Timothée Chalamet criticised by alma maater LaGuardia after opera and ballet comments

LaGuardia High School addressed Chalamet in an open letter after his remarks about opera and ballet drew criticism

Timothée Chalamet has faced criticism following remarks suggesting that audiences no longer care about opera and ballet, prompting a public response from his former school, LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York.

The actor made the comments during a CNN and Variety Town Hall discussion with Matthew McConaughey in late February while speaking about the challenges facing the film industry and changing audience attention spans.

During the conversation, Chalamet referred to the difficulty of sustaining interest in certain art forms and said he did not want to work in fields that rely on appeals to keep them relevant. “I don't want to be working in ballet or opera, or things where it's like, 'Hey, keep this thing alive.' Even though it's like, no one cares about this anymore.”

He added shortly afterwards, “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there,” before joking about the reaction to his remarks by saying, “I just lost 14 cents in viewership.”

The comments drew criticism online, particularly from members of the performing arts community. In response, LaGuardia High School, where Chalamet studied performing arts before his acting career, published an open letter addressed to the actor.

In the statement, the school’s principal expressed pride in the former student while defending the value of different artistic disciplines. “We are so incredibly proud of our own Timothée Chalamet,” the letter began.

The message continued by emphasising the school’s approach to the arts. “We believe that if a single performance, a single note, a single brushstroke, a single movement across a stage touches even one person, it is worthy. It matters. It is very much alive.”

The letter also referenced Chalamet’s own background in the performing arts. “Timothée, you yourself once said: 'I grew up backstage at the New York City Ballet. My grandmother danced there. My mother danced there. My sister danced there.' You come from this world. We know your heart, and we know you know better.”

The statement concluded with a message directed at current students studying ballet and opera. “We see you. Keep going.”

Several figures within the entertainment industry have also reacted online, including Jamie Lee Curtis, who wrote on Instagram, “Why are any artists taking shots at any other artists?”