Met Opera beefs with Timothée Chalamet after his controversial comment about the performing arts

Chalamet drew criticism for suggesting that ballet and opera are disciplines that “no one cares about.”

The Metropolitan Opera has responded after comments from Timothée Chalamet sparked discussion about the performing arts. The actor’s remarks quickly caught attention and prompted a reaction from the well-known cultural institution.

The official Instagram account for the storied institution responded to the Marty Supreme star’s controversial comment suggesting that opera and ballet are disciplines that “no one cares about.”

The Met Opera account posted a video highlighting the craftsmanship of set decorators, musicians, costumers, and more theatrical technicians on Thursday with the caption, “This one’s for you, @tchalamet… 👀.”

The video also included text on screen paraphrasing Chalamet’s remark: “All respect to the opera (and ballet) people out there.”

Chalamet drew criticism for a comment he made about ballet and opera during a CNN/Variety town hall interview with Matthew McConaughey, in which the Call Me by Your Name actor discussed the possibility of theatrical moviegoing becoming a more niche medium of entertainment that is in constant need of salvation.

“I’ve done it myself — go on a talk show and go, ‘Hey, we gotta keep movie theaters alive. You know, we gotta keep this genre alive,'” he said. “And another part of me feels like, if people wanna see it, like Barbie, like Oppenheimer, they’re gonna go see it and go out of their way to be loud and proud about it.”

He continued, “And I don’t wanna be working in ballet or opera, or, you know, things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive,’ even though it’s like, no one cares about this anymore.”

Chalamet — whose mother, Nicole Flender, was a professional dancer who performed with the New York City Ballet — seemed to immediately recognize the impact of his words.

“All respect to the ballet and opera people out there,” he said. “I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason.”

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to representatives for Chalamet for comment.

The Met Opera’s post received several supportive comments from theatrical performers, including the Tony-winning Gypsy actress Laura Benanti, who wrote, “He’s gonna be singing a different tune when the live arts are all that’s left after AI takes over. Oh wait. He’s above singing a tune.”

Meanwhile, How to Get Away With Murder star Jack Falahee praised the Met’s recent production of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. “I took myself to see Kavalier and Clay for my birthday a couple weeks ago. it absolutely rocked. bravo everyone!” he commented.

Modern Family star Sarah Hyland, who has recently starred in the Broadway shows Just in Time and The Great Gatsby, also commented several clapping emojis in support of the Met’s post.

Met Opera dancers Ana Luiza Luizi and Júnio Enrique, who share the popular Instagram account @thatbraziliancouple, also commented, “Nothing but respect for everyone who makes the magic happen.”

The Met Opera wasn’t the only institution to respond to Chalamet’s comment. London’s Royal Ballet and Opera also posted a similar video highlighting its artists, which began with an audio clip of Chalamet’s controversial remark before cutting to roaring audiences alongside text on screen saying, “We care.”

The Royal Ballet and Opera also directly addressed Chalamet in the caption of its video. “Every night at the Royal Opera House, thousands of people gather for ballet and opera,” the institution wrote. “For the music. For the storytelling. For the sheer magic of live performance. If you’d like to reconsider, @tchalamet, our doors are open.”