Timothée Chalamet’s Riskiest Role Ever: Why It Deserved More Attention!

Having played a variety of characters in both ensemble casts and as a solo lead, Timothée Chalamet discusses which role he considers the most “risky.”

Chalamet first gained attention as Matthew McConaughey’s son in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, but it was his 2017 performances in Call Me by Your Name and Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird that truly marked his breakthrough, earning him his first Oscar nomination for the former. His career trajectory continued with significant roles in Little Women, Wonka, Dune, and Dune: Part Two, as well as receiving further Academy Award nominations for his performances in the Bob Dylan film A Complete Unknown and the recent Marty Supreme.

At a town hall event at the University of Texas, hosted by Variety and CNN and featuring McConaughey, Chalamet was asked about his primary instinct in selecting roles, and any surprises or fears that followed those choices. He highlighted the importance of working with accomplished directors, explaining, “The instinct is to work with great directors, first and foremost. If you’re aiming for a great performance and don’t have the right director to channel it, it won’t work.” This philosophy influenced his decision to participate in Paul King’s Wonka, which he considered an unconventional step in his career. Here are his own words:

The riskiest thing was “Wonka.” It was an untraditional career step, in that I had done serious movies already. But that director, Paul King — “Paddington” and “Paddington 2” are tremendous movies to me. I feel like that movie didn’t get its fair shake, even though it was financially successful. I honestly thought it was kinda punk rock to do something that wasn’t so cool, about drugs or something. But I don’t think people really took it that way. It is what it is. I got some free chocolate out of it.

Given his previous roles in dramatic films like Call Me by Your Name, Lady Bird, Little Women, and Dune, Chalamet’s choice to portray a younger, more comedic Willy Wonka was a notable shift. Although he played a comedic part in Don’t Look Up, it was a smaller, supporting role, whereas in Wonka he was the central figure. His decision was guided by his instinct to work with distinguished directors, allowing him to collaborate with Paul King, known for his work on Paddington, after starring in films directed by Nolan, Gerwig, and Denis Villeneuve.

Despite the mostly positive critical reception on Rotten Tomatoes, where Wonka boasts an 82% “Certified Fresh” rating from critics and a 90% “Verified Hot” audience score, the film grossed $634.7 million worldwide against a budget of $125 million. However, it did not achieve the same level of critical acclaim or awards attention as some of Chalamet’s other works, a point he noted when he mentioned the film did not get “its fair shake” and was perhaps misunderstood by audiences.

While Wonka may not have cemented the legacy Chalamet hoped for, it has not detracted from his career trajectory. His subsequent roles in Dune: Part Two, A Complete Unknown, and Marty Supreme have been well-received, with a Golden Globe win for Marty Supreme and strong Oscar buzz for this season. Chalamet is set to return to theaters in December with Dune: Part Three.