In just a couple of years, Timothee Chalamet has become one of the hottest names in Hollywood. His excellent performances and charming personality have made him one of Hollywood's most popular young actors—and one of the Internet’s most beloved celebrities. As Chalamet embarks on even more exciting projects, we thought it would be a great time to uncover some facts you may not have known about the rising young star.
Facts About Timothee Chalamet
1. New York: Born and Raised
Timothee Hal Chalamet was born on December 27, 1995, in New York City to parents Nicole Flender and Marc Chalamet. He was raised in the Manhattan neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen.
2. Summers in France
Chalamet’s father Marc is of French origin. Young Chalamet spent his childhood summers with his paternal grandparents in their home in the small French village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon.
3. En français
As a result of his French origins and his summers in France, Chalamet is fluent in French. Not a bad skill to have when you’re an actor—or in any profession for that matter.
4. Learning Italian
For his performance in the Italy-set Call Me by Your Name, Chalamet had to pick up some Italian. Impressively, Chalamet performed scenes in Italian, English, and French in the movie—a true triple threat!
Call Me by Your Name, Frenesy Film Company
5. An Education in the Arts
Chalamet went to high school at New York’s prestigious Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts. It was at the school where Chalamet really got the acting bug. The school has an impressive alumni list that includes the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Zazie Beets, Nicki Minaj, and Al Pacino.
Wikimedia Commons, Beyond My Ken
6. High School Bromance
One of Chalamet’s classmates during his time at LaGuardia was fellow rising Hollywood star Ansel Elgort. The two are still close friends, often seen together courtside at Knicks games or supporting each other at awards shows. At the 75th Golden Globes, both Chalamet and Elgort were both up for major awards—Chalamet for Best Actor in a Drama for his performance in Call Me by Your Name and Elgort for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical for his titular role in Baby Driver.
7. The Inevitable Memes
Like many a famous person before him (and presumably after), Chalamet is the subject of his very own meme. The Instagram account @ChalametInArt features images of famous paintings, like Magritte’s The Son of Man and Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, with Chalamet superimposed onto them. The memes came up in a recent interview with Jimmy Fallon and Chalamet was a good sport about it, telling the late-night host, “That is so weird…but it’s cool, it’s cool, and I’m grateful for whoever has been doing that, thank you.”
8. First Television Appearance
Like many New York-based actors, Chalamet’s first on-screen appearance came in an episode of Law & Order. The episode aired in 2009 and Chalamet played the part of a murder victim.
Law & Order, NBC Universal Television
9. Collegiate Pursuits
After graduating from LaGuardia, Chalamet enrolled at Columbia University. Chalamet majored in cultural anthropology before dropping out to concentrate on his acting career. He has since switched over to NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, which affords him the flexibility to balance both his education and acting career.
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10. Starting on the Small Screen
Chalamet has had recurring roles in the television series Homeland and Royal Pains. In Homeland, Chalamet played the role of the reckless Finn Walden, the son of the sitting Vice President. In Royal Pains, he played the part of Luke.
11. Youngest Best Actor Nominee
Upon receiving his Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for Call Me by Your Name at the age of 22, Chalamet became the third youngest actor to be nominated for that category and the youngest since Mickey Rooney was nominated way back in 1939.
12. His Favorite Actor
In his interview with Frank Ocean, Chalamet revealed that his favorite actor is Joaquin Phoenix. Chalamet expressed his admiration for the star of Her and The Master, “There’s five or six artists I’m really trying to follow in the footsteps of creatively…on the acting side, Joaquin is number one.”
13. Prepping for the Role
In addition to learning Italian, Chalamet also took lessons to play piano and guitar in preparation for his breakthrough performance in Call Me by Your Name. When you put in the work, it definitely pays off!
14. Reuniting With Greta and Saoirse
Chalamet will be reuniting with the director and star of Lady Bird—Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan—in an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel Little Women. The movie will be directed by Gerwig and Chalamet will be playing the part of Theodore “Laurie” Laurence.
15. A Chance to Control the Spice
Chalamet is set to appear in a film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s cult classic novel Dune. The movie will be directed by Denis Villeneuve and Chalamet will play the lead role of Paul Atreides. Atreides was previously portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan in David Lynch’s take on the sci-fi novel, which was released in 1984.
