A video of Timothee Chalamet speaking out against ballet and opera, years before his recent comment that “no one cares” about ballet and opera went viral, has been resurfaced.
The “Marty Supreme” star called both “dying art forms” while promoting the 2019 David Micheaux film “The King,” according to a TikTok video.
Looking back on his start as an actor, he said:You don’t go, “Woe is me,” but you start working on movies, you start acting, you start pursuing your own thing.”
“It started to feel like maybe opera or ballet or something. It’s like a dying art form or something.” Chalamet, 30, added:
Chalamet’s first controversial comments were made last month during a town hall event with Matthew McConaughey produced by Variety and CNN.
Chalamet, 30, explained this during an event broadcast on CNN on February 21st. “I respect people who go on talk shows and say, ‘We’ve got to keep movie theaters alive, we’ve got to keep this genre alive,’ and I’ve done that myself. And another part of me feels like, like ‘Barbie’ or ‘Oppenheimer,’ if people want to see it, they’ll go see it and walk out.” That’s their way of being loud and proud. ”
But he also said, “I don’t want to do ballet or opera work where no one cares about it anymore and you’re like, ‘Hey! Keep this going.'”
“With all due respect to the ballet and opera people…I only lost 14 cents in ratings. They’re taking pictures for no reason,” Chalamet added.
His comments were met with immediate backlash from many in the ballet and opera worlds. The Royal Ballet and Opera released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter saying, “Ballet and opera have never existed in isolation, but have continually informed, inspired and elevated other art forms.”
But his remarks also sparked some creative marketing, with several local opera companies using his words as a cheeky offer to offer discounts on performances.
Seattle Opera, which led the charge, posted, “What we’re saying is… Use promo code TIMOTHEE to get 14% off select seats in Carmen this weekend only. Timmy, you should use it too 💃 See you at the opera!”
Chalamet has spoken about having a family of dancers, even going so far as to say on camera: “My grandmother, mother and sister danced with the New York City Ballet. I grew up backstage at the Koch Theater in New York dreaming big dreams.”
Chalamet is nominated for the Best Actor award for his role in Marty Supreme at the 98th Academy Awards, which will be held on March 15th.
Sports dramas are also eligible for the Best Picture award.
