Timothee Chalamet sees backlash after saying ‘noone cares’ for opera and ballet

By Casey Cooper-Fiske, Press Association Senior Entertainment Reporter

Actor Timothee Chalamet has faced backlash on social media after he said he did not want to be working in opera or ballet as “noone cares” about them.

The 30-year-old Marty Supreme star was speaking to fellow actor Matthew McConaughey about the future of cinema in an interview for US outlet Variety when he made the comments.

Chalamet said: “I admire people, and I’ve done it myself, doing a talk show about, how we’ve got to keep movie theatres alive, you know, we got to 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.

“And 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 no-one cares about this any more.

“All respect to the ballet and opera people out there, I just lost 14 cents in viewership, I just took shots for no reason.”

McConaughey added: “That’s not a shot, I hear what you’re saying.”

The comments prompted criticism on social media from those in the two industries, including US opera singer Isabel Leonard.

Leonard said in a comment on the video posted to Variety’s Instagram: “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 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 mezzo-soprano Deepa Johnny added in another comment: “What a disappointing take. 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. The impact of these mediums are long lasting and life changing.”

Chalamet has been contacted for comment.