Timothée Chalamet faces hefty backlash over comments 'no one cares' about opera and ballet
His controversial comments came during an interview with Matthew McConaughey
Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet is facing heavy backlash after he dismissed ballet and opera as art forms that "no one cares about".
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The controversial comments came during an interview with Matthew McConaughey at the University of Texas last month about measures to preserve cinema.
The 30-year-old said: "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."
"All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there", he quickly added.
His remarks have sparked fury from across the performing arts world, with many famous names and institutions taking to social media to voice their disappointment.
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Canadian mezzo-soprano Deepa Johnny described Chalamet's comments as a "disappointing take" while Jamie Lee Curtis queried on Instagram: "Why are any artists taking shots at any other artists?".
Rapper Doja Cat has also called out Chalamet, posting a roasting online rant to her TikTok on Sunday.
She said: "By the way, opera is 400 years old and ballet is 500 years old.
"Somebody named Timothée Chalamet, had the nerve, big guy by the way, had the nerve, on camera that nobody cares about it [opera and ballet]
"I'm pretty sure that if you went to an opera theatre right now, seats will be filled out and nobody saying a word as the performance is going on because everybody has that much respect for it."
'Thriving'
Major arts organisations have also spoken as The Metropolitan Opera shared a video of all the work behind a performance, while the Royal Ballet explained how ballet and opera inspire other art forms.
Seattle Opera even released a promo code with Chalamet’s name for their show Carmen.
It said: "All we have got to say is use promo code TIMOTHEE to save 14% off select seats for Carmen, through this weekend only. Timmy, you're welcome to use it too."
The English National Ballet insisted the art form was "not only alive and well, but thriving".
In an Instagram post, it said: "Over 200,000 people joined our performances, experiencing the power of ballet.
"Our social content saw over 65m impressions and we connected with thousands of people of all ages and walks of life through creative learning and participation."
Chalamet was quick to recognise the contentious nature of his remarks, saying immediately after: "All respect to the ballet and opera people out there, I just lost 14 cents in viewership, I just took shots for no reason."
The actor's family also holds deep ties to ballet, with his mother and grandmother having danced for the New York City Ballet - making his comments even more controversial and confusiing.
The actor was recently nominated for a Bafta for his role as ping pong player Marty Mauser in the film Marty Supreme.