Delivering an exceptional performance as an actor can undeniably be challenging, even for the most experienced veterans in the industry. That’s why it’s considered such a remarkable achievement when actors like Timothée Chalamet manage to do it at a young age.
At only 25 years old, Chalamet has managed to take the entertainment industry by storm, delivering compelling performances with every role he takes on. He has also been nominated for numerous prestigious awards for his roles, even winning some of them.
However, as famous as he is now, some are still asking this question: who was Timothée Chalamet before the fame? Moreover, how has he managed to build such an impressive acting career before even reaching 30?
Learn the answers to these and more in this article.
Who Is Timothée Chalamet: How He Became One of Hollywood’s Most Famous Actors
Timothée Hal Chalamet, or simply Timothée Chalamet, is one of Hollywood’s most popular actors these days. He is credited with an impressive 31 acting roles to date, and he has been nominated for various prestigious awards for several of his roles.
Although he has acted since he was a child, he didn’t achieve popularity on a global scale until his breakout role in the movie “Call Me by Your Name,” which also solidified his reputation as one of the most outstanding actors in Hollywood.
In the film, he plays a 17-year-old Italian-Jewish teen in Italy named Elio Perlman who falls in love with his father’s 24-year-old assistant, an American graduate student named Oliver. It’s an unforgettable coming-of-age story about a young teen who comes to terms with his sexuality while also exploring his first love.
While critics have positively received the film itself during its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, most of them paid particular attention to Chalamet’s performance.
Film critics considered his performance exceptional because it managed to stand apart from the rest, even when all the other cast members also delivered terrific performances.
For his role as Elio, he was nominated for several prestigious awards in the industry, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and the Academy Award for Best Actor. This put his name in the spotlight, making him one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood today.
In fact, many consider Timothée Chalamet one of the most talented actors of his generation, with TIME magazine even selecting him as a “next-generation leader.” He also appeared in Forbes’s 2018 Hollywood and Entertainment list of “30 Under 30.”
Since his role as Elio Perlman, he has gone on to showcase his impressive acting skills in various films, such as “Lady Bird,” “Beautiful Boy,” “Little Women,” “The King,” and “Dune.” He also has several other projects lined up, such as “Wonka” and “Don’t Look Up.”
Who He Was Before the Fame: An Overview of Timothée Chalamet’s Early Life
He may be one of Hollywood’s top actors today, but that wasn’t always the case. So, who was Timothée Chalamet before he became one of Hollywood’s most promising talents? Let’s find out.
Family Background
Born on December 27, 1995, in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, Timothée Chalamet grew up in a family that had numerous ties to the arts and entertainment industries.
For example, he is a nephew of notable producers and filmmakers Rodman Flender and Amy Lippman. He’s related to them via his mother’s side. His older sister, Pauline Chalamet, is also an actress.
Meanwhile, his father, Marc Chalamet, worked for Le Parisien as its New York correspondent before working as an editor for UNICEF. His mother, Nicole Flender, also worked as a Broadway actress and dancer before pursuing a career as a real estate broker.
This has made the arts, particularly the performing arts, a constant presence in his life while growing up.
Early Life
Chalamet was considered a passionate and lively child, and he was said to always give everything he did his all, whether it was performing on stage or simply doing schoolwork.
As a child, he dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player, even working as a soccer coach for 6 to 10-year olds in France when he was 13 years old because of this.
However, he would later show a deeper appreciation for the arts after attending the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts.
There, he learned more about the craft and saw its potential, which further fueled his passion for acting. He also starred in several of his school’s productions during his time at LaGuardia.
Early Career
As mentioned, he started acting as a child, appearing in a few short films and several commercials. He also played a few minor roles in notable TV series, beginning with a role in 2009 in the long-running legal and police procedural drama Law & Order.
He also played a few recurring roles in Homeland and Royal Pains before eventually making his film debut in 2014, playing a minor role in the movie “Men, Women, and Children.”
He also played Matthew McConaughey’s teen son in the film “Interstellar,” where he and the rest of the cast received positive reviews for their performances. However, despite this, he would experience several unsuccessful auditions before being catapulted to fame in 2017.
Beyond Acting: the Top 11 Interesting Facts About Timothée Chalamet
Of course, while his excellent acting skills are what propelled his career and subsequent popularity, there’s so much more to know about Timothée Chalamet. Here are some of them:
1. He is fluent in French and English.
Although he was born and primarily raised in the US, Timothée Chalamet holds dual citizenship in the US and France, as his father is originally from France. He and his family spent many summers growing up in the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, where his paternal grandparents lived.
This allowed him to constantly practice the language growing up, making him fluent in French. He has even attended several interviews that were conducted purely in French.
Aside from French and English, he also knows a little Italian. He studied the language while filming in Italy for three months in his breakout role as Elio Perlman in “Call Me by Your Name.”
2. He has a talent for rapping.
Timothée Chalamet’s talent and passion for acting can be seen in his compelling performances, both of which helped him become the star he is today.
However, he has also shown a remarkable aptitude for rapping, which could be seen in a video he recorded for his statistics class in high school. The old video resurfaced on the internet and became viral after his outstanding performances put him on everyone’s radar.
While it seems like everything was done for fun, it did showcase what else Timothée Chalamet is capable of beyond the world of acting. He even has a name for his rapper alter-ego: Lil’ Timmy Tim or Timmy T, for short.
3. He once majored in anthropology.
Before becoming one of Hollywood’s hottest stars, Timothée Chalamet enrolled in Columbia University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology.
However, he only spent a year at the said university before transferring to the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at the New York University.
