Timothée Chalamet responds to backlash over comments on his acting
Timothée Chalamet stands by calling his acting “top-level.”
While promoting Marty Supreme, the 29-year-old Oscar nominee addressed recent headlines sparked by his comments praising his own performances.
“Why would I not like that question? 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,” Chalamet responded in an interview published 19 as IndieWire asked if he planned to be “more careful about how you talk” moving forward and suggested he would not appreciate the question.
He added that his intense promotional push—from media appearances to merchandising—reflects the same mindset as his character, Marty Mauser. “I’m trying to get this out in the biggest way possible,” he said.
Chalamet stars as Mauser, a confident and driven table tennis prodigy in 1950s New York set on international success. His bold self-belief has been compared to the character after a clip circulated of him calling the role his best yet and describing his recent work as “top-of-the-line.”
Chalamet also revealed if there was a specific moment when he began to push himself more directly toward his acting goals.
The actor, who portrayed a young Dylan in last year’s A Complete Unknown, answered with a Bob Dylan lyric that reads, “‘He who is not busy being born is busy dying.'”
“Simple as that. That Dylan lyric resonated with me so tremendously,” Chalamet said, referencing the Bob Dylan song It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding).”
“Certainly, everyone needs respite and relaxation and healing at times, and I’m not speaking in some maniacal pursuit way. But with such a unique lifestyle and career opportunity, that is to say, to work at a high level, why not be passionate about it at all?” he said.
“I’ve always given it my all. That’s evident in my early work… Bones and All, Call Me by Your Name, Beautiful Boy, or The King, but I do believe my artistry is growing. It’s in formation. My foundation has gotten stronger as an artist. So my canvas board got bigger, or my palette.”
Marty Supreme is set to open in theaters on December 25. Chalamet has already garnered nominations for his performance at the Critics’ Choice Awards on January 4 and the Golden Globe Awards on January 11.
