Trending Now: Timothée Chalamet Is Facing Backlash After Saying “No One Cares” About Opera And Ballet – Fans React

Timothée Chalamet is receiving backlash for saying “no one cares” about opera and ballet.

His remarks came during a recent CNN & Variety Town Hall event alongside his Interstellar co-star, Matthew McConaughey. Matthew was discussing what he called Hollywood’s new “abbreviated” filming style — where projects jump quickly from setup into conflict because of shorter attention spans.

“I’m seeing 10-part series that, bam — Act One is over 32 minutes in the opening episode, and you’re off on the conflict right away, and I’m going, ‘Ah.’ It feels abbreviated to me,” Matthew said.

Timothée said he’s seen projects “pushed in that direction,” but added that he also sees another side “where people are desiring things that are more patient.”

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“I’m really right in the middle,” Timothée continued. “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.”

“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera,” he said. “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,” he added with a smile. “Damn, I just took shots for no reason.”

Still, the backlash was swift.

The Metropolitan Opera in New York City shared a TikTok video showing the behind-the-scenes preparation that go into staging a performance, writing, “All respect to the opera and (ballet) people out there,” before adding in the caption, “This one’s for you, Timothée Chalamet.”

The Paris Opera posted a TikTok pairing Timothée’s comments with a ping-pong themed opera performance as a jab at his role in Marty Supreme. “Plot twist: ping-pong also exists at the opera Timothée Chalamet ” they said in the caption.

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The LA Opera also joined in, writing on Instagram, “Sorry, @tchalamet. We’d offer you complimentary tickets to Akhnaten, but it’s selling out. There are a few seats left to purchase if you hurry.”

Artists in the opera world also spoke out.

Three-time Grammy Award winner Isabel Leonard criticized Timothée, calling him “narrow-minded” for taking “cheap shots at fellow artists.”

Ballet performers weighed in, too.

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Jovani Furlan, a dancer with the New York City Ballet, shared a clip of himself dancing and captioned it, “Timothee, you wouldn’t last a day.” It was later reposted to Instagram Stories by Jamie Lee Curtis.

In another video, Jovani added, “It’s sad to see an actor that I admire, that I like, say something so uncultured… You cannot replace a live performance… If I were you, Timothée, I would take myself to the theater a little more often and see opera and ballet. It would do you some good.”

The post was liked by celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker and Dynasty actor Taylor Black.

Another New York City ballet performer, Megan Fairchild, also slammed Timothée’s remarks. She said, “Honestly, it’s not even the idea that he dissed ballet and opera that bothers me. It’s the suggestion that he had the talent and aptitude to pursue these Olympic-level artist fields in the first place. Timothée, I didn’t realize you were a world-class dancer or opera singer who simply chose not to pursue it because acting’s more popular. Ballet and opera aren’t niche hobbies people opt out of for fame. They’re disciplines you can only enter if you have the rare ability for them in the first place.” Her post also received supportive comments from stars, including Jennifer Garner and Kristin Chenoweth.

People on X, formerly Twitter, also spoke out.

One person pointed out how Timothée’s grandmother, mother, and sister were all ballerinas.

Another criticized him for previously saying he wanted to be one of the greats, writing that it was hypocritical to then “disrespect” other art forms. “An absolute loser,” they added.

“He’s just not likable!” someone else tweeted in part.

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You can see more reactions below — then share your thoughts in the comments.

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