American actor Timothée Chalamet has found himself at the centre of a huge, twirling controversy after making a somewhat inelegant comment about opera and ballet, stating that “no one cares” about these forms of art.
The star was talking to fellow actor Matthew McConaughey during a live conversation with Variety.
Chalamet was answering a question by McConaughey, who had just been commenting about viewers’ shortening of attention spans – and how this now influences cinema, with films ‘getting to the action’ quicker than they used to.
The ‘Marty Supreme’ actor responded by admitting he is supportive of this necessity as it helps a film perform well, while also wanting the industry to keep making ‘slower’ films.
“I’m really right in the middle, Matthew. I admire people, and I’ve done it myself, who go on a talk show and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep movie theatres alive, we’ve gotta keep this genre alive’,” he said.
“Another part of me feels like if people want to see it, like ‘Barbie’, like ‘Oppenheimer’, they’re going to go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it,” the actor added.
“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive’, even though no one cares about this anymore,” Chalamet continued.
“All respect to the ballet and opera people out there,” he was quick to add.
“I just lost 14 cents in viewership, I’m taking shots for no reason,” he laughed, while McConaughey and the audience also made light of the comments.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Handcuffed: Last pair standing, contestants, pairings and who’s uncuffed
Chalamet’s remarks met with huge backlash
Both the ballet and opera communities spoke out on social media against Chalamet, with the actor’s Oscar campaign taking a hit just weeks before the event.
Chalamet is nominated in the Best Actor category for the ping-pong epic ‘Marty Supreme’, but his chances of winning the coveted golden statue have plummeted since the controversy, with ‘Sinners’ actor Michael B. Jordan at the top among the possible winners, according to new predictions.
Ballet dancer Misty Copeland commented on the controversy on Wednesday, sharing on her social media that Chalamet “wouldn’t be an actor and have the opportunities that he has as a movie star if it weren’t for opera and ballet and their relevance in that medium”.
Even singer Doja Cat weighed in on the debate, sharing a clip on Instagram in which the star can be heard saying that “opera is 400 years old, ballet is 500 years old”.
“Somebody named Timothée Chalamet, big guy, by the way, had the nerve to say on camera that no one cares about it. […] Your industry has a tough time. My industry has a tough time. Doesn’t mean people don’t care about it. People care. Dancers care. The singers care,” she explained.
“Maybe learn something from that,” she concluded.
The Seattle Opera, in the meantime, made light of the situation by offering a promo code called ‘TIMOTHEE’ to promote its latest production of ‘Carmen’.
“Timmy, you’re welcome to use it, too,” the theatre posted on Instagram.
Chalamet, who also starred in the musical ‘Wonka’ in 2023, comes from a family of dancers.
His mother, Nicole Flender, is a former professional dancer, and both she and Chalamet’s sister, Pauline, trained at the School of American Ballet.
READ NEXT: Australian designer triumphs in landmark trademark case against Katy Perry
Sarah Sharp 
Rosemarie Zamora 
Bobbie Ysabelle Matias