Timothée Chalamet may be completely unknown.
Ballet dancers and opera singers responded with applause after the actor said that “nobody cares” about this aspect of art.
American opera singer Isabel Leonard posted on Instagram: “I’m honestly shocked that someone who appears to be successful can think of himself as an artist, but be so taciturn and narrow-minded about art that he can only think of himself as an actor.”
He added, “His cheap criticism of a fellow artist says more than anything else he could say in this interview. It shows a lot about his character.”
Leonard said that one does not have to “like all art,” but that “in fact, only weak people and artists feel the need to slow down. The very art that encourages those interested in slowing down to do just that.”
Canadian mezzo-soprano Deepa Johnny echoed this sentiment, writing in the comments section: “What a shame. There’s nothing more impressive than the magic of live theatre, ballet and opera.”
Irish opera singer Sean Tester criticized Chalamet’s comments on his Instagram account, calling them “the kind of reductive perspective you hear when popularity is mistaken for cultural value.”
“They are not outdated art forms. They are living art forms, always being reinterpreted, always evolving… It’s always interesting when artists with a global platform dismiss opera and ballet as irrelevant. Opera and ballet have survived wars… Calling these art forms irrelevant says more about how little time someone has spent really experiencing it than it says about the art itself.”
Chalamet’s controversial comments were made while speaking with Matthew McConaughey at a town hall event produced by Variety and CNN last month. 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 the Academy Award nominee said, “I don’t want to do ballet or opera work where you’re like, ‘Hey! Keep this going even though no one cares about it anymore.'”
“With all due respect to the ballet and opera people… they just lost 14 cents in the ratings. They’re taking pictures for no reason,” Chalamet continued.
Shortly after, the Royal Ballet and Opera issued a statement, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “Ballet and opera have never existed in isolation, but have continually informed, inspired and elevated other art forms.”
“Their influence extends to all areas including theatre, film, contemporary music and fashion,” they continued. “For centuries, these fields have shaped the way artists create and audiences experience culture, and today millions of people around the world continue to enjoy and engage with them.”
Chalamet is currently preparing for the 98th Academy Awards ceremony on March 15th. Chalamet was nominated for Best Actor for his role in Marty Supreme.
This sports drama film is also up for the coveted Best Picture award.
