Oscar winner Charlize Theron has predicted even darker times ahead for Timothée Chalamet following his controversial dismissal of opera and ballet.
Chalamet, 30, infuriated lovers of the arts when he slated the historic disciplines during an interview with fellow actor Matthew McConaughey in February.
The movie stars were discussing the need to preserve cinema by making films people will want to buy tickets to see.
“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,’” Chalamet said, before laughing.
He casually added, “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there...”
Theron, who won Best Actress for Monster in 2004, addressed Chalamet’s comments in an interview with The New York Times, where she called dancers “superheroes” for what they put their bodies through.
Directly discussing Chalamet, Theron said, “Oh boy, I hope I run into him one day.”
The Mad Max: Fury Road star said Chalamet made “a very reckless comment on an art form, two art forms, that we need to lift up constantly because yes, they do have a hard time.”
She added, “But in 10 years, AI is going to be able to do Timothée’s job, but it will not be able to replace a person on a stage dancing live. And we shouldn’t s--t on other art forms.”
Theron trained as a ballet dancer, performing in both Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, and left her native South Africa to join the Joffrey Ballet in New York. An injured knee saw her focus on acting over dancing.
Theron added that dance taught her discipline, structure and how to be tough.
“It’s borderline abusive,” she said. “There were several times that I had blood infections from blisters that just never healed. And you don’t get a day off. I’m literally talking about bleeding through your shoes.”
Theron joins a list of performers who have already called out the Marty Supreme star’s remarks, including one who also recognized the threat of technology.
“If anything, in a world where AI is reshaping cinema faster than most realize, the unmediated human presence of ballet and opera becomes more essential, not less,” choreographer Martin Chaix said. “I hope he finds his way into a theatre.”
Actress Jamie Lee Curtis wrote in an Instagram story, “Why are any artists taking shots at any other artists?”
Ballet choreographer Kam Saunders, who performed in Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, simply wrote on social media, “Yikes.”
Grammy-winning opera singer Isabel Leonard said she was “shocked” a successful actor could be “so ineloquent and narrow-minded in his views about art while considering himself as an artist.”
She added, “To take cheap shots at fellow artists says more in this interview than anything else he could say. Shows a lot about his character.”
Conan O’Brien also mocked Chalamet, who was in the audience, at this year’s Oscars.
During his opening monologue, O’Brien joked that security had been increased at the event. “There’s concerns about attacks from the ballet and opera communities.” He then addressed Chalamet, saying, “They’re just mad you left out jazz.”
On SNL, Weekend Update anchor Colin Jost pointed out that Chalamet had been “criticized by major opera and ballet organizations after he said that no one cares about those art forms.”
“Chalamet,” Jost continued, “made the comment on a press tour for his movie (Marty Supreme) about ping-pong.”
