According to Hollywood Reporter, the actor made the statement during a discussion on maintaining cinema-going culture, organized by Variety and CNN at the University of Texas, United States, in late February.
On 6/3, a video clip from this conversation was shared on social media, quickly gaining attention.
Chalamet expressed admiration for artists and consistently urged public support for traditional art forms. However, he also suggested that if audiences genuinely cared about these fields, they would actively seek them out.
"I don't want to work in ballet or opera, or fields where people have to say, 'Hey, let's keep this art form alive, even though no one really cares about it anymore.'"
He then added a joke: "All due respect to the ballet and opera artists out there. I just lost a few percent of my viewership."
Chalamet's statement drew backlash from the performing arts community. On her personal Instagram, American opera singer Isabel Leonard expressed surprise that a talented artist, who receives audience support, would offer such a narrow view of art. She found it disappointing for an artist to diminish other art forms. Leonard argued that while people do not have to love every field, dismissing their value is inappropriate.
According to News Australia, Irish opera singer Sean Tester commented that Chalamet's perspective reflects a simplistic view of cultural value. Opera and ballet are not outdated art forms. Many productions have endured through historical changes, continuously revived and evolving over time.
On Hollywood Reporter, a representative for the Royal Ballet and Opera stated that ballet and opera profoundly influence many art forms, including film, music, and fashion. "For centuries, these disciplines have shaped how artists create and audiences experience culture. Today, millions worldwide still enjoy and engage with them," the organization's representative said.
In a video, they showed artists and backstage crew working at the theater. In the caption, the Royal Ballet and Opera stated that each event at the Royal Opera House, United Kingdom, attracts thousands of audience members. They also extended an invitation to Chalamet to attend a performance if he wished to reconsider his statement.
The English National Ballet, one of the five leading ballet companies in the United Kingdom, also refuted Chalamet's remarks, asserting that the art form is currently thriving. Company statistics show over 200,000 audience members attend their performances, and their social media content reaches over 65 million.
On the other hand, NY Times writer Gia Kourlas suggested that the actor's comments were not entirely incorrect, at least when viewed from ballet's position in popular culture. His mother and sister studied at the School of American Ballet, a premier classical ballet training school in the United States, and Chalamet grew up in Manhattan Plaza, an artists' residence home to many actors, singers, and dancers. He also appeared in Paris wearing a New York City Ballet hat.
According to Kourlas, Chalamet's statement, while upsetting to many, also reflects the reality many performing arts artists face. While dedicated fans show great interest, most of the public knows ballet through dramatic performances or short social media videos. "Chalamet's words hold a deeper meaning: It's not that ballet is unimportant, but that the world has yet to grasp its true value," Kourlas commented.
Timothee Chalamet, 31, was born in New York into a family with a rich artistic tradition. The American-French actor gained acclaim for his role as Elio in Call Me By Your Name (2017), earning him his first Oscar nomination. Some of his notable starring projects include Wonka (2023) and A Complete Unknown (2024), which earned Chalamet his second Oscar nomination for best actor. In 2023, he topped TC Candler's list of the 100 most handsome stars and was described by GQ as a "breath of fresh air" changing perceptions of male beauty.
He is currently preparing to attend the 98th Academy Awards, taking place on 15/3. The actor is nominated for best actor for his role in Marty Supreme, a film also nominated in the best picture category.
Cat Tien (according to Variety, Hollywood Reporter)
