Brooklyn Dad Wins Pedro Pascal Look-Alike Contest

NEW YORK, New York – George Gountas won a Pedro Pascal look-alike contest at a Lower East Side restaurant on Sunday, earning both a $50 prize and a year’s supply of burritos.

The contest, held at Son Del North Mexican restaurant, attracted nearly 30 contestants. Gountas’s wife, Jenny Gania, encouraged him to participate, recalling when people first noted the resemblance when Pascal starred in ‘Game of Thrones’.

“It started when ‘Game of Thrones’ came out the first time — that’s when we first heard it,” Gania said. “I told him, ‘It’s Father’s Day. You have to go. It’s going to be your Father’s Day treat.'” Gountas, who is from Greenpoint, edged out many competitors to take the title.

Annisha Garcia, the restaurant’s chef and co-owner, mentioned the idea for the contest stemmed from Pascal’s recent comment about lacking decent Mexican food in New York. “I’m, ‘So sorry, but there’s no Mexican, good Mexican food in New York?'” Garcia said. “And we were like, ‘There is, and we are here.'”

Co-owner Wim Shih said the event aimed to bring joy to the community during difficult times. “There’s just so much sadness in the world right now, and we wanted to be a bit of sunshine today amidst all that,” Shih explained.

Attendees included another contestant wearing a t-shirt that read, “Protect the Dolls and all Immigrants,” a reference to the slogan Pascal popularized to support his transgender sister, Lux Pascal. Gountas’s win marks another event in New York honoring the popular actor, known for his roles in ‘The Mandalorian’ and ‘The Last of Us’.

“It’s funny because he’s not on social media at all. But now he’s going to be everywhere,” Gania stated with a smile.