Why Timothée Chalamet is the new James Dean
He often repeated in interviews that "the male brain doesn't fully develop until 25." As a child star, he was burdened with high expectations - that he would be great, that he was destined to be the next De Niro or DiCaprio, that he would single-handedly make the name "Tim" fashionable again - and he was well aware of the pressure.
He made it clear in an interview with GQ prior to his breakout appearance in the Oscar-nominated film Call Me By Your Name in 2018 that he didn't want to end up "a flash in the pan" or create the impression that he was only flavour of the month. He feels the career path for young male actors is not in the best condition.
It was almost a foregone conclusion.
And throughout the 12 months prior to this detail, no actor could have achieved a hat-trick of standalone critical triumphs.
Adrien Brody, favourite to take home the top honour at the forthcoming ceremony, is on track to set a new record for the youngest Best Actor winner. Currently eight months younger than Timothée Chalamet was when he won for The Pianist in 2003, Brody's campaign is gaining momentum. He's running a thorough and dedicated campaign, with his film The Brutalist looking likely for Best Picture, both of which are helping his chances.
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Despite her mother Kris Jenner allegedly urging her to "be more public" about their relationship.
Chalamet may not win that Academy Award on 2 March, but it's clear who's been getting the most enjoyment out of keeping the spotlight on themselves. Furthermore, if Chalamet doesn't receive the award this time round, he'll have another opportunity next year. He's not yet 30, but it looks like his name won't be complete without the word 'Oscar-winner' preceding it.
A complete unknown intentionally keeps its distance from Bob Dylan's background and influences. We encounter Dylan, who has recently changed his name from Zimmerman, in 1961, at the age of 19. At that point, he's already avoiding clear definition, already making up his own story, and already the most stubborn and single-minded individual in New York City - a city full of strong-willed people. It then concludes just four years later, with Dylan's infamous electrified performance at the Newport Folk Festival.
It's probably sensible of Mangold to keep to the facts and stick to what others witnessed and experienced, rather than attempt the daunting task of fully explaining Dylan's complexities. After all, Dylan himself has never been interested in exploring his own past history. "You're born, you know, with the wrong name, wrong parents. I mean, that kind of thing does happen. You choose the name you want to have, that's the theory in the land of the free," he once stated.
It was feasible for him to be discreet about his past in the 1960s. In contrast, Chalamet was born in 1995. His background is well-documented and easy to follow, and, to the delight of his immense fan base, all of his many childhood stage performances are available to view on YouTube. The earliest examples show him dancing to Soulja Boy in 2008, when he was twelve years old. He has since re-created the clip for the sake of amusement.
Here's how it goes: Chalamet is the son of Nicole Felder, a property dealer, and Marc Chalamet, a reporter from Nîmes. Timothée, whose proper name is actually Timothy, not "Tee-mo-tay" as he's apparently said before – "I don't want to be completely unattainable" – and his older sister, Pauline, who's also an actor, were brought up speaking two languages and welcomed into the performing arts.
Ultimately, Chalamet decided to take a stab at getting into LaGuardia, a well-known public high school that places a strong emphasis on its drama department, but wasn't initially successful until its drama teacher interceded on his behalf.
He was absolutely exceptional," Harry Shifman reportedly said to the New York Post later on. Apparently, Shifman gave 13-year-old Chalamet the highest evaluation he'd ever given in an acting test, but the school didn't take him on after the interview. "I was shocked that someone with such a remarkable talent had slipped through the net. I'm grateful the headteacher was receptive to my requests and outbursts. I daresay she has come to see that she made the right decision. Timothée was always meant to work as an actor.
This shows the preternatural talent of the character - someone capable of performing a range of skills: acting, singing, dancing, rapping, and being quite amusing. Crucially, he appears to treat the work with gravity, while coming across as remarkably level-headed, not to mention entertaining.
Interstellar.
"I saw exceptional ability and genuine confidence, haven't I?" McConaughey said about their time together on the Oscars red carpet four years later. He was referring to their collaboration, with Chalamet going on to be 22 and up for an Oscar for Call Me By Your Name. In that film, directed by Luca Guadagnino, Chalamet played Elio, a 17-year-old who's on summer holidays with his family in Italy, where he becomes smitten with Oliver (Armie Hammer) who's acting as his father's assistant.
It's a lovely film, with Chalamet's performance making it even more enjoyable. "He leaves a lasting impression," said Telegraph's Robbie Collin, "mainly because this 21-year-old newcomer appears so naturally unassuming." It also features him having an explicit moment in a rather unexpected setting, which will no doubt introduce him to a wider audience. It's no surprise, then, that he immediately gained a devoted fan base.
