South African-born actress Charlize Theron has publicly called out Timothée Chalamet for his disparaging comments towards ballet and opera.
After the announcement that Theron will appear as Calypso in Christoper Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of The Oddysey, the actress sat down for an interview with the New York Times.
During this interview, which discussed Theron’s background as a dancer, she was asked about Chalamet’s recent comments during a Variety and CNN town hall-style interview with Matthew McConaughey, in which he said ‘no one cares‘ about ballet and opera anymore, and that he wouldn’t want to work on projects that require ‘keeping this thing alive’
@basicallyhollywood #TimotheeChalamet ♬ original sound – Basically Hollywood
Theron joked, ‘Oh, boy, I hope I run into him one day,’ before arguing, ‘That was a very reckless comment on an art form, two art forms, that we need to lift up constantly because, yes, they do have a hard time.’
She went on to express, ‘Dance is probably one of the hardest things I ever did. Dancers are superheroes. What they put their bodies through in complete silence.’
@theinterview_nyt When she was young, Charlize Theron studied dance in New York City at the Joffrey Ballet, then switched to acting after an injury. She shared her thoughts about Timothée Chalamet’s comments on dance and opera on “The Interview.” In her full conversation, Theron talks about her dark family past, the joy she found in her early years in Hollywood, her new movie “Apex,” and more. Read, watch or listen to the full episode at the link in our bio. Video by The New York Times #theinterview #charlizetheron #apex #timotheechalamet #chalamet ♬ original sound – The Interview
Theron went on to point out the irony of Chalamet’s comment, stating that with the rise of AI, screen acting will likely also become a struggling art form.
‘But in 10 years, AI is going to be able to do Timothée’s job, but it will not be able to replace a person on a stage dancing live. And we shouldn’t [expletive] on other art forms.‘
– Charlize Theron, The New York Times
While the SAG-AFTRA actors and writers strike in 2023 aimed to end the use of AI in Hollywood, several studios are still attempting to make use of the software, both in terms of screenwriting and even with fully AI actors.
Chalamet, who stars in the upcoming Dune: Messiah film set to release in December, faced a lot of backlash for his comments, particularly from the ballet and opera communities. However, he also received plenty of backlash from his professional peers, which was especially unfortunate, given his Oscars campaign for his starring role in Marty Supreme.
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Picture: Reuters
