Iconic Roles is a look at some of the best performances in film and television by actors and actresses.
Hollywood’s favorite up-and-coming actor Timothée Chalamet turns 27 today. Chalamet is considered one of the most talented actors of his generation, earning that reputation shortly after making his feature film debut in 2014’s Men, Women & Children. Recently, he has joined forces with director Luca Guadagnino for Bones and All, where Chalamet portrays a cannibalistic teenager. Producers and directors are lining up to work with the New York City-born actor, who is currently attached to several projects, including a leading role in the upcoming Wonka musical and James Mangold’s Going Electric biopic on Bob Dylan.
Here is a closer look at some of the best Timothée Chalamet movies.
Elio Perlman in Call Me by Your Name (2017)
The first collaboration between Chalamet and Guadagnino resulted in a much-appreciated coming-of-age story. In a hot Italian summer, Elio (Chalamet) falls in love with his father’s 24-year-old graduate-student assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer). In spite of his young age, Chalamet showed great maturity in portraying a sexually pulsing teenager and his chemistry with Hammer was undeniable. His efforts were rewarded with an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, making Chalamet the third-youngest nominee ever. Call Me by Your Name is highly regarded by critics and received dozens of nominations across main associations in the industry, including a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars.
Kyle Scheible in Lady Bird (2017)
Coming-of-age stories are a constant in this part of Chalamet’s career, and rightfully so, given the actor’s young age. In 2017, the actor also took part in another critically-acclaimed movie, Lady Bird. Directed by versatile artist Greta Gerwig, the story follows the struggle of a young woman called Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), who gives herself the identity of “Lady Bird.” Among other struggles, Christine has a complicated relationship with Kyle (Chalamet), a bass player in a band with a French name. Undoubtedly, Ronan steals the show in the appreciated story, but Chalamet puts on a great display of small-town snobbery. The movie received five nominations from the Academy, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Nic Sheff in Beautiful Boy (2018)
The complicated father-son relationship depicted in Felix van Groeningen’s English-language film debut underlined one’s more Chalamet’s impressive skills. Even when he shared the stage with a veteran like Steve Carell, Chalamet rose up to the task. The story involves several intense scenes, including a drug overdose hospitalization. Still, Chalament’s performance didn’t go unnoticed, as he took home a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Golden Globe Awards. While Beautiful Boy didn’t pass the box-office test and failed short to top its production budget, it is still considered one of the best Timothée Chalamet movies.
Paul Atreides in Dune (2021)
Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic story is arguably the most ambitious project Chalamet has been involved in so far. The scale and scope of this movie are awe-inspiring, and Chalamet fits well in the role of noble House Atreides’ heir. In the story, Paul needs to do whatever it takes for his and his family’s survival after the sudden assassination of his father, Duke Leto. Dune is currently the second-most profitable movie he has worked on after Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, where Chalamet portrayed the young version of Tom Cooper in a couple of scenes. Chalamet will return as Atreides in the upcoming Dune: Part Two sequel.
Yule in Don’t Look Up (2021)
It’s never easy to carve out some space to shine when the movie you’re working on involves Hollywood royalty like Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Lawrence, among others. Yet, Chalamet’s Yule is unforgettable partly because of the iconic mullet he’s donning. On the verge of an apocalypse, the MSU doctoral candidate in astronomy Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence) befriends a young shoplifter (Chalamet) because, ‘F— it, we’re all gonna die.’ The movie is a ferocious satire of society and how little attention people pay to scientific warnings. Adam McKay’s film scored four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, and it’s also considered one of the best Timothée Chalamet movies.
