Timothée Chalamet's Stunning Transformation
Actor Timothée Chalamet, whose accurate French pronunciation of his name is 'Tim-oh-teh' (yes, you've been saying it wrong all this time), has catapulted to stardom quicker than most. Not even in his 30s, Chalamet's acting resume is impressive. He's worked with A-listers like Leonardo Dicaprio, Matthew McConaughey, and Steve Carell and directors like Denis Villeneuve and Greta Gerwig. Not to mention the fact that he scored an Oscar nomination at 22.
Chalamet began to shine after the release of 2017's "Call Me By Your Name." The film's director, Luca Guadagnino, knew the actor had something special in him. "The guy I was talking with had this brooding, unbiased determination and ambition to be a great actor, and yet he had this kind of soft, ingénue naïveté of a young boy. Those two things together were incredible," he told Deadline.
It isn't just Chalamet's acting career that has drawn people's attention to the young star. The native New Yorker's charisma, intellect, and love life (including his relationship with a certain reality star turned makeup mogul), have also been a giant headline. Here is the stunning transformation of Timothée Chalamet.
He was born and raised in New York City
Timothée Chalamet was born in New York City on December 27, 1995. Alongside his older sister, Pauline Chalamet, Timothée was raised in the artistic Manhattan Plaza in Hell's Kitchen. His mother, Nicole Flender, of Jewish descent, was a dancer who turned to real estate, and his French father, Marc Chalamet, is a journalist for Le Parisien, who also held positions for UNICEF and the United Nations. Chalamet found inspiration in his unique upbringing.
During an interview, Pauline, an actor herself, told The Sydney Morning Herald what it was like for her and her brother to grow up in such an arts-focused environment. "The building imposed rehearsal hours where you were allowed to practice piano or, like, my parents had this board we kept under the living room couch that they'd take out when I wanted to tap dance," she shared.
Furthermore, growing up with a French father, Timothée spent most of his summers in France. He told Dazed Digital, "I had a cultural upbringing that wasn't like anybody around me. I spent summers in a small French village called Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, which couldn't be more opposite from my life in New York." In fact, Timothée holds dual citizenship in the United States and France. He can also speak French pretty fluently and has even done full interviews in French.
He attended a prominent performing arts high school with Ansel Elgort
Timothée Chalamet attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan. There, the actor found a true passion for acting and honed his skills. He also left his mark under the alias Lil' Timmy Tim. Yep, this young actor had a rap alter ego in high school, and there are even performances to prove it on YouTube, including one about statistics. It's no wonder Chalamet's skit as a rapper on "Saturday Night Live" became such a fan-favorite.
Chalamet had a very famous classmate while attending LaGuardia High School. Ansel Elgort, who has starred in movies including "The Fault In Our Stars," "The Divergent Series," and "Tokyo Vice," was a good friend and has continued that friendship since becoming famous. The actors played on the school's basketball team and had the same teachers, including drama teacher Harry Shifman, who praised both young talents.
During an interview with Vanity Fair, Shifman said of Chalamet, "It was already clear that [Timothée] was so interesting and gifted and compelling." He added that he had asked the high school principal to give Chalamet a spot after learning the youngster had been rejected. "I went to the principal ... thank goodness the principal was responsive to me because I was very incensed that Timmy didn't get in."
His parents were a big part of his career
Timothée Chalamet's parents were incredibly supportive of their children's career paths; especially Chalamet's mother, Nicole Flender, who attended LaGuardia High School as well, majoring in dance. Flender was a ballet dancer who had also worked in Broadway shows like "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Hello Dolly." In an interview with The Guardian, Flender stated that she had a big hand in her children's acting careers.
"I took them to see many different plays and musicals when they were growing up, and I think seeing certain performances influenced them," she shared. Flender added, "The productions they've seen and, even growing up in New York, have informed who they are today." However, she stated that she did not push her kids to get into acting; that was something they fell in love with themselves. "I planted seeds, and our lifestyle really inspired those interests, but they always had control of their careers. I was encouraging, you know, but I wasn't like 'You better get this job.'"
Chalamet has always had a close bond with both of his parents. Speaking to Harry Styles for i-D magazine (via Vice), he shared, "I think the most precious thing I get from my parents — and I try and give it back to them as much as I can — is their love and support. I hope that doesn't sound cheesy, but it's true."
