Film Is in Its Own Crisis, Timothee

"I don't want to be working in ballet or opera or things 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 ... Damn, I took shots for no reason."

"I grew up backstage at the New York City Ballet. My grandmother danced in the New York City Ballet, my mother danced in the New York City Ballet, my sister danced in the New York City Ballet. I grew up dreaming big at the backstage at the Koch Theater [at Lincoln Center] in New York."

"So many indelible screen performers have moved from ballet and other forms of dance into acting, bringing with them a keen understanding of the body as an instrument of storytelling itself."

Timothée Chalamet made disparaging remarks about ballet and opera during an interview with Matthew McConaughey for Variety, suggesting these art forms are irrelevant and no one cares about them anymore. Despite quickly adding a disclaimer of respect, the comments were widely perceived as condescending and dismissive. This stance contradicts Chalamet's earlier statements about growing up backstage at New York City Ballet, where his grandmother, mother, and sister all danced. Many acclaimed screen performers have transitioned from dance into acting, bringing sophisticated understanding of the body as a storytelling instrument. The arts community and public reacted negatively to his remarks, particularly given the already precarious funding situation for arts in the country and the decline of wealthy philanthropic support for cultural institutions.

Read at Vulture