From starring in the beloved “Dune” movie franchise to working with famous directors like Greta Gerwig, Luca Guadagnino, and Wes Anderson, the twice Oscar-nominated American-French actor Timothée Chalamet has already achieved an iconic career, and he’s only 30. Like all major celebrities, however, he was unable to escape a controversy.
In late February, Chalamet spoke with fellow actor Matthew McConaughey for an interview with Variety. During their conversation, Chalamet expressed his preference for working in the film industry rather than pursuing another art form. “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera or, you know, things where it’s like ‘Hey, keep this thing alive,’ even though it’s like, no one cares about this anymore,” Chalamet said. Realizing his words came off harsh, he quickly backpedaled, adding “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there.”
His immediate apology wasn’t enough, however, and his comment still left many ballet dancers and opera singers offended. “I felt like his comments were really unnecessary and kind of belittling of the performing arts spaces. It made it clear that he didn’t see value in all of his fans and supporters that are part of the ballet and opera communities,” sophomore and ballet dancer Sloan Brookshire said.
Even those who do not participate in the specific art forms Chalamet mentioned took to social media to express their disappointment, with thousands of people posting their thoughts on his interview. Senior Peyton Gimbel admits she was initially disheartened by Chalamet’s words, but feels as though the criticism he received was too strong. “All of the backlash flooded onto my social media feed, which was all very harsh. It didn’t really give me a moment to make up my own mind about what he had said,” Peyton said.
Chalamet’s words, despite being severe, could serve as a wake up call that some of the most beloved art forms in America are losing relevance. Older forms of entertainment are bound to become less popular when a newer form comes along. The rise of cheap, easily accessible digital entertainment like movies and music streaming platforms has undeniably caused a decrease in ballet and opera audiences.
Nevertheless, many artists feel that while there may be some truth behind Chalamet’s statement, it’s certainly not new information, and was worded in a needlessly rude way. “Ballet may be a dying art but it’s been dying for 100 years. I don’t think it’s going anywhere soon,” Sloan said.
Director of Inclusion and Belonging Ursula Chan agrees that, while his comment was likely not ill-intended, it could have been worded differently. “I understood his sentiment, but I think he could have achieved that without punching down or commenting specifically on other types of artistry,” Chan said.
Whether or not his words were justified, Chalamet’s recent controversy can remind all of us that everybody makes mistakes, and no amount of fame will change that. “[Celebrities] are just people who happen to have a lot of fame and money, but they, too, are fallible, like all humans are,” Peyton said. Even the most famous people are bound to slip up, and they, like everybody else, deserve grace as they recover.
