Max Braunstein experienced what he calls his “16th second of fame” this past Sunday when he attended the 2025 Golden Globes.
The physician assistant — who won the viral Glen Powell lookalike contest in November — made a splash on the red carpet for the Jan. 5 award show. While Braunstein, 33, tells PEOPLE he only had about 48 hours notice before CBS flew him out to L.A., he could’ve easily passed for a Hollywood A-lister in his tuxedo and sunglasses to match the Twisters star himself.
Braunstein spent the evening alongside Miles Mitchell, 21, the winner of the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest. The duo posed for photos together holding signs that read, “I won a lookalike contest and now I’m at the Golden Globes.”
The Texas native made headlines when he actually made contact with Powell himself, who greeted Braunstein with a big hug upon seeing him for the first time in person. The pair grinned matching smiles and snapped a selfie to mark the moment.
Looking back on the interaction, Braunstein describes the actor as “very genuine.” Later, after their first meeting, he heard that Powell, 36, was still buzzing about it too. “He didn’t tell me, but somebody sent me [a video] … He was like, ‘I have a brother,'” says Braunstein.
He also shared a moment with Powell’s mother, Cyndy, who accompanied the Hit Man star on the red carpet, though she and Braunstein were already well acquainted. Cyndy was actually the one to crown him as the winner of the lookalike competition back at the Auditorium Shores Park in Texas. Braunstein believes he won her over in the second round of judging when the contestants gave a spiel about why they wanted to win.
“I was the only one to mention Mrs. Powell. Everyone else was like, ‘Trying to be an actor. I’m looking for Sydney Sweeney,'” he recalls to PEOPLE. “I said something along the lines of, ‘Maxwell William Braunstein, Physician Assistant, and if Mrs. Powell thinks I’m anything like her son, it’d be an honor.'”
Naturally, when the duo reunited at the Golden Globes, Cyndy was glad to see her son’s dupe again. “She squeezed my hand on the red carpet. It was very cute,” he says.
Technically, he also spoke to Powell on the day of the contest via FaceTime, but Braunstein says he “couldn’t hear him over the horde of people” in attendance.
“I said something like, ‘Big fan of Running Man … Honored that your mom thinks I’m anything like you,'” Braunstein remembers of their quick call a few months ago.
Powell wasn’t the only star he encountered on Sunday, and Braunstein admits he was starstruck by big names like Adam Sandler, Jennifer Coolidge, Nate Bargatze, Harrison Ford and Colin Farrell, among others. “Heidi Klum was closer to me than my coffee right now,” the lookalike adds.
After the carpet wrapped, Braunstein and Mitchell watched the show at the viewing party held in a room beside the actual ceremony space, which also happened to be the engraving room. The two doppelgängers enjoyed the same drinks and Nobu catering as the stars — and got to look on as each winner had their name engraved into their Golden Globe statuette.
“I thought they were going to just put us in a janitor closet after all of it was said and done like, ‘There’s your thing, now get out of the way.’ Our handler was very sweet, but she was very excited to drop us off,” says Braunstein. “Probably should have eaten more, but definitely know what real champagne tastes like now.”
Since winning the title of Powell’s twin, Braunstein says he’s been recognized by locals in his neighborhood, and a few people have even slid into his DMs!
“I’ve gone on a handful of dates since this,” he reveals. “The concept of sliding into the DM is very funny. I’m just a little old for that, but it’s funny that it’s happening.”
Plus, he’s likely to have a Hollywood moment soon thanks to a generous reward from the Top Gun: Maverick actor.
As reported widely after the contest, Powell offered his lookalike contest winner the opportunity to gift one of their loved ones with a cameo in one of his upcoming projects, but Braunstein says he’s keen to take the chance himself.
“I don’t know how many actual people, but if it’s going to be one person, I’m probably going to do it,” he says of the cameo offer. He said Powell actually mentioned the potential role when they spoke on the carpet, though he claims the name of the project now escapes him.
“It was a fun little title. I forget it. Two words,” he shares. “But he said there’s filming a scene in Austin … so he thinks that that would be a good fit.”
Plus, the Golden Globes gave Braunstein another opportunity to hear his “favorite comment of all,” a compliment he says he first got from his aunts and coworkers.
“Now I’m getting it from more people and a few people [at the Golden Globes],” the viral sensation explains. “They’re like, ‘You’re more handsome than he is.'”
With the rest of awards season still ahead, Braunstein tells PEOPLE he’d be keen to step out for another red carpet event — so long as his hosts foot the bill again. “Maybe more than 48 hours heads up would be great,” he jokes.
Read the full article here
