Timothee Chalametwas widelycriticizedback in early March after his remarks aboutballetandoperasparked backlash across the entertainment industry.
Now, nearly two months later,Charlize Theronhas weighed in on thecontroversy, adding her own strong opinion to the debate.
However, her comment has stirred freshcriticismonline, with viewers split over whether her take went too far or made a valid point.
“I thought wemoved past this, and what a stupid thing to say anyway,” one user wrote.
Charlize Theron called Timothee Chalamet’s remark on ballet “reckless”
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In an interview withThe New York Timeson April 18,Theronaddressed the controversy where she didn’t hold back while reacting toMarty Supremeactor’s earlier statement.
“Oh, boy, I hope I run into him one day. That was a very reckless comment on anartform… that we need to lift up constantly,” she said.
Theron then added a remark that quickly caught attention online.
“In 10 years, AI is going to be able to doTimothée’sjob, but it will not be able to replace a person on a stage dancing live.”
She also spoke about her own experience with dance, calling it one of the toughest things she has done.
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“Dancers aresuperheroes… I’m literally talking about bleeding through your shoes,” she said, describing the discipline and physical toll involved.
Her comments came in response to Chalamet’s comments in a February 24VarietyandCNNtown hall, where he said he wouldn’t want to work in fields like ballet oroperabecause “no one cares about this anymore.”
Although he later added, “All respect to the ballet and opera people,” the clip quickly went viral and drew criticism across the industry.
Theron’s comment on Chalamet’s statement reignited the conversation among online viewers
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Theron’s response reignited theconversation; however, not everyone agreed with her approach.
“This feels like an equally damaging comment…” one user wrote, while another added, “You do realize that you have the same job as he does??”
Image credits:Variety
Others were more furious, with one saying, “She’s trying to ride a wave that ended weeks ago,” and another calling it “the most ignorant comment made so far on this discourse.”
Apparently, Theron is not the first to call out Chalamet.
In the weeks following his comment, several well-known figures from the industry have publiclycriticizedhim.
Following Chalamet’s statement, several people from the industry slammed the actor
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AsreportedbyBored Panda,actor Nathan Lane described the remark as insensitive, calling Chalamet “a schmuck” during an appearance onThe View.
He added that the statement reflected a lack ofunderstandingabout the importance of traditional art forms.
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Jamie Lee Curtis also weighed in, calling the comment “silly” and saying it could become part of hislegacy.
Singer Doja Cat criticized him in a TikTok video, saying, “People care… the dancers care, the singers care, the audience cares.”
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DirectorSteven Spielbergappeared to reference the controversy during an onstage conversation titledThe Big Picture With Steven Spielberg, emphasizing that experiences like ballet, opera, and cinema bring people together and should be preserved.
“At the end of a really good movie experience, we are all united with a whole bunch of feelings that we walk into the daylight with.”
“And there’s nothing like that. It happens in movies and inconcerts. And it happens in ballet and opera, by the way,” he said.
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However, few defended Chalamet, arguing his comment was taken out of context.
Operastar Andrea Bocelli responded by inviting Chalamet to one of his performances, suggesting he might better understand the art form through experience.
“I am convinced that a sensitive performer like Timothee… may one day discover that opera anddancedraw from that very same source,” Bocelli said.
Singer Adela also suggested thebacklashmight be overblown, stating that while traditional art forms face challenges, the discussion itself could bring more attention to them.
“I think people are maybe blowing it out of proportion,” she toldTMZat Los Angeles International Airport.
“An actor saying another actor can be replace by AI as if she isn’t an actor,” wrote one user
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