Timothée Chalamet Revealed A Hilarious Reason He Thinks His “Acting Career Took Off” In His Unhinged Nardwuar Interview
“Chalamet is having the press run of the DECADE.”
Timothée Chalamet is having the best year in 2024, but his acting career apparently would’ve never taken off if it hadn’t been for the chivalrous gesture of a California rapper.
Earlier this year, Timothée reprised his role as Paul Atreides in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, and he ate the press tour up alongside his costars Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and more with fashionable homages to the film.
Jordan Pettitt – Pa Images / PA Images via Getty Images, Han Myung-gu / WireImage
To end the year, Timothée starred in another Oscar contender, A Complete Unknown, based on legendary folk singer Bob Dylan, but went for a different, entirely unexpected strategy during the press tour.
Dave Benett / Alan Chapman/Dave Benett / WireImage
It started off with him tapping into his fashion bag and paying tribute to Bob’s 2003 look at the premiere of his own film Masked and Anonymous.
Thestewartofny / FilmMagic, Frazer Harrison / Getty Images
For the rest of the press tour, Timmy had gone for a completely unknown tactic of being the most unhinged and unsuspecting guest, and it’s really working for him in the eyes of the public.
James Devaney / GC Images
On Dec. 19, Timothée joined his A Complete Unknown costar Elle Fanning for Vogue’s “Off the Cuff,” and the interview went completely off the rails.
Then, the Call Me By Your Name actor kept the unhinged press tour going with an appearance on Brittany Broski’s BroskiReport, revealing that he’s internet-obsessed like the rest of us.
And on Christmas, he appeared in Nardwuar vs. Timothée Chalamet, where the eccentric celebrity journalist and musician asked him a series of deep-cut questions at Record Surplus in Los Angeles.
When Nardwuar asked Timothée about being “knighted” by California rapper Lil B, The Based God, he attributed this random moment to his acting career “taking off.”
According to Timothée, back when he was a student at NYU, he met Lil B and met him after asking to be knighted. “I had $50 from a commercial I did,” he said.
“I bribed a kid to give me his ticket. I was in there alone, you know, front row to the right. I raised my hand. I got called on by him. I told him I was going to ask out a crush, and he invited me on stage, and he knighted me,” he explained.
“And honestly, he said, ‘That boy’s hand’s been blessed,’ and from there, my acting career took off,” Timothée added.
“Lil B is like a hugely formative artist in my life and career,” Timothée said. “He dropped an album called I’m Gay, and the rollout was very ambiguous about his sexuality or the meaning of the album, and I was just inspired from the sense that, ‘Wow, this guy’s just doing whatever the fuck he wants,’ and it was just cool to me at the time in this genre of hip-hop that he was like all over all the place.”
“I was struggling before that. I’d just did Royal Pains, and then, you know, I was nominated for an Oscar by the time I was 22. Shout out Lil B. Nothing possible without Lil B. Pray to the Based God.”
The internet is obsessed with the viral moments from Timothée’s press tour for A Complete Unknown, especially his interview with Nardwuar, and I can’t blame them.
“Chalamet is having the press run of the DECADE…” one user wrote.
This person said, “His humility makes it really hard to dislike him.”
Another person wrote, “He’s one of the few celebrities who matched nardwaur’s energy and enthusiasm Genuinely one of the best interviews ever.”
They really got a kick out of Timothée’s “dorky” attitude.
“this interview is how I know Timothée is REAL brother damn near pissed himself when he found out he had to pay for the vinyls and calling out the prices,” another person wrote.
This fan suggested “He’s quickly becoming one of the most likeable celebrities.”
“Words cannot express how much my respect for chalamet has grown over the last several weeks.”
Words cannot express how much my respect for chalamet has grown over the last several weeks
— Director Bong Fan Account (@thecandykeynes) December 25, 2024
And finally, this person said, “timothee chalamet is lowkey the best actor of our generation.”
timothee chalamet is lowkey the best actor of our generation…
— ayaa (@papayatown) December 26, 2024
What a year. Happy Birthday, Timothée!
Maja Smiejkowska – Pa Images / PA Images via Getty Images
His 29th birthday is Dec. 27.