16. His Biggest Break
Chalamet’s big breakthrough was in the 2017 Luca Guadagnino-directed film Call Me by Your Name. Chalamet received major critical acclaim for his performance as Elio, a 17-year-old who begins a romantic relationship with an older graduate student working with his father, set in the idyllic Northern Italian countryside during one magical summer.
17. Playing a Real-Life Drug Addict
In 2018, Chalamet appeared in the film Beautiful Boy. The film depicts the fraught relationship between a father, played by Steve Carell, and his drug-addicted teenage son, played by Chalamet. The movie is based on the memoirs of journalist David Sheff.
18. Not Getting the Part
Chalamet unsuccessfully auditioned for the part of Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming. He lost the part to British actor Tom Holland. Considering that Chalamet is a native New Yorker like Peter Parker, this seems like a major missed opportunity.
19. Becoming a Rap Lyric
Chalamet got a shout-out from rapper Tyler, the Creator on his 2018 single “Okra.” Tyler, the Creator rapped “Tell Tim Chalamet to come get at me/Skin glowin’, clear of acne.” Fingers-crossed, that this leads to a Tyler, The Creator/Lil Timmy Tim collaboration!
20. How Do Your Pronounce Timothée?
For the record, the accurate French way to pronounce “Timothée” is Teemo-TAY. However, Chalamet himself prefers it to be pronounced in the same way as the Anglicized form of the name Timothy.
21. A Royal Part
Chalamet will soon be appearing in the film The King, playing the part of King Henry V of England. The movie is based on William Shakespeare’s history plays on Henry IV and Henry V. The film is expected to be released later in 2019 on Netflix.
22. An Out-of-this-World Role
Chalamet had a small role in the 2014 science-fiction film Interstellar. Chalamet played a younger version of the character Tom in the Christopher Nolan-directed film. The adult version of Tom was played by Casey Affleck.
23. A Memorable Performance
Chalamet had a brief (ahem), but “hella tight” appearance in the 2017 film Lady Bird. Chalamet appeared as Lady Bird’s second love interest, the Howard Zinn-loving, too-cool-for-school Kyle.
24. 2017 was a Good Year for Timmy
At the 90th Academy Awards, Chalamet set the rare feat of appearing in two of the films nominated for the biggest prize of the night, as both Call Me by Your Name and Lady Bird were nominated for Best Picture. Even more amazing, Chalamet’s feat was bested by Michael Stuhlbarg, who played his dad in Call Me by Your Name, who appeared in three of the Best Picture nominees—Call Me by Your Name, The Post, and the eventual winner, The Shape of Water.
25. Growing Up in the Biz
On his mom’s side of the family, Chalamet has many relatives that are involved in the entertainment industry. His uncle Rodman Flender is a filmmaker and his aunt Amy Lippman is a television producer and writer. Even his grandparents have connections to show business—his grandfather Harold Flender was a screenwriter and his grandmother Enid Flender was a dancer on Broadway.
26. Earning Raves on the Stage
Before garnering critical acclaim for his work in cinema, Chalamet earned rave reviews for his performance in John Patrick Shanley’s autobiographical stage play Prodigal Son. The 2016 production saw Chalamet portray a young Shanley in a prep school in the early 60s. In recognition of his performance, Chalamet won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play.
27. The High School Stage
Going to a performing arts school will inevitably lead to parts in high school musicals. During his time at LaGuardia, Chalamet appeared in Cabaret as Emcee and in Sweet Charity as Oscar Lindquist.
Wikimedia Commons, Dalibor Tonković
28. His First Passion
During his summers in France, Chalamet coached at a soccer camp, teaching kids from the ages of six to ten the ways of the beautiful game. In fact, before acting became his number one obsessions, Chalamet dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player.
29. Vive le France!
With the United States failing to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Chalamet was free to pledge his sporting allegiance to France. When Les Bleus ended up winning the tournament, Chalamet, like any good sports nerd, shared his excitement on Twitter by tweeting the starting lineups of both the winning 1998 and 2018 French teams.
30. How Tall is Timothée?
If you were wondering about Chalamet’s height, he is 5'10". You might have thought he was shorter, because his Call Me by Your Name co-star Armie Hammer is a towering 6'5".
