If you’re anything like us, you’ve quickly fallen in love with the easy looks and incredible acting talent that break-out Hollywood star Timothée Chalamet has shown us in the brief time he’s been in the spotlight. This article will go over the meteoric rise of the young American actor, touch on some highlights and favourite moments for us and we will also do a little bit of speculating about what might be next for the Hollywood heartthrob.
How it started
Chalamet was born in New York at the end of 1995, December 27th, must be a nightmare getting Christmas and birthday gifts all at once. Both his parents were creative people and it has to assume that we are seeing the results of their nurture when he lights up the screen. His mother was a dancer and his father was an editor for UNICEF, and so Chalamet was always encouraged to participate in and around the arts. He went to a performing arts school, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, and the skills he learned there have propelled him into Hollywood fame.
His first appearance apart from commercial work was on Law & Order in 2009 where he played a murder victim. It would be some years and other various small TV and film roles interspersed with stage work before his incredible performance in Call Me by Your Name a Luca Guadagnino film brought him well and truly into the Hollywood spotlight.
The breakout role
The film Call Me by Your Name directed by Luca Guadagnino is based on a book by the same name by André Aciman. The story is that of a young man who falls in love with an older male graduate student who is visiting his family in Italy for the summer. While the film was received incredibly well by critics at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival where it premiered, Chalamet in particular was praised for his performance.
Chalamet played the young Elio Perlman and in preparation for the role, it’s said that Chalamet learned to speak some Italian and to play piano and guitar. While impressive, it was the quality of his acting, not his dedication to the preparation for the role that gained him attention.
What’s next for the star?
With the highly anticipated Dune: Part Two on the horizon and the reboot or reimagining of Wonka having a successful and drama-free release, we can only imagine that the young star will continue what is already an excellent career with more amazing roles.
We know that there is a Bod Dylan biopic directed by James Mangold that is in the works, but other than that there is precious little news about the star’s potential next plans and roles.
There are some rumours that Chalamet plans to take a break from screen acting for a time and return to the Stage, which is a route that many Hollywood actors have taken after achieving some success.
It’s clear from his acting roles that the star enjoys taking roles that might not be clear winners to others. Some of his previous roles show that he is no stranger to taking a gamble in the hopes that there is a big payoff with his choice of roles, just as many people enjoy spinning a reel on slot games like Mega Joker, so too does Chalamet enjoy playing those roles in his acting career that could end up with a big payoff but that others don’t see the benefit of. So far his vision and belief in his ability to handle these roles has more than worked out for Chalamet, and now that he is in the Hollywood limelight we will see if he continues to take these roles that aren’t clear slam-dunk wins in future.
Nominations aplenty
Call Me by Your Name was absurdly successful and Chalamet went from relatively unknown to being showered with nominations and awards. He won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead and the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor, he was also nominated for many prestigious awards, among them the Academy Award for Best Actor, making the young American the third youngest ever to be nominated for that particular category.
That awards season was not the last time that Chalamet would be nominated for awards, he also received several nominations for his work in the 2018 film Beautiful Boy as a supporting actor.
The main event for many people when Chalamet attends awards ceremonies and red-carpet events, is his fashion. Often the young star seems to enjoy pushing the boundaries of what is considered fashionable and takes daring stylistic choices. From his monochrome suit to high turtle necks, Chalamet sets his own fashion pace, and it all seems to work flawlessly on the young star.
Have the directors Chalamet has worked with influenced his work?
It seems undeniable that the amazing A-list directors that Chalamet has worked with have been an influence on him. With Luca Guadagnino, Chalamet was allowed to perform at his very best because he had one of the best to direct him. Would he have been recognised as the talent he is if a lesser director had been at the helm?
While Chalamet is himself a talented individual, working with such talented directors is bound to have some effect and for Chalamet it has been to be able to be all he can be. It is clear that Chalamet is dedicated to the craft of acting and that an excellent director will be able to push him to give more of himself than he would give without.
Beloved globally
Something that is all Chalamet’s own is his sheer charisma and easy appeal. His acting ability has touched people of many nations and from many walks of life and people of many different cultures and backgrounds can see the appeal of the young star.
Who can say exactly what it is about the star, he is talented, handsome and able to be relatable as any character he portrays. Whatever it is, Chalamet can let anyone watching share in the story that he is attempting to portray.
To conclude, while Timothée Chalamet’s meteoric rise to stardom has been fast, it is clear that Chalamet is working at being a master of the craft of acting. He has shown that he wants audiences and directors to appreciate him as a talented individual and that he wishes to tell and portray stories that are important to him and his generation. Surely the star has an incredible future ahead of him and we eagerly await his next projects