Since the initial fanfare, "Chalamania" has continued to grow. While Chalamet himself has consistently appeared self-conscious and charmingly awkward when questioned about fame, he has also demonstrated an exceptional ability to enhance his appeal. A dedicated labour force, headed by the enthusiastically devoted "Club Chalamet" – comprising the 57-year-old Simone Cromer, a Gen X LA-based super fan account in support of Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet – has emerged and will stop at nothing to promote his work.
Inside two years, time spent playing a young drug addict in the distressing film Beautiful Boy, and Saoirse Ronan's on-screen partner in Greta Gerwig's Ladybird, and once again Laurie in the sentimental epic Little Women - both with Gerwig and Ronan - Chalamet's popularity had expanded quickly out of control. After all, a book was even released in 2021, Chalamania: 50 Reasons Why Your Internet Boyfriend Timothée Chalamet Is The Perfect One, appearing without his consent.
Chalamet's celebrity lifestyle was marked by two contrasting personas. On one hand, he mingled with influential figures such as Kanye West and comedian Pete Davidson, while also enjoying sports events. On the other, he showcased his sophisticated side by attending high-profile events dressed in stylish outfits, including a flashy Louis Vuitton "bib" to the Golden Globes in 2020 and a daring, backless Haider Ackermann jumpsuit in Venice two years later. Concurrently, he effortlessly transitioned between playing lead roles in independent films and mainstream blockbusters, leaving his peers less than impressed with his evident tact and skill in navigating the media's gaze.
Her analogue from the Dune series could be likened.
“Now, he’s Christian Bale, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio,” Gerwig once said. “A heartthrob with a solid track record of acting talent. Everyone else will be surprised by what he achieves in the future, but I won’t – I’ve always considered him to be an exceptionally gifted actor. The point is, you wouldn’t normally expect someone like Daniel Day-Lewis to joke about having a baby face, or Christian Bale to wear a casual jacket with a designer handbag, or Leonardo DiCaprio to say something silly like giving a baby a bib on the Saturday Night Live show.”
Beneath his goofy exterior, a highly dedicated thespian is patently apparent. Clearly remarkably skilled from a tender age, Chalamet is also an assiduous and agile learner. He devoted nearly six years to perfecting his skills on the guitar and harmonica for A Complete Unknown, for example, and he similarly applies himself to brief promotional appearances.
Take that ESPN clip, which was shared millions of times that December, became the subject of criticism beforehand by sports fans who scoffed at the idea of Chalamet joining the discussion, dismissing it as flippant and inconsequential. However, they were proven wrong as he rolled out an impressive array of statistics, making predictions that completely delighted the professional pundits.
"Easy does it for this bloke. He's bagged all the ladies and now he's going after us lads, ain't he?" one footy fan quipped on YouTube. Another chap replied by quoting some Frank Herbert, in book and film Dune, where Timothée Chalamet plays the prophesied Messiah, Paul Atreides, aka the Voice from the Outer World: "He shall know your ways as if born in your textbooks." Who knew stardom could be achieved so effortlessly?
I'm referring to someone who, rather rapidly, demonstrated an outstanding talent," Chalamet said recently, referring to A Complete Unknown. "It's somewhat tricky to draw comparisons with my career, as I wouldn't wish to be associated with the iconic Bob Dylan, but it's something I can relate to, in that I too faced challenges in my career and can speak to them in my own unique way.
“Similarly, my career gained momentum when I was 21, 22. And the types of settings I found myself in were rather similar to those where I'd see Bob, attending press conferences that he was part of, at a very young age, younger indeed than the usually-observed intellectual level in those rooms.”
The male brain, as we say, usually reaches full development in one's mid-twenties, although Chalamet is already several years beyond that stage. His competitors, I dare say, are probably hoping he might lose a bit of pace now that he's received two Oscar nominations. Nonetheless, he has Josh Safdie's forthcoming film, Marty Supreme, a sports drama set in the 1960s, in tow, a tale centred around a table tennis player, due for release later this year.
After that, he returns to the desert as Paul Atreides. Dune: Messiah, the next film in director Denis Villeneuve's extremely ambitious sci-fi franchise, is due to be released in 2026. Paul, as described in the books, possesses outstanding abilities, is incredibly skilled at positioning himself for success, and has charge of large numbers of fiercely loyal followers, many of whom see him as their hero.
It is clear why Villeneuve considered Chalamet to be a suitable choice.
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