an appearance, disappointing some event attendees.
Even so, a love for Holland’s work drew many to the event.
“I love Tom Holland. I love the Spider-Man movies. I’ve seen ‘Spider-Man,’ I’ve seen ‘Uncharted.’ I feel like I’ve seen all the movies he’s been in,” Carroll said. “He’s a great actor, and I really appreciate him.”
For an hour, a community of fans connected over their love for the actor and enjoyed a stress-free event on a chilly day.
“[It’s] so fun that people are making an effort to get off our phones and go out and do something really random and kind of weird, but super fun,” Gehring said. “I’m so shocked at how many guys were even willing to compete. But it was just, it was a blast.”
For those interested, Gehring and Oliveira will be hosting a Chris Evans look-alike contest Nov. 30.
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