According to Chalamet, he had a difficult time juggling his studies with his steadily growing career, especially after the success of the 2014 film “Interstellar.” Transferring to Gallatin allowed him more flexibility to continue pursuing his acting career without sacrificing his studies.
4. He served as his middle school basketball team’s mascot.
Although he used to dream of becoming a professional soccer player, Timothée Chalamet also once tried out for his middle school’s varsity basketball team. Unfortunately, he didn’t make the cut as a player.
However, he still wanted to join the team, which is why he joined as the team’s mascot. He stated in an interview that it was hot in the costume, but he was allowed to take it off during halftime and just relax.
He even joked during the interview that he’s willing to return to being a mascot if being an actor doesn’t work out well for him.
5. He only learned how to drive on the set of one of his films.
Aside from his breakout role, Timothée Chalamet also delivered a powerful performance as Nic Sheff in the 2018 biographical drama “Beautiful Boy.” In the film, he starred opposite Steve Carell, who played his character’s father, David Sheff.
The film explores the story of a father and son whose relationship is negatively impacted by the latter’s issues with substance abuse. Yet, as outstanding as Timothée Chalamet’s performance in the film was, there’s one interesting fact about his time on the set.
According to his November 2020 profile on GQ magazine, Timothée Chalamet only learned to drive a car while he was on the set. This is because some scenes they filmed involved his character driving a car.
6. He had a YouTube channel.
Before making it big as one of Hollywood’s most talented young stars, Timothée Chalamet also revealed that he once tried his hand at business and showcased his work on YouTube.
Under the channel ModdedController360, the young star uploaded a couple of videos showing his custom-painted Xbox controllers, which he sold for 10 USD per piece. The channel only has three videos available to the public, and all were uploaded in 2010.
However, his business idea was ultimately short-lived as his parents quickly put a stop to it, telling him that there was spray paint all over their house. Nevertheless, this only proved that Timothée Chalamet isn’t just a talented actor; he can also be a talented artist.
7. He auditioned for the role of Peter Parker.
Before he ultimately joined the cast of “Call Me by Your Name,” Timothée Chalamet auditioned for other film roles. One of his most notable auditions was for the part of Peter Parker, also known as “Spider-Man,” in the 2017 film reboot of the popular superhero.
According to Chalamet, he read for the role twice and was so nervous that he left in a total panic after doing so. He considered auditioning for the part again but decided against doing so.
The role of everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man ultimately went to Tom Holland, who has gone on to play the said part in several films as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Timothée Chalamet, on the other hand, also rose to fame, thanks to his breakout role as Elio.
8. He was alone while filming “Interstellar.”
Timothée Chalamet was only 17 years old when he got cast in the 2014 science-fiction film “Interstellar.”
As he was still a minor at the time, his parents were legally required to be with him on set during filming, as per the rules of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).
However, in an interview with the LA Times, he said that having guardians around would give him less room for creativity while filming. Moreover, he always felt he was more independent, even at a young age. This is why he persuaded his parents not to come with him by using a California state law.
According to the law, actors below 18 years old can legally travel alone as long as they meet two criteria: they are over 16 and have a high school diploma. The production company must also be based outside of the West Coast.
9. He is one of the youngest nominees for the Best Actor Academy Award.
As mentioned, Timothée Chalamet has been nominated for several prestigious awards, including an Oscar for “Best Actor” for his role as Elio in “Call Me by Your Name.”
While this is impressive enough, he is also one of the youngest actors ever to be nominated for an Academy Award and the third-youngest actor for the said category. Timothée Chalamet was already 22 years old when he received the nomination, but he was just 19 years old when he played the part.
However, the award ultimately went to Gary Oldman for his outstanding performance as Winston Churchill in the war drama movie “Darkest Hour.”
10. He donated all his earnings from “A Rainy Day in New York.”
In 2017, Timothée Chalamet joined the cast of Woody Allen’s new romantic comedy film “A Rainy Day in New York.” The movie also featured several big names in the industry besides Chalamet, including Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, and Jude Law.
While the story itself is your typical romantic comedy, the film drew intense criticism from the public due to the renewed public interest in a sexual abuse allegation against the movie’s director, Woody Allen.
As the Me Too and Time’s Up movements gained traction in 2018, Timothée Chalamet told his fans via an online statement on Instagram that he would be donating what he earned from the movie to several non-profit organizations, namely the LGBT Center in New York, Time’s Up, and RAINN.
According to his statement, he did this to show his support to the brave artists who are fighting to ensure that everyone is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. He also said that he wanted to be worthy of standing alongside these artists.
11. He’s not comfortable being in the spotlight.
Timothée Chalamet is undoubtedly a natural when it comes to being in front of a camera, allowing him to deliver compelling performances that completely immerses his audience in the roles he plays.
However, despite this and his rise to stardom, the young actor has confessed that he isn’t really that comfortable with the idea of being famous and always in the spotlight. According to Chalamet, he’s still trying to figure out how to deal with the attention he gets as one of Hollywood’s most notable young stars.
Timothée Chalamet also stated that on good days, he feels like he’s growing at a pace that’s right for him, while on bad days, he experiences a lot of tension while trying to figure things out.
Final Thoughts
Timothée Chalamet is undeniably one of the most talented actors of his generation, and the world is starting to recognize that. At 25 years old, he has starred in several critically acclaimed films and is set to star in more movies as time goes on.
While he is currently enjoying an upswing in his acting career, that wasn’t always the case. He played several minor and supporting roles before receiving global fame for his role in the 2017 film “Call Me by Your Name.”
With that said, his passion and dedication to his craft helped him strive harder and get to where he is now, serving as an inspiration to everyone who wishes to enjoy similar levels of success in their respective fields.