The Dark Knight inspired him to get into the business
Timothée Chalamet's parents may have had a hand in inspiring their son to find love within the arts, but at 12 years old Chalamet may have already known his calling. The actor has stated that director Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" played a massive part in his life and ultimately led him to consider acting as a profession. Who would have thought that just seven years later, he would nab a minor role in Nolan's 2014 sci-fi "Interstellar?"
It was a particular performance in Nolan's film that sparked Chalamet's passion: Heath Ledger's Oscar-winning portrayal of the Joker. In an interview with IndieWire, Chalamet shared, "I just had no clue what was going on in [Ledger's] head, and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world." In his 2018 acceptance speech for the best actor award for "Call Me By Your Name" at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Chalamet further detailed his love for the film. "I left that theater a changed man, and I'm serious about that. Heath Ledger's performance in that film was visceral and viral to me, and I now had the acting bug."
His acting talents came naturally
Like most up-and-coming actors, Timothée Chalamet started his career in television. In 2009, he appeared in an episode of "Law & Order," and in 2012, he starred in a few episodes of "Royal Pains." That same year, Chalamet starred in eight episodes of "Homeland," portraying Finn Walden, the vice president's son. Chalamet was still attending high school while nabbing these roles, and movies would soon come Chalamet's way. In 2014, he had a minor role in "Men, Women, and Children," which starred Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, and his high school classmate Ansel Elgort. There was also the film "Worst Friends," which was released straight to DVD.
Portraying Matthew McConaghuey's young son, Tom Cooper, in "Interstellar" came next, and though it was a small part, it was Chalamet's first time working in a big-budget film. In an interview with BAFTA Guru, Chalamet shared his approach to giving everything to his character, even if it is a minor role. "As an actor, particularly if you're not the lead of the project, you try to make yourself as claylike, as malleable as possible, a blip in the radar, a wallflower, somebody who comes prepared and ready to go. ... Ultimately, the responsibility is to that character."
Between 2015 and 2016, Chalamet starred in four movies — "One and Two," "The Adderall Diaries," "Love the Coopers," and "Miss Stevens." Although they aren't the films Chalamet is now known for, they showed his incredible range as a young actor.
Call Me By Your Name was his breakthrough
Timothée Chalamet's next big project came when he starred as Elio in director Luca Guadagnino's 2017 film "Call Me By Your Name." The movie put Chalamet on the map.
"Call Me By Your Name" is a romance set in Northern Italy in the 1980s. It revolves around Elio, a 17-year-old who navigates his feelings for an older man named Oliver (played by Armie Hammer), who stays with his family over the summer. With the film taking place in Italy, Chalamet learned Italian for the movie (in which he also spoke French and English) and studied piano and guitar for his role. His performance was met with rave reviews from critics, including Christy Lemire of RogerEbert, who praised Chalamet's performance, calling the film "Far and away the best movie of the year."
For his outstanding role, Chalamet was nominated for best actor at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and the BAFTAs. He won the award for best actor at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the 2018 New York Film Critics Circle. Speaking to ABC News about the film's tremendous success, Chalamet shared, "It's nuts. I mean, I'm just trying not to pinch myself. Actors' careers go up and down and up and down, so there'll be a nice crash soon — I'm kidding. I hope not."
He acted in two movies directed by Greta Gerwig
The year 2017 was a big one for Timothée Chalamet. In addition to starring in the Oscar-nominated film "Call Me By Your Name," he was part of the cast of 2017's coming-of-age film and Golden Globe-winning movie "Lady Bird." Indie actor Greta Gerwig made her solo directorial debut with the movie, casting Saoirse Ronan to take on the lead role. Chalamet portrayed Ronan's character's love interest, Kyle.
