Timothée Chalamet: A Rising Star's Journey Through Memorable Movie Roles

At just 28 years old, Timothée Chalamet reigns as the king of Hollywood. His exceptional talent showcased in films like 'Call Me by Your Name' and 'Beautiful Boy,' combined with his distinctive style and innate charisma, have propelled him to this status. Here's everything you need to know about this young, Oscar-nominated actor.

Born on December 27, 1995, Timothée Hal Chalamet comes from a family deeply rooted in the arts. Growing up in New York's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, he was surrounded by an artistic environment that seemed to foretell his own path. His mother, Nicole Flender, had previously pursued a career as a Broadway dancer and later became a dance and language teacher before transitioning to real estate. Meanwhile, his father, Marc Chalamet, a Frenchman, had initially arrived in New York to work as a correspondent for the daily newspaper 'Le Parisien'. Furthermore, his older sister, Pauline, had already embarked on an acting journey at the tender age of 7 in the late 1990s.

Before becoming an actor, Timothée Chalamet wanted to be a soccer player. Despite the cultural background that preceded him, Timothée Chalamet almost went into soccer rather than acting. As he told the 'Verge' in an interview, "Timmy" had fallen in love with soccer during one of the many summers he spent in France in his youth.In fact, the now Oscar-nominated actor coached a team of six- to ten-year-olds when he was just 13 years old.

Timothée Chalamet's talent was evident right from his first audition. After enduring "three miserable years" at the prestigious Booker T. Washington Middle School, Chalamet made the bold decision to pursue acting and auditioned for admission to the renowned Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art, and Performance in New York. Despite initially being rejected due to his low grade point average, his remarkable performance in front of the school's admissions panel impressed them so much that he was granted immediate acceptance. Shortly thereafter, Chalamet's exceptional abilities were recognized by the National YoungArts Foundation, which awarded him a scholarship—a prestigious honor previously bestowed upon esteemed actors like Kerry Washington, Billy Porter, and Viola Davis in the early stages of their careers.

During his time at LaGuardia, Timothée Chalamet showcased his versatility by starring in musicals, expressing his passion for hip-hop, and even dating Madonna's daughter. As highlighted in a profile by 'GQ', the young actor crossed paths with Lourdes Leon, daughter of Madonna and dancer Carlos Leon, while they were both students at the art school. Their relationship lasted nearly a year. Within the school community, Chalamet gained recognition for his exceptional talent in theater, which he demonstrated through his involvement in productions of popular musicals like "Cabaret" and "Sweet Charity." Moreover, his classmates were treated to glimpses of his love for hip-hop through his alter ego, "Timmy Tim," as Chalamet created enjoyable compositions for the school.

Timothée Chalamet's career had its humble beginnings on the small screen, just like many of today's successful actors. In 2009, he made his debut in an episode of the popular series 'Law & Order,' portraying the character of "Eric Foley," a young boy tragically murdered in his own home. This marked his first notable acting credit. Three years later, Chalamet landed a role in the acclaimed series 'Homeland,' appearing in eight episodes during its second season. The cast of 'Homeland' was even nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Cast in a Drama Series in 2014, solidifying Chalamet's entry into the industry.

Timothée Chalamet cried after watching 'Interstellar'. Although his first credit on the big screen was in the film 'Men, Women and Children' (2014) by Jason Reitman, the film that became key to Timothée Chalamet's future was his next project, 'Interstellar' (2014), where he gave life to one of the sons of former astronaut "Joseph Cooper" (Matthew McConaughey).In fact, the relevance of Christopher Nolan's film in the actor's life was so great that he abandoned his career at Columbia University to devote himself fully to acting. It is therefore not surprising that Timothée cried after seeing how little of his performance had been shown in the film's final version.

The talented young actor Timothée Chalamet portrayed a similarly talented young actor in 'Miss Stevens.' The parallels between Chalamet and the character he played, "Billy Mitman," in his seventh film are clear. Both are aspiring actors with immense talent, eagerly seeking their first significant breakthrough. In the movie, Chalamet's character, accompanied by his teacher (Lily Rabe) and two classmates (Lili Reinhart and Anthony Quintal), participates in a theater competition. Despite grappling with deep emotional issues, the character's talent is remarkable. One particularly brilliant scene showcases "Billy" reciting a monologue from Arthur Miller's play "Death of a Traveler" (Death of a Salesman), where both "Billy" and Timothée shine at the pinnacle of their performances.

Greta Gerwig sought out Timothée Chalamet to star in 'Lady Bird' after seeing it in the theater. 2017 was a big year for Timothée Chalamet, one of the reasons being the good reception of his work as the nasty millennial "Kyle Scheible" in the coming-of-age 'Lady Bird'. As detailed in an interview, director Greta Gerwig sought to work with Timothée after seeing him perform in the play 'Prodigal So'n by John Patrick Shanley, on Broadway. "It's my favorite way to meet the actors because there's nothing stopping me from being able to see how they work," he said in a panel according to the newspaper 'Observer'.

Timothée Chalamet wasn't the first choice to play "Elio" in 'Call Me by Your Name'. Few may know it, but the project to bring to the cinema the novel 'Call Me by Your Name' by André Aciman, had been in production for at least 8 years when the producers were finally able to move forward with its realization. However, there were multiple changes before the story of "Elio" and "Oliver" could reach the screen, one of them was a momentous change in the cast, as originally Shia LaBeouf would play the lead role in the film. LaBeouf's public problems and his complicated way of working prompted the producers to get rid of the actor. Instead, they turned to director Luca Guadagnino, who had met Chalamet in 2013. The young actor, who had already read the book, accepted the role without major problems and even underwent a series of classes to learn to speak Italian, attended the gym three days a week, and took piano lessons with composer Roberto Solci.