Luca Guadagnino has stepped in to defend Timothée Chalamet after his comments about ballet and opera, which sparked backlash. In an interview recently conducted, Guadagnino stated that he was taken aback at how fast things had gotten out of hand. In particular, he called it a “planetary polemic.” While stating that Chalamet could have chosen to phrase things differently, the filmmaker expressed that people needed to consider the bigger picture here.
Director calls Chalamet comments a product of fear
Guadagnino claimed that he could not understand the extent to which things could go when it comes to people criticizing someone for a simple comment in the digital age. “I am not on social media and don’t understand how one comment can become a planetary polemic,” he noted.
According to him, Chalamet meant no harm when making these remarks. Indeed, he emphasized that the actor was “young, smart, sensitive” and was afraid that cinema would lose its cultural significance in the long run.
“He could have spared himself,” added Guadagnino, though stressing that what was important was the intent behind the remark.
Guadagnino also chose to speak about the state of today’s art scene in general. He said that different art movements did not need to compete with each other in a difficult period for the creative industries.
“We must unite the arts, not separate them,” he asserted.
This incident started a few months ago when the actor mentioned during a promotion event for Marty Supreme that some traditional art movements struggled to remain relevant in the modern world. As expected, those words spread like wildfire, leading to significant backlash from various parties associated with ballet and opera.
For instance, there were several criticisms coming from Misty Copeland and similar dancers. Moreover, the Seattle Opera went so far as to mock the situation using promotional offers referencing the actor.
Apparently, even awards ceremonies got affected. According to many industry experts, Chalamet lost Best Actor at the 2026 Oscars to Michael B. Jordan due to that controversial statement. Furthermore, Jimmy Kimmel made several jokes regarding the situation while hosting the ceremony.
