Oh, Timothée Chalamet is in biiiiiig trouble with the opera and ballet communities!
The actor sat down with Matthew McConaughey for Variety last month, where they discussed audience members’ attention spans and whether they want slower-paced films. In his opinion, Timothée thinks younger fans crave it. Citing the 2025 film Frankenstein, he said:
“It does take you having to wave a flag of, ‘Hey, this is a serious movie,’ or something, and some people do want to be entertained and quickly. I’m really right in the middle, Matthew. I admire people, and I’ve done it myself, who go on a talk show and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep movie theaters 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.”
Related: Timothée Had The WORST Reaction To Kylie’s Birthday Surprise For Him!
Timmy then made the mistake of “taking shots” at ballet and opera! The Call Me By Your Name alum continued:
“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.’ All respect to the ballet and opera people out there.”
He seemingly realized that his comments could come across as disparaging, so he added:
“I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I’m taking shots for no reason.”
Oh, Timmy! No!
Mind you his grandmother, his mom, Nicole Flender, and his sister, Pauline Chalamet, were all ballet dancers! What do they thinks about his eyebrow-raising comments? Watch the moment (below):
Matthew didn’t think Timothée took “a shot” in the conversation. However, ballet dancers, opera singers, and others don’t agree! After a clip of that part of the interview went viral this week, they are piiiiiiiissed about Kylie Jenner’s boyfriend’s comments downplaying their work. And you know these theatre majors are calling him out for it!
A spokesperson for the Royal Ballet and Opera fired back in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter:
“Ballet and opera have never existed in isolation — they have continually informed, inspired, and elevated other art forms. Their influence can be felt across theatre, film, contemporary music, fashion, and beyond. For centuries, these disciplines 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.”
Opera singer Isabel Leonard (above right inset) wrote that she is “shocked” by his “narrow-minded” views:
“Honestly, I’m shocked that someone so seemingly successful can be so ineloquent and narrow-minded in his views about art while considering himself as [an] artist as I would only imagine one would as an actor. To take cheap shots at fellow artists says more in this interview than anything else he could say. Shows a lot about his character. You don’t have to like all art but only a weak person/artist feels the need to diminish in fact the VERY arts that would inspire those who are interested in slowing down, to do exactly that.”
Canadian opera singer Deepa Johnny said it was a “disappointing take,” adding:
“There is nothing more impressive than the magic of live theatre, ballet and opera. We should be trying to uplift these art forms, these artists and come together across disciplines to do that.”
Irish opera singer Seán Tester took to Instagram to explain that the performer’s choice of words “is the kind of reductive take you hear when popularity is mistaken for cultural value.” He continued:
“They are not outdated art forms. They are living ones, constantly reinterpreted, constantly evolving … It’s always fascinating when artists with global platforms dismiss opera and ballet as irrelevant. Opera and ballet have survived wars … To call these art forms irrelevant says far less about the art itself than it does about how little time someone has spent truly experiencing it.”
Metropolitan Opera clapped back at Timothée on TikTok. Ch-ch-check it out (below):
@metopera This one’s for you, Timothée Chalamet… ???? #opera #classicalmusic #theater #art #culture
♬ original sound – MetOpera
And the backlash didn’t end there! Fans of the arts took to social media to bash Timothée’s take, saying:
“This is such a disappointing take from Chalamet. Go support over theater and dance”
“It’s the fact that Timothee Chalamet’s mother was a New York Ballet dancer… and that opera and ballet gave his entire career a foundation to grow upon. The audacity of a mediocre white man will never cease to amaze me. The limit truly does not exist.”
“I’ve had the Timothée Chalamet ick for a while now. For him to completely slander the beautiful and culturally important art forms of ballet and opera, it validates the ick.”
“Timothée Chalamet’s line of thinking here is exactly what’s wrong with how we treat the arts in America. If an art form isn’t massively profitable or trending, people assume it’s dying. Ballet, opera, poetry, theater, all of it gets measured by market value instead of human value. Art isn’t supposed to justify itself to capitalism. It’s supposed to deepen us.”
“Timothee Chalamet is gonna need to pull a Jennifer Lawrence after this season and sit out for a few years if he wants that Oscar. I really think a Timmy fatigue has set in for the public.”
“My favorite thing right now is the ballet & opera community absolutely dragging Timothee Chalamet. In all seriousness, from experience, if there are groups of theater folks you don’t want to mess with, it’s the ballet & opera folks. Respect”
“You know, Timothee Chalamet is probably not wrong, but that’s not why I work in opera. I believe in it as an art form. I think the heightened form is beautiful and the truest way to our deepest emotions. So I guess I don’t really care what he says.”
“Timmy Chalamet is just another example of if you let a man talk long enough you will regret ever giving a man an opportunity to talk.”
“At a time when funding for the arts is plummeting throwing unnecessary shade at your fellow artists is such a stupid and callous move.”
“Timothée Chalamet dismissing ballet, opera, and live performance feels disappointing. These art forms are the backbone of so many creative careers, including his own beginnings in theatre. Live performance is struggling right now, and artists with his platform could make a huge difference simply by supporting it. When influential actors only champion their own projects, it can feel like a missed opportunity to uplift the broader arts community.”
“Timothee Chalamet saying that no one cares about the ballet or opera anymore is disappointing, especially coming from an actor who understands the discipline and work that goes into making these forms of art. What a truly disrespectful thing to say”
Wow! He really upset people!
At this time, Timothée has not reacted to the backlash. What do YOU think about his comments, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF (below)!
[Image via NBC/YouTube & MEGA/WENN.]
