Timothee Chalamet railed against ballet and opera years before viral comments

"I started getting the sense it was maybe opera or ballet or something, it's kind of like a dying art form or something. No 'woe is me' thing, but you start working on movies, you start acting, pursuing your thing."

"I don'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.' All respect to the ballet and opera people out there ... I just lost 14 cents in viewership."

"Ballet and opera have never existed in isolation - they have continually informed, inspired, and elevated other art forms."

Timothée Chalamet made controversial comments during a Variety and CNN town hall with Matthew McConaughey in February, stating he wouldn't want to work in ballet or opera where people need to be told to keep the art form alive because 'no one cares about this anymore.' A resurfaced 2019 clip from his promotion of 'The King' reveals similar sentiments, where he referred to ballet and opera as 'dying art forms.' His recent remarks sparked backlash from the ballet and opera communities, including a statement from the Royal Ballet and Opera defending their cultural significance and influence on other art forms. Despite the criticism, some regional opera companies responded with creative marketing initiatives.

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