There are certain kinds of actors who are very open about wanting to make great movies. They choose projects that pay less and likely won’t be seen by as many people because they want to make meaningful art. We all collectively respect that. It’s seen as noble in Hollywood and worthy of praise from certain kinds of movie fans, but what Timothée Chalamet has done the last year has been different. He’s talked about himself and how makes these choices because he personally wants to push himself to be great. It’s caused a backlash from some of those same kinds of movie fans. He’s still not apologizing though, and I love that about him.
Chalamet recently sat down for an interview to talk about his upcoming table tennis movie Marty Supreme, which is getting rave reviews. During the convo with Indie Wire, he was asked if he’s going to “be more careful” with how he talks from now on because of the backlash. Here’s what he said…
This is in the spirit of Marty, and I feel like this is ultimately an original film at a time when original movies aren’t really put out. It’s a movie about the pursuit of a dream. I’m leaving it on the field. Whether it’s the merch or the Zoom or the media appearances, I’m trying to get this out in the biggest way possible
It’s not the only time Chalamet has been asked about his almost aggressive confidence. Earlier this year he appeared on the podcast of WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, and he was asked about his controversial speech at the SAG Awards when he said, “I want to be one of the greats.” Some people felt a certain type of way about how open he was about his own artistic goals, but just like now, he was defensive of his motivations and did not apologize.
There’s this nostalgia for De Niro and Daniel Day-Lewis. But if you’re a young gun, like myself, or like yourself, it’s like ‘Wait a second, we’re still doing it.
Much of the response to all of this on so-called Film Twitter has been negative, but over the last month or so, there’s been a lot of pushback from movie fans who see the world in a different way. In particular, there’s been a lot of talk about how Chalamet communicates more like an athlete than he does an actor, and as someone who loves both movies and sports, there is so much truth to that.
The two-time Oscar nominee who seems likely to be nominated again soon is a huge sports and WWE fan. He’s seen often courtside at Knicks games, and the way he speaks about striving for greatness mirrors the language patterns of a lot of pro athletes. In that world, it is expected that players openly talk of putting in the work to win. It’s expected that they strive for greatness and are very nakedly open about wanting to get better.
There’s this mentality in Hollywood that you’re supposed to be humble. You’re supposed to speak of how fortunate you are to have been cast or to be getting acclaim. And I get it. There is more nepotism in Hollywood than in sports, and there is always an element of chance in finding your big break.
I’m definitely not arguing everything is based on merit, but is an objective fact that certain people put in great work and make the most of the opportunities they’re given. It’s not an accident that an unknown Jonah Hill is so memorable during his thirty second scene in 40 Year Old Virgin. It’s not chance that Viola Davis got an Oscar nomination for like ten minutes of screentime in Doubt. The most talented people are the most likely to stand out.
I love that Timothée Chalamet wants to be great, and I love that he’s open about it. That might come off as arrogant to people who are used to actors talking like actors, but for those of us who come from the sports world, it sounds a lot more like someone determined to put in the work to become great. Personally, I wish more actors were like that, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of his career unapologetically plays out.