In 2019, Chalamet teamed up with Gerwig and Ronan again to star in Gerwig's film "Little Woman," an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 book. Chalamet was cast as Theodore "Laurie" Laurence in the movie. In both roles, Chalamet gave magnetic performances, with Gerwig praising his acting skills. She described Chalamet as "a young Christian Bale crossed with a young Daniel Day-Lewis with a sprinkle of young Leonardo DiCaprio ... " (via GQ)
Chalamet and Ronan worked together for a third time in Wes Andersen's 2021 film "The French Dispatch." In the movie, Chalamet starred as Zeffirelli, a rebellious student activist, and starred with an all-star cast that included his scene partner Frances McDormand. In an interview with GQ, Anderson shared that Chalamet fit in perfectly with his cast of A-listers, adding, "I think my favorite moments with Timmy during a scene were the ones where I saw him pause and find a new attack. A new angle, which he does very clearly and assertively. What I love is how he will surprise you with something new, completely unexpected and perfect."
Beautiful Boy let Chalamet's acting talents shine
After such a big year, Timothée Chalamet was working on a much more serious role alongside Steve Carell in 2018's biographical movie "Beautiful Boy." The film is based on the two best-selling memoirs, "Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction" by David Sheff and his son Nic Sheff's "Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines." It stars Chalamet as Nic and Carell as David as they struggle with Nic's drug addiction and their own relationship.
Chalamet prepared for the role by speaking to recovering drug addicts, losing nearly 20 pounds, and, most importantly, meeting with Nic himself. The author was pleased with Chalamet's representation of him in the film, telling Deadline, "There's such depth to his person. There's wisdom, well beyond his years." He added, "He sort of flashes between being just a kid, having fun with his friends, to being this incredibly wise, contemplative, and articulate spokesperson."
In his interview with Vice, Chalamet revealed that the intensity of the role did leave an impact. "After the last day of shooting, I had the strangest walk home. I didn't even live it; Nic and David did, but I still felt really affected, drained, and a little devastated. The movie isn't a downer, because it is really redemptive and hopeful, but it did feel like a punch to the stomach."
Chalamet nailed his big-budget movie roles
Timothée Chalamet got a small taste of working in a big-budget film when he starred in "Interstellar." However, he nabbed his first leading role in a massive blockbuster when he was cast to play lead Paul Atreides in "Dune: Part One," based on Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel. Though the role was no doubt daunting, Chalamet spoke about how filming such a big movie actually made him feel more assured. While interviewing his "Bones and All" co-star Taylor Russell for Homme Girls, Chalamet compared himself to his "Dune" character, Paul: "[As] Paul Atreides becomes more sure on his heels, I feel more sure on my heels, too."
Starring in a major production is a very different feat from working on an indie film, but Chalamet said that the "Dune" set was great because it was so based in reality. While speaking to Empire, Chalamet detailed how filming in the desert surpassed his blockbuster expectations: "The nature of these big-budget movies is to get good at reacting to a green screen that's showing the audience that a mountain exploded 200 feet in the distance. I wouldn't know how to train for that. And the suit didn't feel silly. You hear some actors in superhero films say that as each part of the superhero costume is added, some part of their dignity has slipped away. There wasn't any of that."
The 2021 film was a massive success at the box office, earning $402 million worldwide on a $165 million budget. It became one of the most awarded sci-fi films at the Academy Awards, winning six awards that included best cinematography, best film editing, and best visual effects.
He stepped into Willy Wonka's shoes
Timothée Chalamet showcased his singing and dancing skills when he was cast as Willy Wonka in director Paul King's 2023 "Wonka." However, unlike the previous two Willy Wonka movies based on Roald Dahl's book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," where viewers watched Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp put on the top hat and purple suit, the film took moviegoers back to a young Wonka and his journey to become a top chocolatier.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, King revealed that there was no audition process for Willy Wonka because he instantly thought of Chalamet. The young actor's high school performances also helped King make the decision."It was a straight offer because he's great and he was the only person in my mind who could do it," King said. "But because he's Timothée Chalamet and his life is so absurd, his high school musical performances are on YouTube and have hundreds of thousands of views."
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Chalamet shared that the role "was the most physically challenging project I've ever done." He added that though he had musical theater experience, filming "Wonka" "was on a different level," as the actor had to train for months and work with professional dancers.
He and Zendaya are BFFs
Rumors swirled that Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya were an item after the pair worked together for the first time in "Dune: Part One." But all those reports were totally wrong as these two have only shared a remarkable friendship.
