Timothée Chalamet's Ballet and Opera Remarks Explained

At a CNN/Variety town hall, Timothée Chalamet and Matthew McConaughey talked about craft and the industry. Near the end of the conversation Chalamet said, "I don't wanna be working in ballet or opera, or, you know, things where it's like, hey, keep this thing alive," and added, "No one cares anymore." The crowd and McConaughey chuckled before the discussion moved on.

Performers and fans pushed back. Doja Cat posted a now-deleted TikTok that emphasized performers' dedication: "There is an etiquette around opera. There is etiquette around ballet. It’s amazing. It’s an amazing theater medium. It’s f***ing beautiful, and people go there every day to the dance studio.

Dancers show up at 8am, 6am. They show up, and they break, and they bleed, every single day. Just because they have respect for it." Social media sparked a "We Care" trend, and responses also came from the Metropolitan Opera, NYC Ballet principal Megan Fairchild and hosts of The View.

United States, New York City

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