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A February interview from Marty Supreme actor Timothée Chalamet in which he expressed that “no one cares” about ballet or opera, has polarized the performance industry just a week ahead of the Academy Awards.
The controversial comments came during a CNN and Variety Town Hall event where he was having a conversation around the acting industry alongside fellow actor Matthew McConaughey. When discussing recent struggles filmmakers have had with the decreasing popularity of theatrical releases during the age of streaming, Chalamet said he’d rather face those struggles than be tasked with keeping a culture alive in the case of ballet and opera which “no one cares about anymore.”
Though the Oscar-nominated actor ended his statement by saying, “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there,” the remark quickly sparked debate online, with many in the performing arts community pushing back against the idea that the art forms have lost cultural relevance.
Adding to the conversation, rapper and singer Doja Cat also weighed in online, calling the comments “a wild take,” and encouraging audiences to recognise the cultural significance and artistry of both forms.