Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Supreme Oscar campaign has been jolted by a resurfaced Variety clip with Matthew McConaughey.
In it, the actor laughs as he says he wouldn’t want to be “working in ballet or opera where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.’”
Though Kylie Jenner’s beau quickly added “all respect to the ballet and opera people out there,” the remark has triggered sharp responses from performers and institutions.
The Royal Ballet and Opera told The Hollywood Reporter that ballet and opera “have never existed in isolation” and continue to inspire theatre, film, music, and fashion.
They stressed that millions worldwide still engage with these art forms, which have shaped culture for centuries.
Artists have also pushed back following Chalamet’s controversial remarks.
Isabel Leonard called Chalamet’s words “ineloquent and narrow-minded.”
American opera singer added that “only a weak person/artist feels the need to diminish” other art forms.
Deepa Johnny described the take as “disappointing.”
The Canadian soprano urged artists to “uplift these art forms” and celebrate the magic of live performance.
Seán Tester, Irish tenor, argued that Chalamet’s view mistakes popularity for cultural value.
“Opera and ballet have survived wars … To call these art forms irrelevant says far less about the art itself than it does about how little time someone has spent truly experiencing it.”
