Timothee Chalamet is an actor, most known for his roles in Little Women (2019), Dune (2021) and Call me by your name (2017). He also released had the new adaption of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the chocolate factory be released to cinemas- Wonka (2023.) Whilst many of the roles he plays could be described as dark, Timothee (as a person) is far from this.
In a video shared on social media from an old school talent show Timothee took part in, he is seen to cover the Nicki Minaj song ‘Roman’s revenge’ whilst wearing a hoot pink wig. The whole video, the actor is shown to exude charisma and energy- he is funny. This isn’t the first-time videos of Timothee from a few years prior to his quick growing fame have been released on social media, with other examples being his infamous ‘statistics’ rap, which he made dedicated to his teacher ‘Miss Laughton’ and the videos from when he was very young of him modifying x-box controllers on YouTube in the hopes of earning some money. These videos represent Chalamet to his large audience of fans as an extroverted, fun to be around social guy.
These attitudes carry on to the present day, in Timothee’s latest SNL monologue (SNL is a late night tv show, famous in America specifically.) In the monologue, he talks about his recent perfume advert directed by Scorsese, which he jokes about, showing that he does not take himself too seriously and can joke about the jobs he has acted in that may come across as strange/ overly serious for the actor. He even makes jokes about the recent SAG strikes and talks about how happy he is to be able to now promote his upcoming movies, using a rendition of the Wonka theme song. His interaction with the audience during this monologue also presents him as kind and outgoing to his fans.
As well as his monologue on SNL, he also does a skit on Troye Sivan, where he dances along with the members of boy genius. The comedic sketch was described by Sivan as ‘a career highlight,’ showing that other celebrities have great respect for the actor and clearly view him as a positive, kind person, whose jokes are taken with ease, compared to other celebrities whose sketch of Troye may have been perceived in a negative way. Timothee is respected and appreciated by his fellow celebrities.
This extroverted attitude shifts in his British GQ advert, where Chalamet discusses his fear of not developing into an adult quick enough and that he feels ‘he is stuck in the same place, whilst people my age are getting married, and having kids.’ This personal, intimate approach Timothee has in the interview immediately makes readers feel more connected to Chalamet and represents him as relatable and approachable. He also comments on how COVID affected his mental health and how he felt ‘existential’ through the lockdown, not knowing where his life was going to lead, like many people in the world at the time. The interviewer reports that during the interview, which took place on a walk-through New York city, Timothee interacted and happily took photos with fans who approached him, always showing them kindness. Again, this representation shows that Chalamet is kind off-camera, even when he does not have to be.
The photos used for the article present Chalamet in natural environments, seemingly isolated, perhaps highlighting his approach to life and how (like he says in the article) he likes to walk alone and take in the world around him, creating an image of wisdom and perspective. Some of the images also resemble an almost French arthouse style, which could reflect the actors’ French origins, which he is widely known for, symbolising that he cares about his background and likes to connect with his culture.
In conclusion, Timothee Chalamet’s representation has been heavily curated by the actor to present him as a sociable, down-to-earth, relatable, extroverted, intelligent persona, whilst the media and fans also strive to show the funny side of Chalamet using old videos that also highlight his extremely funny behaviour. Overall, the actor’s representation has been created by both the media, and the actor, but with more focus on the actors.
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