In an interview with British Vogue, Zendaya shared that she was happy that she would be starring in a film with someone around her age. She and Chalamet quickly bonded, and Zendaya shared, "He's obviously a very talented actor, but just a wonderful person and a good friend to have. Especially in this industry, it's nice to have other people who are going through it too and that you can talk to." In fact, Zendaya helped Chalamet decorate his New York City apartment. "Well, the vibe was very teenage boy [before I helped]. And we just needed a few necessities — you know, cups and plates, knives and forks, things to clean. We needed some structure," she joked on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
The pair only got closer as they worked together again for 2024's "Dune: Part Two." However, things may have been awkward when Chalamet and Zendaya's characters share a kiss in one scene. When ET asked Chalamet about the kiss, the actor shared, "It's weird as hell because we're so close platonically, so it's just a strange part of the job."
He's dated very famous women
Timothée Chalamet's dating history is just as impressive as his movie roles. The "Call Me By Your Name" actor has been in relationships with several high-profile celebrities but has mainly kept all of his romances on the down low. One of the very first women Chalamet was linked to was his LaGuardia classmate Lourdes Leon in 2013. The relationship was brief, but in an interview with Vanity Fair in 2021, Lourdes, who is Madonna's daughter, referred to the actor as her "first boyfriend," saying, "I respect him a lot, we were a little item."
In 2018, Chalamet was linked to Johnny Depp's daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, with whom he worked on the Netflix film "The King." When photos emerged of the couple kissing on a boat in Italy, Chalamet expressed his frustrations with the paparazzi. He told GQ, "I was on this boat all day with someone I really loved, and closing my eyes, I was like, indisputably, 'That was great.' And then waking up to all these pictures, and feeling embarrassed, and looking like a real knob? All pale?" The pair ultimately broke up after just under two years of dating.
Chalamet also had a brief romance with actor Eiza González, and paparazzi also photographed them kissing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in the summer of 2020. That relationship was also short, ending that October. Of course, his next relationship would make the most headlines.
He's dating Kylie Jenner
Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner's relationship took the internet by surprise. In spring 2023, TMZ reported that the actor and the reality star were in the beginning stages of their relationship after Jenner's Range Rover was seen leaving his home in Beverly Hills.
In early September 2023, Chalamet and Jenner confirmed their relationship status when they attended Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour at SoFi Stadium in California. A video obtained by TMZ showed the couple kissing and hugging throughout their time at the concert. In December, MTV's Josh Horowitz interviewed Chalamet, asking the actor about his favorite concert of 2023. Chalamet could not remember attending one until Horowitz jokingly reminded him, "You went to Beyoncé. That is documented, I will say that." Chalamet replied, "That was great. Hard to be present."
Fans of the pair also got to see them together as they attended the U.S. Open men's singles final match in September 2023. In November, Chalamet was a supportive boyfriend when Jenner was honored with the Brand Innovator of the Year award at the WSJ Magazine Innovators Awards. In return, Jenner supported her beau when he hosted "Saturday Night Live" that same month. In January 2024, the couple took their relationship to the next level when Jenner attended the Golden Globes and sat beside the actor, who was nominated for his role in "Wonka."
What's next for Chalamet?
In a first for Timothée Chalamet, the young actor will portray Bob Dylan in the upcoming biopic "A Complete Uknown," directed by James Mangold. Having already shown his ability to act, sing, and dance, it's a perfect fit for Chalamet, who will play the iconic singer during his late teens,just before he would become a successful folk star.
In an interview with GQ, Chalamet shared that he was using the same coaches his "Dune: Part Two" co-star Austin Butler used for his outstanding portrayal of Elvis, including using Butler's vocal coach for the film, Eric Vetro. "I just saw the way [Butler] committed to it all — and realized I needed to step it up," he said. Further preparing for the role, Chalamet shared on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast with Josh Horowitz that he was given Dylan's unreleased music from the early stages of his career. "This might earn the ire and wrath of a lot of Bob fans, rightfully, but [Jeff Rosen, Dylan's manager] sent me like a 12-hour playlist of unreleased Bob stuff from like 1959 to '64. I feel like I'm holding onto gold or something."
There is no release date yet for the upcoming film, but it already sounds like Chalamet will be adding some more award nominations to his name.