Oscar host Conan O’Brien made a direct dig at Timothée Chalamet’s recent controversial remarks, forcing the Oscar-nominated actor to react in good humor.
Sunday’s ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles saw the former late-night funnyman, 62, return to the stage for a second year in a row. During his opening monologue, O’Brien made several remarks alluding to the state of the world.
“Security is extremely tight tonight,” he said, as if he were about to address the U.S.’s unfolding war with Iran.
However, he took a surprising turn with his punchline. “I’m told there are concerns about attacks from both the opera and ballet communities,” he quipped, in reference to Chalamet’s divisive comments about ballet and opera. “They’re just mad you left out jazz!”
Cameras showed Chalamet taking the quip in good humor as he laughed alongside his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner.
The Oscar-nominated Marty Supreme star, 30, ignited furore within the arts community last week when his earlier comments that “no one cares” about ballet or opera went viral.
Chalamet was in conversation with Matthew McConaughey about audiences’ shortened attention spans at a CNN and Variety town hall when he made the off-handed remark.
“I don’t want to be working in ballet or opera,” Chalamet said, “where it’s like, ‘Hey! Keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about this anymore.’”
The Call Me by Your Name actor faced fierce backlash for his flippant assessment, leading to questions about whether his comments would hurt his Best Actor Oscar campaign.
Ballet legend Misty Copeland was among the leading voices to denounce Chalamet’s comments. “First, I have to say that it’s very interesting that he invited me to be a part of promoting Marty Supreme with respect to my art form,” Copeland said at a recent panel for Aveeno skincare, according to Variety. “I think that it’s important that we acknowledge that, yes, this is an art form that’s not ‘popular’ and a part of pop culture as movies are, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have enduring relevance in culture.”
Meanwhile, three-time Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg subtly shaded the actor at a SXSW keynote conversation over the weekend. “At the end of a really good movie experience, we are all united with a whole bunch of feelings that we walk into the daylight with, or into the nighttime with. And there’s nothing like that,” the Jaws filmmaker said.
“It happens in movies, and in concerts,” he continued, “And it happens in ballet and opera, by the way.”
