With the Oscars just days away, one A-list nominee has found himself entangled in an eleventh-hour controversy.
Timothée Chalamet reunited with Interstellar co-star Matthew McConaughey recently to discuss the future of cinema – only to alienate a sizeable chunk of the high-arts community.
Chalamet, 30, argued that cinema still has the power to bring audiences together when the moment is right.
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“Hey, we’ve got to keep movie theatres alive, we’ve gotta keep this genre alive, and 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,” he said.
So far, so good.
But it all took a messy turn when Chalamet used ballet and opera as examples of struggling art forms.
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“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’,” he said.
“All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there.”
Unsurprisingly, the comment wasn’t well received. Here are just some of the stars who have hit back.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis joined the conversation after Broadway performer Zach McNally posted a video questioning why artists would criticise other categories at a time when creative industries are already under pressure.
“Why are any artists taking shots at any other artists,” McNally asked in the clip, noting that live performance – including theatre, ballet and opera – remains one area AI cannot easily replace.
Curtis reshared the video with her followers, then posted clips celebrating performances by Amsterdam’s Dutch National Opera & Ballet.
She later reposted praise for the film Sinners and its star Michael B. Jordan – who is widely tipped to edge out Chalamet for Best Actor.
Doja Cat
In a now-deleted TikTok, Doja Cat also slammed the Call Me By Your Name star, questioning his “nerve” for chastising the art forms.
“I’m sure you can walk into an opera theatre right now, seats will be filled out and nobody’s saying a word as the performance is going because everybody has that much respect for it,” the musician said, per People.
“There is an etiquette around opera. There is etiquette around ballet. It is amazing. It’s an amazing theatre medium. It’s f—ing beautiful and people go there everyday to the dance studio.
“It doesn’t matter if the industry is having a tough time at any time, which a lot of industries have a tough time. Your industry has a tough time, my industry has a tough time.
“Doesn’t mean people don’t care about it. People care. The dancers care, the singers care, the audience cares. There’s still an audience. People give a f—. You show up in a nice outfit. You sit the f— down and shut the f— up. That’s the usual etiquette around those things.
“Maybe learn something from that.”
She also pointed out the intense training and discipline required to perform, arguing that dismissing them overlooks the work behind the craft.
Whoopi Goldberg
Speaking on The View, iconic entertainer Whoopi Goldberg urged Chalamet to be careful about writing off entire artistic disciplines.
“When you crap on somebody else’s art form, it doesn’t feel good. It doesn’t feel good to see,” she said.
Goldberg noted opera and ballet continue to hold a respected place in the performing arts world.
Sunny Hostin
Her co-host Sunny Hostin was more direct.
Hostin described the comments as “vapid” and “shallow”, arguing they ignored the cultural significance of classical performance.
Misty Copeland
Pioneering American ballet dancer Misty Copeland also chimed in.
Copeland defended ballet’s relevance today, noting the art form continues to evolve as companies broaden the stories they tell and the performers they feature.
Major institutions
The actor’s dismissive stance has raised eyebrows across the industry, especially considering his deep-rooted family ties to the New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet.
The Metropolitan Opera and the Royal Ballet and Opera have issued pointed responses online, highlighting that their houses are filled with thousands of passionate attendees every single night.
Some even took a cheeky approach, jokingly inviting Chalamet to attend a performance to see the packed crowds for himself.
Anyway – all the best at the Academy Awards next week, Timmy.
You might need it.
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