Timothée Chalamet drew criticism for suggesting that ballet and opera are disciplines that "no one cares about."
Key points
The Metropolitan Opera posted a video highlighting the talents of the opera community with the caption "This one's for you, @tchalamet."
Numerous actors shared their support in the Met Opera's comment section, including Sarah Hyland, Laura Benanti, and Jack Falahee.
The Metropolitan Opera is not pleased withTimothée Chalamet.
The official Instagram account for the storied institution responded to theMarty Supremestar's controversial comment suggesting that opera and ballet are disciplines that "no one cares about."
The Met Opera accountposted a videohighlighting the craftsmanship of set decorators, musicians, costumers, and more theatrical technicians on Thursday with the caption, "This one's for you, @tchalamet… 👀."
The video also included text on screen paraphrasing Chalamet's remark: "All respect to the opera (and ballet) people out there."
Chalamet drew criticism for acomment he made about ballet and operaduring a CNN/Varietytown hall interview with Matthew McConaughey, in which theCall Me By Your Nameactor discussed the possibility of theatrical moviegoing becoming a more niche medium of entertainment that is in constant need of salvation.
"I've done it myself — go on a talk show and go, 'Hey, we gotta keep movie theaters alive. You know, we gotta keep this genre alive,'" he said. "And another part of me feels like, if people wanna see it, likeBarbie, likeOppenheimer, they're gonna go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it."
He continued, "And I don't wanna be working in ballet or opera, or, you know, things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive,' even though it's like, no one cares about this anymore."
Chalamet — whose mother, Nicole Flender, was a professional dancer who performed with the New York City Ballet — seemed to immediately recognize the impact of his words. "All respect to the ballet and opera people out there," he said. "I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason."
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Entertainment Weeklyhas reached out to representatives for Chalamet for comment.
The Met Opera's post received several supportive comments from theatrical performers, including the Tony-winningGypsyactressLaura Benanti, who wrote, "He's gonna be singing a different tune when the live arts are all that's left after AI takes over. Oh wait. He's above singing a tune."
Meanwhile,How to Get Away With Murderstar Jack Falahee praised the Met's recent production ofThe Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. "I took myself to see Kavalier and Clay for my birthday a couple weeks ago. it absolutely rocked. bravo everyone!" he commented.
Modern FamilystarSarah Hyland, who has recently starred in the Broadway showsJust in TimeandThe Great Gatsby, also commented several clapping emojis in support of the Met's post.
Met Opera dancers Ana Luiza Luizi and Júnio Enrique, who share the popular Instagram account @thatbraziliancouple, also commented, "Nothing but respect for everyone who makes the magic happen."
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The Met Opera wasn't the only institution to respond to Chalamet's comment. London's Royal Ballet and Opera alsoposted a similar videohighlighting its artists, which began with an audio clip of Chalamet's controversial remark before cutting to roaring audiences alongside text on screen saying, "We care."
The Royal Ballet and Opera also directly addressed Chalamet in the caption of its video. "Every night at the Royal Opera House, thousands of people gather for ballet and opera," the institution wrote. "For the music. For the storytelling. For the sheer magic of live performance. If you'd like to reconsider, @tchalamet, our doors are open."
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