Sorry, Timothée Chalamet, it seems like the world does love opera and ballet...

10 March 2026, 20:59 | Updated: 11 March 2026, 12:21

Opera fans have come out in full voice to defend opera and ballet after actor’s controversial comments.

Opera and ballet have hit the headlines recently, thanks to Oscar-nominee Timothée Chalamet’s recent comments about the relevance of the artform.

The 30-year-old actor and star of A Complete Unknown and Marty Supreme told his Interstellar co-star Matthew McConaughey, “I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera. Things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this any more.’”

The comments came during a CNN/Variety chat back in February. Chalamet (whose mother is a trained ballet dancer who worked at the New York City Ballet) later said, “All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there…”

And the ‘ballet and opera people’ have since responded, in full chorus. Paul James, chief executive officer at Birmingham Royal Ballet, told media that the comments had provoked a heartening response. “We have a whole community of opera, ballet lovers, participants, saying no, no, I care and it’s allowed us to have that conversation of just how important it is,” he said.

Read more: Why does Laufey’s new album feature a classical ballet interlude?

Opera North responded with an arch, “Meanwhile at Opera North... 45,000 opera tickets sold this season so far…”, the Royal Ballet told Chalamet that its doors were open to him and English National Opera offered him free tickets to help him fall back in love with the artform.

Comments like this flooded Instagram: “Last year, my major opera house debut was completely sold out. Over 2,000 people at each performance” and “Dance plays a vital role in keeping communities together and alive. It crosses language, class, culture. It fights social division. It’s essential now more than EVER BEFORE.”

Seattle Opera has even used the diss to its advantage, offering 14% off with the promo code TIMOTHEE for its latest production, Carmen, saying, “Timmy, you’re welcome to use it too.”

At the time of going to press we were unable to determine whether he’d taken any of the organisations up on the offer but he must be pleased to know he has opera tickets for life...

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The comments also attracted attention from outside the industry. Rapper Doja Cat said, “There is an etiquette around opera. There is an etiquette around ballet. It’s amazing. It’s an amazing theatre medium.”

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Laufey added, “My artist project would be nothing without ballet, opera, classical music, jazz music, slow art. Art that’s stood the test of time.” She added, “These forms of art take years to master... They beg you to stop and listen and pay attention and think and oftentimes require a bit more time to understand but there Will ALWAYS be an audience for it.”

Chalamet knew he was opening a can of worms (he wasn’t cast as rock’s most famous contrarian for nothing) when he made the comments but he seems to have reminded the world, if social media is to be believed, that opera and ballet are as popular as ever.