31. Who Isn’t a Fan of Frank Ocean?
Chalamet is a big fan of R&B singer Frank Ocean and the feeling seems to be mutual. Ocean interviewed Chalamet in early 2018 for V magazine, where the young celebrities gushed over each other’s work. The two reunited in early 2019 when they were seated front row at a Louis Vuitton show for Paris Fashion Week.
32. Entering the Quirky World of Wes
Chalamet is slated to appear in the latest film from Wes Anderson. The French Dispatch will be hitting theatres in 2020 and includes an all-star cast featuring frequent Anderson collaborators Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman. The film, along with Little Women, will serve as another reunion for Chalamet and his Lady Bird co-star Saoirse Ronan.
33. His Mantle Must be Full
In a short amount of time, Chalamet has racked up plenty of award nominations and wins. He’s been already nominated for an Oscar and now two Golden Globe Awards. His most impressive victories include winning Best Male Lead at the Independent Spirit Awards and Best Actor at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards, both for his performance in Call Me by Your Name. The New York Film Critics Circle win was extra special, as Chalamet became the youngest recipient of the Best Actor award.
34. Paying Kudos to Your Hero
During his acceptance speech for winning the Breakthrough Performance award at the National Board of Review Awards, Chalamet used his time to shout out “his hero” Paul Thomas Anderson and in particular the auteur’s films Punch-Drunk Love and The Master, which had a profound impact on his acting career. Chalamet expressed his interest in working with the beloved filmmaker. When Anderson won later in the night for his screenplay for Phantom Thread, he began his acceptance speech with, “You’re on, Timothée.” How cool is that!
35. The Pursuit of Happiness Leads to Friendships
Chalamet has expressed in many interviews that he is a big fan of rapper Kid Cudi. The two first met in-person after a concert in Montreal, where Kid Cudi gave the then-struggling young actor some important career advice. Since then, the two have become close friends. Chalamet was even at Kid Cudi’s recent intimate birthday gathering, where the guest list also included Pete Davidson, Kanye West, and Kim Kardashian-West.
36. Teenage Love
Chalamet once dated Lourdes Leon, the daughter of pop superstar Madonna. The couple started dating while they were both students at LaGuardia. They dated from 2013 to 2017, but are still reportedly friends.
37. Lilothée or Chaladepp?
Much to the dismay of his fans across the interwebs, Chalamet is reportedly off the market. He has been recently linked to actress Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis. Chalamet and Depp have been photographed by the paparazzi on various dates throughout Manhattan. The two are also scheduled to appear together in the upcoming film The King.
38. A “Stylish” Interview
Ahead of the release of Beautiful Boy, fellow teen heartthrob Harry Styles interviewed Chalamet for i-D magazine. The interview, that no doubt brought a certain corner of the Internet to a standstill, saw the two young stars talk about dealing with fame, keeping a journal, staying politically conscious, and, of course, peaches.
39. Working With a Disgraced Director
Chalamet completed work on the Woody Allen-directed film A Rainy Day in New York. Starring opposite Selena Gomez, the movie seemed to be another major notch in Chalamet’s burgeoning acting career. However, the film has yet to be released (and most likely never will) due to the assault allegations against Allen, which in wake of the #MeToo movement have received renewed attention.
40. Donating His Money
Chalamet has donated his earnings from appearing in Woody Allen’s A Rainy Day in New York to organizations RAINN, Time’s Up, and the LGBT Center of New York. His co-stars Selena Gomez, Rebecca Hall, and Griffin Newman have also donated to their salaries to organizations that advocate for victims of sexual abuse and harassment.
41. Poking Fun at Fashion
Chalamet has become known for some of his eye-catching fashion choices on the red carpet. However, the over-sized Off-White work shirt he wore at the 2018 Independent Spirit Awards may have missed the mark, as it became the butt of jokes for hosts Nick Kroll and John Mulaney. Kroll quipped, “Timothée, thanks for taking a break from the gas station.”
42. Lil Timmy Tim
As uncovered by quite a few talk show hosts, during his LaGuardia days Chalamet made a rap video for an assignment in his statistics class. The endearing and somewhat embarrassing video sees Chalamet spit stats-themed rhymes under the moniker Lil Timmy Tim. Despite his efforts, he only received a D.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34
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