Timothee Chalamet draws backlash from ballet, opera worlds over dismissive remarks

Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet is facing pushback from the performing arts community after comments he made dismissing ballet and opera as art forms that audiences no longer care about.

Mr. Chalamet made the remarks during a live conversation with fellow actor Matthew McConaughey at the University of Texas in February, in which the two discussed cinema’s struggle to retain audiences in an era of shrinking attention spans. Mr. McConaughey noted that some studios have begun cutting the first act of films to get to conflict faster.

Mr. Chalamet said he felt conflicted about whether artists should have to actively champion their medium to sustain interest.

“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,’” he said, before quickly adding, “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there. I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I’m taking shots for no reason.”

The clip was posted to YouTube by Variety and drew a swift response from performers, arts institutions and fellow celebrities.

Hollywood actress Jamie Lee Curtis challenged the remarks on Instagram, asking, “Why are any artists taking shots at any other artists?” Canadian mezzo-soprano Deepa Johnny called the comments a “disappointing take” and said artists should “come together across disciplines” to support the arts. American artist Franz Szony wrote that ballet and opera are “two classical art forms that have been around for hundreds of years, both of which take a massive amount of talent and discipline,” adding that dismissing them reflects poorly on Mr. Chalamet’s understanding of art. American ballet choreographer Kam Saunders — who has worked as a dancer on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour — offered a more succinct response, writing simply: “Yikes.”

Arts institutions also weighed in. Choreographer Martin Chaix argued that ballet is “very much alive” and suggested that in a world where artificial intelligence is reshaping cinema, “the unmediated human presence of ballet and opera becomes more essential, not less.” The English National Ballet pushed back with attendance figures, saying the art form is “not only alive and well, but thriving,” and noting that more than 200,000 people attended its performances last year, with its social media content generating over 65 million impressions.

The Royal Ballet and Opera invited Mr. Chalamet to reconsider, posting on Instagram: “Every night at the Royal Opera House, thousands of people gather for ballet and opera. For the music. For the storytelling. For the sheer magic of live performance. If you’d like to reconsider, @tchalamet, our doors are open.” The post drew more than 92,000 likes. The Metropolitan Opera in New York also responded on Instagram, posting a photo of a packed house with a caption echoing Mr. Chalamet’s own words back at him.

Not everyone took offense. The Seattle Opera turned the controversy into a marketing opportunity, offering a 14% discount on select seats for an upcoming performance of Carmen using the promo code “TIMOTHEE.” The company signed off its post: “Timmy, you’re welcome to use it too.”

Mr. Chalamet, who recently received a BAFTA nomination for his role as table tennis player Marty Mauser in “Marty Supreme,” has not publicly responded to the backlash.