Timothée Chalamet has sparked widespread criticism after suggesting that opera and ballet are art forms 'no one cares about any more'. The Oscar nominee made the remarks during a CNN/Variety video conversation with Matthew McConaughey on 24 February, prompting a backlash from figures including Jamie Lee Curtis.
In the video, Chalamet said: 'I don't want to be working in ballet or opera. Things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this any more.'' He quickly added: 'All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there ... I just lost 14 cents in viewership.'
Jamie Lee Curtis reshared a video by Broadway dancer Zach McNally, who questioned why artists would attack each other when AI threatens all art forms. Dancer Amar Smalls also posted a video criticising Chalamet's comments, which gained support from figures such as Sam Taylor-Johnson, Misty Copeland, and Eva Mendes.
Chalamet's comments are notable given his family background: his mother, Nicole Flender, was a ballet teacher for 25 years, and his grandmother, Enid Flender, was a professional dancer. The actor previously spoke about growing up backstage at the New York City Ballet.
Several opera and ballet companies have criticised Chalamet, including London's Royal Ballet and Opera and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. The Seattle Opera used the controversy to offer a 14% discount on tickets to their production of Carmen, referencing Chalamet's '14 cents' remark.
