Actor Timothée Chalamet is under fire for comments about ballet and opera
“I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore.’” These were the words spoken by actor Timothée Chalamet, as he sat down with Matthew McConaughey at the University of Texas, to participate in A CNN & Variety Town Hall Event: Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey. A clip of this interview, originally posted to YouTube by Variety, has recently gone viral, and Chalamet has faced widespread criticism for his remarks.
These comments were made while Chalamet was trying to emphasize the importance of continuing to support cinema. “I admire people, and I’ve done it myself, who go on a talk show and say, ‘Hey, we gotta keep movie theatres alive. We gotta keep this genre alive.’” He went on to highlight movies that have garnered incredible audience engagement, such as 2023’s Barbie and Oppenheimer. However, he then turned his attention to discussing other art forms, such as ballet and opera, and making his viral comments about how “no one cares.”
And while he quickly followed these remarks with, “all respect to all the ballet and opera people out there,” he went on during the interview to make light of the situation. “I just lost 14 cents in viewership,” said Chalamet. “I just took shots for no reason.”
The worlds of ballet and opera were quick to respond. An Instagram post made by the U.K.’s The Royal Ballet and Opera called out Chalamet by tagging him in their statement. “Every night at the Royal Opera House, thousands of people gather for ballet and opera. For the music. For the storytelling. For the sheer magic of live performance. If you’d like to reconsider, @tchalamet, our doors are open.”
American Ballerina Misty Copeland also shared thoughts about the situation. “I think that it’s important that we acknowledge that, yes, this is an art form that’s not ‘popular’ and a part of pop culture as movies are, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have enduring relevance in culture.” Meanwhile, Irish opera singer Seán Tester shared his thoughts in an opinion piece featured in the Washington Post, stating Chalamet’s comment “is the kind of reductive take you hear when popularity is mistaken for cultural value.”
Critics were quick to note Chalamet himself has ties to the world of ballet. Many of his relatives have danced for the New York City Ballet and have had successful careers in the field. In a recent interview during his press tour for the movie Marty Supreme, Chalamet shared how growing up surrounded by dance influenced his childhood. “My grandmother, my mother, [and] my sister danced in the New York City Ballet. I grew up dreaming big at the backstage at the Koch Theatre in New York.”
Chalamet has not yet addressed any of the backlash his statements have faced. Although Chalamet continued to promote the film, the Oscar campaign ended for Marty Supreme on Sunday March 15, resulting in the loss of all nine of the film’s Academy Award nominations. This included Chalamet’s nomination for Best Actor, which was won by Michael B. Jordan for Sinners.