The Metropolitan Opera has responded after actor Timothée Chalamet sparked discussion with remarks suggesting that few people care about art forms such as opera and ballet.
The actor made the comments during a joint town hall hosted by Variety and CNN on February 24, where he spoke with fellow actor Matthew McConaughey about the future of cinema.
Chalamet said he admired actors who appear on talk shows to encourage audiences to support cinema, but also suggested that popular films naturally draw audiences without additional campaigning.
“I admire people who go on a talk show and say we have got to keep movie theatres alive,” he said. “But another part of me feels that if people want to see something, like Barbie or Oppenheimer, they are going to go out of their way to watch it.”
He added that he would not want to work in fields where people feel they must constantly encourage audiences to preserve them.
“I do not want to be working in ballet or opera, or things where it is like ‘keep this thing alive even though no one cares about this any more’. All respect to the ballet and opera people out there,” he said.
The remarks prompted responses from several opera organisations, including Metropolitan Opera. In a video montage posted on Instagram on March 5, the company highlighted the many departments involved in producing an opera, including musicians, costume designers and set builders.
The video also referenced part of Chalamet’s statement with the on-screen message “All respect to the opera and ballet people out there,” while the caption read: “This one’s for you, @tchalamet.”
Other companies joined the conversation online. LA Opera pointed to the strong ticket sales for its current production of Akhnaten, joking that it would offer the actor complimentary tickets but the show was close to selling out.
Meanwhile, Royal Ballet and Opera invited Chalamet to attend a performance, noting that thousands of people attend its shows each night for the “sheer magic of live performance”.
In a separate conversation with McConaughey published by Variety on February 21, Chalamet also reflected on criticism he received earlier in his career from a fellow actor who questioned his lack of formal acting training.
Without naming the colleague, the 30-year-old said the person asked which conservatory he had attended. When Chalamet replied that he had not trained at one, the actor suggested he was therefore not properly trained.
Chalamet said he ultimately learned to ignore such remarks, adding that some people enjoy giving advice more than offering genuine guidance.
