‘Daily Show’ Staffer on Triumph at Pedro Pascal Lookalike Contest: “It’s Been Insane” (Exclusive)

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On Sunday, George Gountas led a rather low-key life. Although he’s a 42-year-old resident of Brooklyn, he has briefly experienced fame – specifically, as the lighting designer for The Daily Show since 2018.

Indeed, folks often compared me to a popular figure who’s been making headlines lately. But beyond that, I’m just your everyday gamer guy from Greenpoint, a dad of two kids.

Yesterday, everything took a turn as Gountas, motivated by his wife and the team behind The Daily Show, participated in a Pedro Pascal doppelganger competition.

In this rephrased sentence, I’ve replaced “egged on” with “motivated by,” which has a more natural and easy-to-understand connotation for the context. Additionally, I’ve used “doppelganger” instead of “lookalike contest” to make it sound smoother and more engaging.

As an ardent fan, I proudly share that my recent victory in the Son Del North Mexican Restaurant’s Lower East Side contest was fueled by a desire to challenge the Materialist’s claim on Hot Ones about the lack of good Mexican food in New York City. The competition awarded me burritos for an entire year, $50 in cold hard cash, and the priceless bragging rights that come with it!

It quickly became clear to all present (with hundreds more spectators joining in and over two dozen competitors participating) that Pedro No. 5 stood out as the undisputed victor.

Pascal, who is 50 years old, has shown approval for the recent viral Instagram post celebrating Gountas’ victory, expressing his joy through a teary-eyed smiley face symbol and a heart emoji.

Gountas granted his first post-triumph media interview to The Hollywood Reporter.

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George, let me tell you, it’s quite astonishing how much you look like Pedro Pascal. I imagine this likeness has caused quite a disruption in your daily life during the last couple of years.

It all began when Pedro was a cast member on “Game of Thrones”, playing the popular character, the Red Viper. Many characters were brutally eliminated in shocking ways during that time. My wife became quite distressed when his character was killed off. She exclaimed, “I can’t watch this! It feels like he’s crushing your head.” Afterward, my daughter’s classmates would tell their parents that I resemble famous people. They’d even snap photos of their TV screens and send them to my wife.

You could be his twin brother.

I look more like him than I look like my own brother.

What’s amazing is that you also work in show business, like him. Tell me about your job.

At The Daily Show, where I serve as the lighting designer, I’m part of an amazing team that communicates daily about what’s required for each day. One of our stage managers, Tyler, stumbled upon an advertisement for a contest and suggested, “Hey George, go grab some free burritos!” After discussing it with my wife, she was encouraging, saying, “You should definitely attend this event.” My neighbor, who is a stylist and art director, offered to provide me with appropriate attire, expressing enthusiasm by saying, “I’ve got shoes for you, I’ve got pants for you!” It all came together in a supportive fashion.

Pedro has done a lot of talk shows, but has he done The Daily Show?

During the time I’ve been here, starting from 2018, he wasn’t present. Conversely, I have been around since then. Therefore, I can’t recall his visits, but I certainly hope he has made one recently.

I feel like that’s imminent now.

A photo showing someone next to me was posted on their Instagram, complete with several weeping emojis and a heart as comments. It added a bit of humor to the situation.

It’s clear this meeting between the two of you will be significant. Shall we discuss the competition instead? The venue for it was a Mexican restaurant. Is the main issue here him being unhappy with Mexican food in New York City?

Here’s my take: As a passionate gamer, I can tell you this is my interpretation. It seems he resides in the bustling city of Los Angeles, famed for its mouthwatering Mexican cuisine. He wasn’t impressed with what New York had to offer in that department. So they proposed, “Let me show you!” They organized a contest. I’ve already dived into my first burritos and let me tell you, they are outstanding!

Tell me about the scene there. Was it mayhem? How many people showed up?

It was astonishing. I reside in Greenpoint, not a long distance away. My children expressed their eagerness, so my wife and kids accompanied me. As we neared the location, there were approximately 1000 people in the street. Vehicles were honking their horns, attempting to pass through. It seemed that prior registration was necessary. Unfortunately, I hadn’t signed up. Instead, I simply approached and said, “Hello, I’m here.

In other words, you encountered your fellow competitors. To be honest, none of them compared to you. It seemed like they all grasped this fact as soon as they laid eyes on you.

I took a good look at everyone, and I have to be honest. Number 18 definitely caught my eye from afar. He has an impressive head of hair. Frankly, he was more attractive than me in that aspect. The comments on Instagram are quite harsh, suggesting I should visit Turkey. But please, don’t pay attention to them.

So you were named the winner and what do you get?

Burritos for a year, and 50 bucks. That’s like going out for ice cream at Green Point.

Have you heard from any of your bosses at The Daily Show yet?

Everyone’s incredibly encouraging, and it’s been quite overwhelming. There’s a large feature in the New York Post about me, and folks have been capturing everything and forwarding it to me.

Has Jon Stewart said anything?

I haven’t had any contact with him so far. I’m feeling apprehensive about attending the event, fearing that people might mock me. The atmosphere seems quite friendly and welcoming, almost like a close-knit family gathering.

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2025-06-16 19:24