As his rise to fame becomes more apparent, chatter is growing louder about the actor Timothée Chalamet.
His recent box office hits, Wonka and Dune Part 2, have amassed more than $1 billion combined and growing. This has now surpassed John Travolta who previously held the record for a lead actor gaining revenue from Saturday Night Fever and Grease within eight months between 1977 and 1978, according to Screen Rant.
Wonka, the prequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was released in Dec. 2023. Being a movie geared towards children and a family audience, the casting of Timothée Chalamet was surprising to many. The comical musical entailed an energetic and lighthearted lead, a big contrast to his typical characters’ mood. Chalamet has played many characters; Nic Sheff, a teenager struggling with drug addiction in Beautiful Boy and an exploratory Elio Perlman in Call Me by Your Name. Acting in action and mainly dramas, Chalamet’s usual stern, indie character is nothing like Willy Wonka.
“In his…past roles he was kinda more stoic…he was…really bright and fun and cheery [in Wonka],” said Gabbi Morejohn, a sophomore who recently watched the movie after its release on streaming platforms. “I feel like he was having a lot of fun while filming [Wonka], and it was interesting to see him grow into the role and expand out into playing different types of characters.” Singing and dancing were essential to stepping out of his distinctive role and appealing to children. While he has attracted some negative attention to his singing, he has also received recognition for branching out by using his true voice, according to Classical FM.
While Wonka may have lacked quality writing and widely known actors, it still had heart that was adored by many. “It’s not [a movie] that I would watch over and over again, but definitely a really fun, colorful, entertaining film,” said Morejohn.
Chalamet’s other blockbuster, Dune Part 2 was initially set to release in late October last year, but because of the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strike that lasted for almost four months, the movie’s premiere date was delayed until March 2024. However, this didn’t stop movie theaters from showing both of Chalamet’s movies at the same time, boosting his recognition significantly.
Dune Part 2 compared to the first movie, takes a faster approach and welcomes additions to the already stacked cast. Austin Butler, Florence Pugh and Zendaya, with added screen time, accompany swoon-worthy Chalamet. Multiple viewer-rated websites rated the greatly anticipated sequel highly, reaching 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is compared favorably to the first movie at 83%. On Internet Movie Database (IMDB), Dune 2 racked in 8.7/10 stars while Dune achieved 8.0/10 stars.
“They told the story really well that left you at a…really good cliffhanger at the end,” said Jane Coffey-Read, a sophomore who viewed the movie during its initial release at OMSI’s empirical theater. “The casting was really well done,” said Coffey-Read, who has also read the book by Frank Herbert.
Returning to the franchise, Timothée Chalamet acted as Paul Atreides, a young duke learning the ways of the deadly planet Arrakis. “I think [he] played his part really well…the actor really makes sense with the character…a shy guy, but [he] has powerful thoughts,” said Coffey-Read.
Both of these movies show his diversity and skill as an actor in lead roles, but with very different approaches. His voice and facial expressions had a great contrast between the two movies, requiring a buoyant talk and smile for Wonka, but a harsh yell and stony face for his role in Dune Part 2, being the biggest distinction in his acting.
While Chalamet is still relatively young, his fame is not. He has been nominated for many awards including best actor in Call Me By Your Name, in 2017 at only age 22. He has worked, and will continue to work, with acclaimed directors like Greta Gerwig, Wes Anderson and Denis Villeneuve, the director of the aforementioned Dune and Dune Part 2. Currently, with James Mangold in the biopic, A Complete Unknown, Chalamet is set to play Bob Dylan as well.
With Dune Part 2 and Wonka, Chalamet maintains his growing public image and will broaden his roles further. Becoming one of the defining actors of our generation, Timothée Chalamet is a name and face you will continue to see on the silver screen.
