Timothee Chalamet was considered a sure-shot winner in the Oscars’ category for Best Actor, until a fortnight ago.
But in February the super-talented Chalamet, considered by many cineastes to be the finest American actor after Brad Pitt, shot himself in the foot by making a remark on his reach as a movie actor.
Said Chalamet, “I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though like no one cares about this anymore’.”
Chalamet had been talking to fellow-actor Matthew McConaughey at the University of Texas in February about efforts to preserve cinema.
The gaffe outraged not only the opera and ballet community but the entire arts community who felt Chalamet’s remark was patronizing, condescending, and insensitive.
It has cost Chalamet the Oscar for his sparkling performance in Marty Supreme.
Not that Michael B Jordan who pipped the honour for his double role in Sinners was not deserving. But Timothee was better. If only he had kept his mouth shut.
