Leonardo DiCaprio’s Model Lookalike Lends The Face Of A Younger Leo To Barney’s New York [Photos]
Leonardo DiCaprio was, without a doubt, one of America’s premier heartthrobs when he was younger. Now, a 21-year old Swedish musician who is practically indistinguishable from Leonardo during his youthful perfection is hitting the 2016 American modeling scene in a lookbook he is producing for Barney’s New York.
The DiCaprio doppelganger, who is named Konrad Annerud, was recently discovered by Swedish newspapers to have a striking resemblance to Leonardo. Social media took notice back in October, and this week, Barney’s New York was offering Leonardo — er, Konrad — a modeling gig.
Before you read on, please, look at the two photos below, which depict a young Leonardo and Konrad, respectively, and feast your eyes on the almost eerie similarity.
And Konrad.
SOOO . . . Leonardo DiCaprio Has a Twin – and he's a model for @ralphlauren: https://t.co/QTQNAgswip pic.twitter.com/dXuI1XlNMI
— POPSUGAR Style (@POPSUGARStyle) February 22, 2016
The Leonardo DiCaprio lookalike has over 75,000 followers on Instagram, he says, and although he is a bit flattered by everyone matching him to DiCaprio’s much-admired appearance, the hype can be “a bit much sometimes,” especially when Konrad did not actually accomplish anything to deserve the praise.
And the unceasing Leonardo DiCaprio likening does not stay relegated to the internet; Annerud recounts that he cannot go out anywhere without nearly everyone he meets telling him how much he looks like DiCaprio.
“When I was in Italy this summer, I almost felt like shaving my hair off. It was very chaotic; people were yelling ‘Leo’ and wanted to take photos with me all the time. It was one of the craziest things I’ve ever experienced.”
A new look for @RalphLauren Purple Label modeled by @KAnnerud. Shop the lookbook now! https://t.co/V3guWICHDD pic.twitter.com/v0HbZGJx9m
— Barneys New York (@BarneysNY) February 22, 2016
Although Konrad made it clear that looking just like Leonardo Dicaprio isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in everyday life, however, he has no qualms about the striking DiCaprio resemblance when it is earning him real-life opportunities like the Barney’s New York Modeling gig, he told the Window.
In fact, Leonardo’s lookalike was very enthusiastic in expressing his eagerness to travel to and work in the Big Apple despite the fact that his big break was mainly the result of sheer coincidence.
“Even if all people talk about is the fact that I’m a look-alike, f*** those guys, I’m here in NYC modeling,” he said.
Besides, he said, the tirade of Dicaprio correlation thrown at Konrad is not always bad, he admitted in the same interview with Nyheter24.
“It can become a bit hard sometimes when people call me Leo instead of my name, but it’s fun to be like him. He’s handsome.”
Not only that, but all the Dicaprio-related buzz social media and the 2016 American modeling scene have provided has given Annerud the opportunity to pursue what he says is his true dream, something that has nothing to do with Leonardo DiCaprio’s legacy: professional musicianship. And unlike modeling, where he has not been signed to an official contract yet (a fact that is surely soon to change), he has already signed a record contract with Universal, reports the New York Daily News.
The Leonardo DiCaprio-looking Swede has already been working as an aspiring musician for a while. Now that he is stepping up his musical game to the professional level, he hopes to model his career after Michael Jackson, who he says is one of his heroes.
“He [Michael] is like Jesus to me,” Konrad told Barney’s, revealing a black-and-white tattoo of the singer’s person on his upper arm.
“This whole arm is going to be a ‘Smooth Criminal’ theme.”
So if you have, like tens of millions of people all over the world, ever wanted to see Leonardo DiCaprio striking seductive modeling poses on a fashion billboard or craved to see him take to the stage to shriek and give his best moonwalk imitation, this is probably the closest you’re ever going to get.
[Photo by Brenda Chase/Getty Images for Online USA Inc.]
