I think everyone has seen the viral video of Timothée Chalamet saying “no one cares” about ballet or opera. The clip is originally from a town hall at the University of Texas hosted by Variety and CNN that was posted online on February 24, 2026. In the video, Matthew McConaughey and Timothée Chalamet discuss their careers and their experiences working in the film industry. While discussing the push to save movie theaters, Chalamet says, “I don’t wanna be working in ballet or opera… or things where it’s like, keep these things alive… even though like no one cares about this anymore”. Chalamet does attempt to downplay his comment by quickly saying, “All respect the ballet and opera people out there”.
Many were quick to call him out over his comment, arguing that artists need to support other artists. Many ballet and opera theaters and productions posted reactions on social media, such as the LA Opera, which shared a photo from the opera Akhnaten with the caption tagging Chalamet, saying, “We’d offer you complimentary tickets to Akhnaten, but it’s selling out. There are a few seats left to purchase if you hurry”. Even Chalamet’s high school principal, Deepak Marwah, from Fiorello H. LaGuardia, a school specializing in fine and performing arts, responded directly to Chalamet, saying, “We believe that if a single performance, a single brushstroke, a single moment across a stage touches even one person, it is worthy. It matters. It is very much alive… We know your heart, and we know you know better”.
Megan Fairchild, a New York City Ballet principal, also clapped back in a social media video, saying, “Timmy, I didn’t realize you were a world-class dancer or opera singer who simply chose not to pursue it because acting is 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 statement may have hit the nail right on the head. Chalamet’s mother, Nicole Flender, and his sister, Pauline Chalamet, both attended the School of American Ballet, meaning that while he did not take center stage, Chalamet grew up in the world of ballet. It is not impossible to believe that perhaps his family attempted to steer him in the same direction. Maybe he chose acting because he enjoyed it more, or maybe he just wasn’t cut out for ballet.
Regardless of his career choice, the statement was simply hypocritical. Chalamet was literally discussing how movie theaters are a dying institution amid the rise of streaming services and how he himself has appeared on talk shows to promote them and raise awareness. What is the point of throwing ballet and opera under the bus as “dying” art forms while claiming that a core aspect of his career field is also “dying”? To many, his attempt to walk back the comment seems distasteful and disingenuous. While opera and ballet may not be as mainstream as film today, they are art forms that have been around much longer and still have strong fanbases. If it were someone else, perhaps I would think this was all a publicity stunt to get people to support their local theaters. Instead, Chalamet’s comment comes off as completely unnecessary and unwarranted.
