Timothée Chalamet is best known for his acting, but wrestling fans also know him as a WWE fan. As such, the actor recently sat down with superstar Cody Rhodes to talk about his critically acclaimed Marty Supreme and a rousing speech he gave earlier this year about greatness.
Earlier this year, Chalamet won Best Actor at the SAG Awards and gave an inspiring speech about his desire to become one of the greats in acting, much like many who came before him. On What Do You Want To Talk About? Cody mentioned the speech and put him on the spot about it during their conversation:
Your speech, talking about the pursuit of greatness. Saying you're going for greatness. Saying most people don't like to say that, but you're saying that, talking about being inspired by these actors but also these athletes...I want to know why you said it.
Some context for non-wrestling fans, Cody Rhodes faced a lot of adversity on his eventual path to becoming one of the biggest names in the WWE. He entered the company with a famous father and a half-brother, but was never able to escape the shadow or eclipse the fame of either. Feeling stuck, he left the WWE, made a name for himself in other wrestling federations worldwide, and played a key role in establishing WWE's major rival, AEW.
He returned to the WWE, became a megastar, and is one of the company's biggest faces. Cody Rhodes asked because he felt he knew why Timothée Chalamet publicly stated his wish to become one of the greats in acting, but wanted to hear it from him to confirm. Chalamet obliged, but said that it mainly came from the heart:
It was just what I was feeling, man. You know, it’s not more complicated than that. And also, you know, you put something out in the world, and that’s how it’s framed, all of a sudden. So if it rubs people the wrong way, or rubs people the right way, at least that’s the framing. And I’m sure you feel it in your business too, there’s this nostalgia for De Niro and Daniel Day-Lewis. But if you’re a young gun, like myself, or like yourself, it’s like ‘Wait a second, we’re still doing it.’ And because attention is so fractured now online, I feel like you kind of have to shout it sometimes to get heard. And so that was the thought.
I totally get what Chalamet is saying, and I appreciate his comments a lot more now. Essentially confirming to the world at large that he's committed to the craft and wants to be one of the greatest actors feels wild for one of the hottest young stars to say, but it's a public comment that holds him accountable. All of Hollywood, and people at home, know what his goal is, and he will be held to it if he falls short.
Is it something that's going to impact Timothée Chalamet's opportunities in Hollywood? Probably not by a lot, especially considering he's likely one of the most in-demand stars working right now. At the same time, I think name-checking Daniel Day-Lewis, who recently returned to acting in Anemone, signals the direction he'd like to take his career.
The same is true of Robert De Niro, whose best movies are some real heavy hitters. I think it's fair to say that in naming these acting legends, there's an intention to signal to the rest of Hollywood creatives the types of movies that he wants to pursue. That said, Timothée Chalamet insisted that what he said was just what he was feeling in the moment, so maybe that truly is all there is to it.
In any case, it's great to hear two people who aspire to find greatness talking about what motivates them. Here's hoping Chalamet is able to reach the lofty heights he's set for himself.
Marty Supreme comes out this Christmas, and there are plenty of upcoming movies in the new year that will be fantastic as well. One of which is Dune: Part Three, which I hope will have as much gusto as Timothée Chalamet's speeches!
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